personal response essay

Thesis statement:

Prejudice revealed in “Remember Africville” draws my attention to how the Canadian government mistreated

the minority groups in history through the following aspects: alienation and (second paragraph key word).

Prompt name: “Remember Africville”

Thesis KW (the main idea): Prejudice

Paragraph KW (aspect of the main idea): alienation

Assertion:

Prejudice is revealed in “Remember Africville” through the alienation experienced by the residents of Africville.

Explanation:

More specifically, those who lived in Africville probably experienced isolation and separation from the city of

Halifax due to the ignorant actions of the government.

Evidence:

In the video, Gus Wedderburn, a man who visited the community, reported that “Where the pavement ended,

that was where Africville began. I did not see the flowers. I could see…the sewer pipes that led material from

Halifax City in the Harbor…Where Africville ended the city dump began and as we drove through the dump I

saw my brothers scavenging in the dump. I did not see the flowers” (Gary & Mackenzie, 1991).

Discussion (So what?)

With this in mind, I feel infuriated when I heard this quote because it reveals the damage that the Halifax

government did to the residents of Africville. The quote from Wedderburn demonstrates that the government

made choices that caused Africville to be an undesirable place to live, which is not a way that a government

should treat those who pay taxes. In my opinion, a government exists to serve its residents, and the Halifax

government should have at least provided basic services to Africville such as paved roads, and should have

moved the city dump so that Africville would be less isolated. In my experience, this reminds me of municipal

services provided in my community. Because I pay taxes I have someone that comes to collect the garbage

every Monday, paves the road outside my house, and provides street lights at night so that I feel safe and the

area around my house looks clean. Although I have never experienced living by a city dump, I can imagine that

it is very smelly, and would cause many to stay away from Afriville and have negative opinions about those who

lived there.

Connection:

Thus, prejudice towards Africville is demonstrated through alienation that was caused by the Halifax

government through the decisions they made over time to create a negative image of the community.