Black United Front

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Black United Front

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    Fonds

    Reference code

    2002-066

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    Date(s)

    • 1968-1996 (Creation)
      Creator
      Black United Front of Nova Scotia

    Physical description area

    Physical description

    • 8.3 m of textual records
    • 72 videocassettes

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    Archival description area

    Name of creator

    (1968-1996)

    Administrative history

    The Black United Front arose out of a meeting held on 30 November 1968 in Halifax to discuss the creation of an organization to act as an advocate and resource agency for the black community in Nova Scotia. An interim committee was established to secure funding. On 15 August 1969 the federal government announced its financial support, leading to the creation of the Black United Front (BUF). It was incorporated under the Societies' Act on 13 January 1970. The new organization was to be governed by a Provincial Council composed of elected representatives from each black community and an appointed Executive Director with support staff. Among the objectives of the new organization were: obtaining economic and political power for Blacks, promoting black history and culture, assisting in the development of a positive black self-image, developing leadership and community organization skills and providing resources through which the black community could access self-help programmes. Throughout its twenty-seven year history BUF accessed or created numerous government and private programmes in order to benefit the black community. It assisted clients in finding employment through such federal programmes as LIP, SEED, LEAP, Outreach, OYC, Community Student Service Program, and CEIC funding. It also provided legal assistance, publicized human rights concerns of individuals and communities, and offered mediation services and race relations counselling to schools, employers, and government departments. Since most of the black communities in the province were underdeveloped and without services, BUF's community and outreach workers assisted in securing adequate water supplies, solved many housing problems and land clarification issues, and provided social services assistance to clients requiring affordable housing and health resources. The isolation of these communities was also reduced through a communications network consisting of provincial council meetings, meetings with community workers, and circulation of BUF newspapers, newsletters and circulars. BUF was one of the first advocates for a Black Cultural Centre (established in 1983) through its promotion of black culture and history via cable television programmes, black cultural expos, black history month and similar methods. It also conducted several demographic profiles of black communities to obtain little-known statistics on black populations. In late 1983 a funding crisis occurred when the provincial government withdrew its financial support due to what it considered to be funding irregularities. On 10 October 1984 funding was restored after an acceptable interim organization was created to restructure the organization. The reconstituted organization continued to promote earlier BUF objectives and also paid greater attention to education and literacy, affirmative action, and provision of legal services. By early 1996, however, a negative media profile plus continuous under-funding and a lack of accountability and government commitment led to the disbandment of the organization.

    Custodial history

    Upon its disbandment in March 1996 the Black United Front made arrangements with the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services to store its records, furniture and equipment. In 2001, an agreement between Community Services and the Nova Scotia Archives led to the transfer of the records to the Archives in 2002.

    Scope and content

    Consists of operational records created or accumulated by the Black United Front. Includes records of the Provincial Council, 1970-1995, Board of Directors, 1969-1979, and Executive Director's Office, 1970-1996. The Provincial Council was the supreme authority of BUF and was the forum through which elected community representatives met and formulated policy and strategies. It had its own slate of officers, by-laws and committees. Its records consist of minutes of high-level meetings, correspondence (chiefly of the president), policy and procedural manuals, constitutions and by-laws, memoranda of association and incorporation documents. The Board of Directors was the policy refining branch, accountable to the Provincial Council. It consisted of councillors and the executive director. It ceased to exist in 1981. Its records consist of meeting minutes files, which also include supporting documentation such as correspondence, notes, reports, and submissions. The executive director, who was hired in 1970, carried out the policies, procedures and programs of the Provincial Council and managed staff. Other duties included preparation of submissions and reports on areas of research. Includes correspondence (arranged chronologically), annual and quarterly progress reports to the council, commissioned surveys, studies and reports and case files. The latter include on-going projects, investigations, fund-raising ideas, exchanges of information, policy and strategy with other organizations, and contacts with government departments and individuals, and are arranged alphabetically. There are also audited financial statements, correspondence and progress reports of outreach and field staff, community workers and the human services workers, and several in-house publications such as newsletters, newspapers and promotional brochures. Also includes a set of u-matic videocassettes containing episodes of BUF's "Black Horizon" cable tv show, which ran from 1976-1983.

    Notes area

    Physical condition

    Some documents dating from the 1970s and early 1980s have a mouldy odour and rust stains due to improper storage conditions. A few documents that were contaminated with mould and rust stains were photocopied and removed.

    Immediate source of acquisition

    Transferred from the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services in 2002.

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