This 2-day symposium took place at Acadia University's beautiful Fountain Learning Commons  on Friday, October 21st and Saturday, October 22nd, 2016. Participants gathered to share in a discussion about the life and service of Reverend William A White and the members of Canada's only all-black military division to serve in World War 1, the No. 2 Construction Battalion.  Reverend White graduated from Acadia in 1903 and received an honorary doctorate in 1936. He was the only African Canadian commissioned officer in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War 1. ​

​

​Books, films, and other items relevant to the African Canadian experience in WWI were made available by creators and publishers, and there were special exhibits, a pop-up museum, and performances by guest artists and poets.

​

As a special feature of the symposium, descendants of Reverend William A. White and members of the No. 2 Construction Battalion were asked to bring with them letters, medals and other historical items pertaining to the their ancestors' WW1 service. These were scanned and/or photographed at the on-site Pop-Up Museum, to add to a new digital archive honouring African Canadian contributions to the war effort. 

​

It was a pleasure to commemorate the wartime experience of these courageous men, and of their families left behind to serve on the homefront.