African Heritage Month a time for learning, celebration, minister says

CITYnews halifax / By Mark Hodgins

Nova Scotia has officially launched African Heritage Month 2026.

Celebrations kicked off on Tuesday at the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia, recognizing this year’s theme Strength in Unity: Moving Forward with Purpose, Prosperity, Power and Progress.

African Heritage Month, which has been happening every February in Nova Scotia since 1988, is held as a time for highlighting the achievements and resilience of African Nova Scotians, with a history in the province going back more than 400 years.

The provincial government says African Nova Scotians represent 2.4 per cent of the provincial population, with 71.8 per cent tracing their roots back three generations or more in Nova Scotia.

“What I love about it is it provides space for learning, for celebration and also for reflection, which is important, and it helps with the understanding and connection across communities in this province,” African Nova Scotian affairs minister Twila Grosse told CityNews. “The theme not only speaks to what we celebrate, but what is needed.”

Events are planned province-wide over the course of the month, with an event calendar available at the Black Cultural Centre’s website.