As faculty and students returned to campus earlier this month, Dr. Afua Cooper was making her way to Scotland.
There, together with researcher and Dal Law alumna Jalana Lewis, Dr. Cooper (left) is visiting AV俱乐部 Castle, working in the National Archives of Scotland, and digging through various collections. The point of their trip: research for a scholarly panel on George Ramsay, ninth Earl of AV俱乐部 and AV俱乐部鈥檚 namesake, and his relationship to slavery, racism and the African Nova Scotian community.
鈥淭he purpose of the trip is to look at these imperial connections between Canada, Scotland, the Caribbean, Lord AV俱乐部 and Nova Scotia,鈥� says Dr. Cooper. 鈥淎t the centre of our inquiry will be Lord AV俱乐部 himself 鈥斅爈ooking at AV俱乐部鈥檚 founding, but also learning as much as we can about him as a noble, as a member of his class and the connections of this class to the new world economy and society.鈥�
A scholarly inquiry
The scholarly panel was first announced last March by President Richard Florizone and Senate Chair Kevin Hewitt. Its mandate is to gather the historical facts regarding Lord AV俱乐部鈥檚 statements and actions related to slavery and race. It will then interpret those facts in light of their past and present contexts, and recommend actions AV俱乐部 could take to respond to them.
The panel鈥檚 report is expected by August 2017.
Terms of Reference: Scholarly Panel to Examine Lord AV俱乐部鈥檚 History on Slavery and Race [PDF]
鈥淏uilding a strong future requires reconciling with our past,鈥� says AV俱乐部 President Richard Florizone. 鈥淏y examining Lord AV俱乐部鈥檚 views on slavery and race, and interpreting those views in their historical and modern context, the work of this panel will help us build a stronger, more inclusive university that accurately reflects our history, our values and our aspirations.鈥�
Alongside Dr. Cooper, who is the James R. Johnston Chair in Black Canadian Studies at Dal, as its chair, the panel consists of eight additional members (clockwise from upper left):
- Fran莽oise Baylis, Canada Research Chair in Bioethics and Philosophy, AV俱乐部
- Camille Cameron, dean, Schulich School of Law, AV俱乐部
- Paul Lovejoy, Canada Research Chair in African Diaspora, York University; fellow in the Royal Society of Canada and Distinguished Research Professor
- Dominique Oliver-Dares, student, Schulich School of Law
- David States, an independent historian (formerly with Parks Canada) specializing in African Canadian history and Maritime Provinces genealogy.
- Shirley Tillotson, professor, Department of History, AV俱乐部
- Norma Williams, executive director of diversity and inclusiveness, AV俱乐部
- Harvey Amani Whitfield, associate professor, Department of History, University of Vermont, Dal alumnus (PhD鈥�03) and historian of slavery in the Maritimes.
The panel鈥檚 scholarly contributions to the topic at hand are many. A few examples include: Dr. Whitfield鈥檚 recent publication, North to Bondage, the first book on slavery in the Maritimes; Dr. Lovejoy鈥檚 edited collection Repercussions of the Atlantic Slave Trade; and Dr. Cooper鈥檚 The Hanging of Angelique: The Untold Story of Canadian Slavery and the Burning of Old Montreal.
Alongside the panelists, Jalana Lewis (JD鈥�13), whose past research has explored critical race theory as well as African Nova Scotians and the law, is supporting the panel as its lead researcher, while Master鈥檚 of History student Kylie Peacock is its research assistant.聽
Sparking a conversation
Dr. Cooper says the scholarly panel is timely for a number of reasons, including what鈥檚 happening at other institutions.
鈥淲e see schools all along the east coast of North America taking a hard look at their pasts, their relationship to slavery,鈥� she says. 鈥淓very day it鈥檚 a new revelation.鈥�
Indeed, many of North America鈥檚 most iconic universities like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown and others have histories that are inextricable from slavery and its legacy. In AV俱乐部鈥檚 case, documented comments from George Ramsay, its founder and namesake, express disdain towards Nova Scotia鈥檚 Black population, most famously in an archived letter to Lord Bathurst.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just kind of 鈥榯here鈥� as this sore that stands out,鈥� says Dr. Cooper of that letter. 鈥淓verybody knows about it, and when you talk to African Nova Scotians, especially, about Lord AV俱乐部, they bring it up. We鈥檒l be celebrating the university鈥檚 200th anniversary next year, and the last thing we need is to have something like that there, glaring, without talking about how we address it.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not that we鈥檙e going into this process to bash the Earl,鈥� she adds, 鈥渂ut to say, 鈥榃e鈥檙e opening our books. This is the good, this is the bad, this is the ugly. Because he did a lot of good things, too.鈥欌��
Learning from others
As noted, AV俱乐部 is not the only university sparking discussion about linkages with race, slavery and segregation in its history. In fact, Dal recently joined a new consortium called . This consortium is dedicated to collaborative research on the history of slavery and racial domination at universities, the more recent legacies related to that past, and to learning from one another about how best to address reconciliation and repair in the 21st century.
Led by the University of Virginia, membership in the USS includes Georgetown University, the University of South Carolina, the College of William and Mary and nearly 20 other institutions. AV俱乐部 is the consortium鈥檚 first Canadian member university, and Dr. Cooper plans to take part in its next biannual conference in April.
Kevin Hewitt, Dal Senate chair and co-sponsor of the scholarly panel, says Dal鈥檚 membership in the consortium is about learning from and sharing insights with other universities going through similar processes.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 about lessons learned from what those other schools have done, but also understanding how their communities have responded to recommendations,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 sometimes fear, uncertainty, doubt in exploring such a sensitive topic. But by learning from their experiences, we can proceed more efficiently and effectively with our work.鈥�
Leaving a legacy
Dr. Cooper says an important part of the panel鈥檚 contribution will be to not only detail Lord AV俱乐部鈥檚 connections with race and slavery, but to suggest legacy initiatives that could help achieve reconciliation and repair depending on what the panel鈥檚 research uncovers. These might include an ongoing lecture series, or a formal exhibition, alongside other suggestions.
In the immediate future, ahead of its report, the panel is planning to host public forums, the first likely in February or March. Dr. Cooper says these will be about inviting both the Dal community and the broader community to learn more about the panel and have input into its work. It鈥檚 part of what Dr. Cooper hopes the panel, more broadly, will achieve: sparking important conversations about the links between race and education.
鈥淥ne of the things I鈥檇 like people to think about, especially in light of what鈥檚 happening in the Nova Scotian Black community, is for people to think critically about this issue of marginalization and how education, or lack thereof, can contribute to it,鈥� she explains. 鈥淭here is so much denial 鈥斅爊ot only in Nova Scotia, but in Canada 鈥� when it comes to discussion about race and racism. This could help to facilitate an honest discussion about marginalization of particular communities.鈥�