Why there might be a case for reparations because of the Halifax Explosion

Four women walk from Africville following the Halifax Explosion.
(City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 2451)

The morning of Dec. 6, 1917, would have started normally for Mary and Levi Lucas, as it did for every other family in Halifax. But by midday, their lives were in ruins, thanks to the Halifax Explosion. The couple rented their home on Cornwallis Street and Levi owned a small shoe-shining business. But during the explosion, Mary lost an eye and Levi suffered a head injury while their neighbourhood was levelled by the blast. At the end of January, a worker with the Halifax Relief Commission cut off food assistance to the family. The worker wrote of the family: "Claim that both himself and wife were injured in the Explosion, his wife requiring operation on eye. Mentions cataract. Doubtful if it is an Explosion case. Suggest investigation." Two legal workers in Halifax recently examined relief given to black families, including the Lucases. Their research helps illustrate the disparity between what black families and white families received, and suggests possible ways to make amends.