Visit to UNIA Museum in Glace Bay

UNIA Hall (Glace Bay, Cape Breton)

While in Cape Breton, conducting community outreach events (September 29th), the Black Cultural Centre Staff and I had the opportunity to meet with the organizers of the UNIA Museum in Glace Bay.

BCC Staff with UNIA Museum Representatives
(l-r) Ben Thomas - BCC, Chantel Reid-Demeter - ANSA, Theresa Brewster - UNIA, Rielle Williams - BCC 

This museum tells the important story of of the African Nova Scotian Community in Glace Bay and their connection to the steel industry in Cape Breton.  The Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) Museum has a strong history. The hall was built in 1918 as part of a movement started in 1914 by leader and activist Marcus Garvey. Garvey, originally from Jamaica, became an internationally known promoter of social, political, and economic freedom for the Black community. In 1914 Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association in Jamaica. Soon associations were established throughout the United States and Canada. 

Early in its existence the hall served as a hotel for workers who came from the West Indies to work at a near-by coal mine. Unable to afford a home of their own, as miners had to repay the costs of their travel to the mine company, the hall was a home for months and sometimes years to many Black miners. The building also served the spiritual needs for the Black community of Glace Bay as it held wakes and weddings. 

Today a plan is in place to enhance the content within the space to share the history of the Black community. We got a sneak peak at the improvements that are planned for the Museum. 

UNIA Museum

Personally for me it had been over 10 years since I had visited the UNIA site and was very pleased with the work that was being done to preserve this important part of history by Ms. Brewster. I look forward to the upgrades in the near future.

- R. Grosse