Razing Africville : a geography of racism

Summary: "In the 1960s, the city of Halifax demolished the black community of Africville, ostensibly as part of a program of urban renewal and 'slum clearance.' The city defended its actions by citing the deplorable living conditions in Africville, ignoring its own role in the creation of these conditions through years of neglect and denial of essential services." "Razing Africville examines the history of the eviction of a community from its own space. Examining accounts from a variety of sources - urban planning texts, city council documents, news media, and academic reports - Jennifer J. Nelson illustrates how Africville went from a slum to an urban problem to be addressed and, more recently, to a public space in which past abuses are rendered invisible. Reading historical texts as a critical map of decision-making, she argues that the ongoing measures taken to regulate black bodies and spaces contribute to a 'geography of racism.' She analyses ways in which space is tied to racial identity and domination and how the control of space is a necessary component of delineating and regulating populations." --BOOK JACKET.