Policing the Uptown: A Historical Narrative Analyzing Black-Led Coalitions in Response to Police Brutality in Halifax in 1991.

This article examines the 1991 "Uptown Riots" in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as a pivotal moment in the ongoing resistance of Black communities against racial oppression and institutional racism. Using archival research and interviews, it analyzes how Black activists, particularly youth-led groups like the Cultural Awareness Youth Group (CAYG), organized responses to systemic discrimination and police brutality, highlighting tensions between Black self-determination efforts and governing institutions perpetuating racialized notions of Black inferiority and victimhood. The article also explores government reactions, including the formation of the Nova Scotia Advisory Group on Race Relations and the Halifax Police Department’s Incident Review Committee, revealing divergent narratives and limited institutional accountability. Ultimately, it situates the riots within a broader historical and political context of racial institutional orders, emphasizing the enduring trauma and complex dynamics of multiracial coalitions in the struggle for racial justice in Halifax.