tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192755.post2281853078199303810..comments2024-02-06T06:13:38.832-04:00Comments on Canadian Studies: Africville: Canada's Secret Racist History Andrew Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09012072560091351361noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192755.post-45599789104248803252013-07-14T23:00:35.555-03:002013-07-14T23:00:35.555-03:00Noah,
Good comments. I try not to comment on comm...Noah,<br /><br />Good comments. I try not to comment on comments on my blog. I find that I can get too defensive too quickly if people disagree and the idea of an open forum is that people need a space to disagree without worrying about my being snarky at them. What I should say, first, however, is thanks for the contributions. I'd suggest that the problem of not knowing that you raise is deeply embedded in Canadian culture. In part, this is likely a product of cultural processes: a will to forget, as it were, the often violent and racist (and sexist and homophobic among other things) basis upon which Canada was built. It is also a product of a state that tries to create a certain type of historical memory for Canadians (witness all the War of 1812 stuff going on). I don't know what the exact boundary is but kudos to those people -- like you -- who do try to encourage more historical mindedness on the part of Canadians. Andrew Nursehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09012072560091351361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192755.post-81715242645911754222013-07-13T19:31:44.290-03:002013-07-13T19:31:44.290-03:00andrew,
i'm noah, the author of the VICE arti...andrew,<br /><br />i'm noah, the author of the VICE article. i just stumbled across your post about my article by chance. first of all, i'm thrilled that members of academia, such as yourself, enjoyed my article. i enjoyed reading your criticisms. if i may answer some of your points:<br /><br />you've taken issue with the fact that invoked history, and by extension, historians. and rightly so. after reading your critique, i realized that i incorrectly phrased myself, and admittedly, did not think thoroughly about the implications of using the word "history." i think what i meant, rather, was that africville is and has never been a fundamental part of popular discourse about race relations (and their history) in canada. the issue of many/most canadians not being "adequately" (to whatever subjective measure) acquainted with national history is a well-documented phenomenon. likewise, in my experience, many canadians' knowledge of civil rights piggybacks on the US. africville could be a standard in popular canadian discourse about race relations x history. yet it is not. i think you agree with me on this point, as that is the direction your piece moves into later on.<br /><br />also, thank you for giving me the benefit of the doubt on being sincere. that was indeed my intention.<br /><br />so i agree that, certainly, historians themselves did not write africville out of history. it's unfortunate that my wording gave that impression. i don't think one force can or should be blamed. among them: state-mandated school curriculum, institutionalized racism, a generally weak understanding of national history, etc. etc. <br /><br />cheers,<br />noahNoah Tavlinnoreply@blogger.com