The history of our community began with the landing of Black Loyalist and Black Pioneers who were promised land and freedom from slavery if they joined the British in the revolutionary war of 1776. A group led by Sgt. Thomas Peters lead as many as 1200 Black Pioneers and Black Loyalist to Sierra Leone, West Africa in 1792. After 16 years, the Black population were still without land.
In May 1970 members of the Black communities of Jordantown, Acaciaville and Conway met as group to deal with employment, housing, education and social needs in the communities. The organization was incorporated in 1973 and in 2013 was renamed the Jordantown-Acaciaville-Conway Betterment Association (JACBA).
During the last 50 years, the students from the Black community have been subjected to racism and racialized discrimination. Our community has not prospered either economically or educationally.
As a result, in 2007, the Digby Education Committee (DEC), filed a class action case to the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission on behalf of the Black communities and students of Digby. The community was successful in signing a Mediation Settlement Agreement in November 2011. One of the settlement items was to pursue the construction of a Community Center in the Black Community of Digby.
After a period of six years of consultation with the Black Community, the Municipality, Town of Digby and all levels of governments, the DEC and JACBA are finalizing the construction of a Center of Excellence beginning in the Spring of 2021.