The Exploitation of Black Labour as Experienced by the Black Loyalist

Abstract

Examining the history of the Black Loyalists is essential to Black Canadian history. More
significantly is examining the social inequality the Black Loyalists faced in the past. Much of the
early history of the Black Loyalists is shaped by the institution of slavery. The institution of slavery
is maintained by ideologies and traditions that justify another race’s enslavement. At the heart of
these justifications is anti-black racism. Racism weaved throughout the fabric of white society and
resulted from hundreds of years of imperialism, subjugation, and racist dogma. Black individuals
had no legal safeguard for themselves nor any political power. This essay intends to argue that the
Black Loyalists’ experience illustrates the racist attitudes held by white society. This paper will
focus on the preconception that Black people’s value came from their usefulness in service to white
people. The maintenance of anti-black racism will be examined through three generalizations. The
different motivations and experiences between white and Black Loyalists, the overlap between
freed and enslaved Black people living in Nova Scotia, and the continual exploitation of Black
labour for white people’s sole benefit.