Margaret Louise States, an Alumnae of St. F. X. University was born and raised in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. She was the University’s first recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. four-year Scholarship (1969). After securing a B.A. and a B.Ed. from St. F.X.U, she earned a M.A.Ed. at Saint Mary's University. Additional studies at York University, University of Toronto, and University of Ottawa gave her diplomas in Adult Education, Special Education, Teaching English as a Second Language, and Community Education.
As an Educator for more than 32 years, Ms. States taught various subjects to students in elementary and secondary schools in Nova Scotia and Ontario. She was also a Communications Instructor at Humber College and Seneca College in Toronto, Ontario. Her last teaching assignment was in Northern Quebec in a First Nations Community school. She has also been a keynote speaker at events celebrating historical milestones.
Her passion for many years has been researching the history of people of African descent in Canada. In 2009 she embarked on intensive research of her maternal ancestry which produced data for “Gooseberries Have Thorns”, her first major work. Other published works include Wellington Ney States (1983); Sickle Cell Anemia – A Guide for Teachers (1984); Missed Messages from Marcus Garvey (2004); Roy Wellington States, A Voice in the Wilderness (2023).
About the book Gooseberries Have Thorns:
Gooseberries Have Thorns, an historical biography, chronicles the life of a fifth-generation descendant of African Loyalists in Nova Scotia. Factual details throughout this book present an understanding of the origin and impact of generational poverty in African Nova Scotian families and their communities. Incidents in the life of Margaret Jane Elms and her family epitomize the constant struggle for acknowledgement, equality, and justice for African Nova Scotians.
Margaret’s Book is available for purchase on various sites such as Indigo, Amazon etc. Look out for the newer cover with just the justice scale. To help facilitate the conversation surrounding the book, you are encouraged to purchase the book if you can and read it in preparation for the event. Some books will be available for students to take home. Come out and learn about African Nova Scotian history and the smiles, joy, and resilience of African Nova Scotians.
Lunch will be provided.