Black Loyalist 225

Black Loyalist 225, a week-long celebration of the arrival of Black Loyalists in Nova Scotia begins Tuesday, July 29.

The Black Loyalists established the world's first large free black community in the province in 1783.

One of the highlights of Black Loyalist 225, which will include various concerts and performances of a dramatic play, is a visit by the Freedom Schooner Amistad to Halifax.

The ship will hold youth sail workshops aimed at helping young people build bridges over racial and ethnic divides by developing teamwork skills through sail training aboard a tall ship.

Another highlight is the one-woman play, A New Hope, by writer, actor and singer, Shelley Hamilton.

Twenty-five years ago, Ms. Hamilton played the role of Lydia Jackson in Freedom, a powerful play created by students at Cole Harbour High School and the Gordon Bell Building in Cole Harbour. In A New Hope, Ms. Hamilton will reprise the role, once again sharing Lydia Jackson's true story of slavery.

For more information Black Loyalist 225, and a listing of the celebration's scheduled events, visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic website at http://maritime.museum.gov.ns.ca .