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Birchtown and the Black Loyalists

Wanda Taylor

9781771081665
80 pages
Nimbus Publishing
Overview

"Although diminished in numbers, Birchtown remains a proud symbol of the struggle by Blacks in the Maritimes and elsewhere for justice and dignity." So says the plaque at Black Loyalist Heritage Park in Birchtown, commemorating the former Black slaves who fought with the British in the American Revolutionary War to gain their freedom in the form of a small plot of land near Shelburne, Nova Scotia.

In Birchtown and the Black Loyalists, Wanda Taylor recounts the incredible story of the Black Loyalists of Birchtown for young readers. With educational and accessible language, readers are introduced to the journey of Black American soldiers taken from Africa as slaves, their quest for freedom, the settlement and struggle of Black Loyalists on Nova Scotian soil, and the enduring spirit of their descendants in spite of a history marked by hardship and loss. Includes informative sidebars, highlighted glossary terms, recommended reading, historic timeline, an index, and dozens of historical and contemporary images.

Author Bio
Wanda Taylor is a writer, filmmaker, educator, and interdisciplinary artist. Wanda is a former producer for CBC daytime television and was also the Nova Scotia manager for the 2011 Canada Games National Artist Program. She has won awards for her work in arts, culture, and journalism, and is the author of The Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children and Birchtown and the Black Loyalists, a non-fiction book for children. Wanda currently resides in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, with her four children and baby granddaughter.