African Nova Scotian Black Family would like the Premier Office of African Nova Scotian Affairs to become a full division

Vanessa Fells, director of the ANSDPAD coalition. Photo: Matthew Byard.

A group called the African Nova Scotian Black Family is calling on Premier Tim Houston to convert the Office of African Nova Scotian Affairs into a full division and appoint an African Nova Scotian to head it.

“This department would be a separate department from Community, Culture and Heritage. And as stated in the press release, the minister and deputy minister would have to be a person of African descent, ”Vanessa Fells, director of the African Nova Scotian Decade for People of African Descent Coalition (ANSDPAD), one of the groups within the African Nova Scotian Black Family said the examiner in an email.

“Essentially, the African Nova Scotian Affairs office would become a more decision-making department. Black people would be accountable to Black People. “

These and other calls from the group come after a series of virtual Black Family Meetings hosted after Houston named Pat Dunn, a white MLA, Minister for African Affairs of Nova Scotian and Dr. Késa Munroe-Anderson as Deputy Minister for Communities, Culture and Heritage and Dr. OmiSoore Dryden from the Board of Directors of Nova Scotia Health.

Dr. Késa Munroe-Anderson, left, has been sacked as Deputy Minister for Community, Culture and Heritage, and Dr. OmiSoore Dryden, right, served on the board of Nova Scotia Health prior to that after the swearing in of Houston. The government was dissolved in September. Photos: Facebook.

When the new government was sworn in in September, Munroe-Anderson was replaced by the white Justin Huston.

“The discussions at the Black Family Meeting have Dr. Késa called for the prime minister to make the essentially right and wrong decision to sack her, ”Fells said.

In its press release, the African Nova Scotian Black Family called for an all-black advisory board to advise the Minister and Deputy Minister and the appointment of Dr. Dryden joins the province’s new Health Leadership Team.

This leadership team was formed after Houston sworn in and disbanded the 14-member Nova Scotia Health board of directors. Every member of this team is white.

“The problem is that the dismissal of the health committee has left a void in the new health leadership team where no one on the team has a voice for the entire black community,” said Fells. “As a result, decisions about health are made that will affect our community without the team speaking for us.”

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston speaks to reporters in Halifax on Thursday, October 7, 2021. Photo: Zane Woodford

Black Family Meeting representatives met with Houston and Dunn in September to discuss concerns raised during the series of virtual meetings.

In October Houston appointed a black man, Dwayne Provo, as deputy assistant secretary for African Nova Scotian Affairs.

“This is the first time the government has appointed a dedicated Assistant Vice President who is solely focused on the work of ANSA and I am pleased to have the opportunity to support and promote this important work. I will work with assistant ministers and assistant ministers across government to advance community problems and priorities and find solutions, ”Provo wrote in an announcement following his appointment.

In an interview with the Examiner in November, Fells said while the coalition was satisfied with Provo’s appointment, “If you look at the hierarchy, it’s still Duane Provo, a white deputy minister, a white minister and an all-white cabinet.”

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