(Photo: NB Film Coop)
Mary Louise McCarthy is a devoted local scholar dedicated to reviving and uncovering the obscured Black histories of New Brunswick and paying tribute to the community’s forebears. Her main research area includes exploring and documenting neglected and segregated cemeteries throughout New Brunswick.
Apart from her academic pursuits, McCarthy also held the position of president of the New Brunswick Black History Society for a span of six years. In a landmark event in 2015, she triumphed in a human rights case against Shoppers Drug Mart, stemming from an incident of racial profiling in 2011.
Her contributions are notably featured in the 2019 anthology “Black Writers Matter,” which was edited by Whitney French and includes a foreword by Afua Cooper.
Mary Louise McCarthy’s academic credentials are extensive, including a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from York University, two Master’s degrees from the University of New Brunswick, and a Ph.D. from the Department of Social Justice at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. In 2022, she was conferred an honorary doctorate from St. Thomas University, and in 2023, she received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.
When queried about her unwavering commitment to preserving the histories of Black New Brunswickers, McCarthy explained, “I want my ancestors to be revered and respected. I have to tell their stories.”
Mary Louise McCarthy focused her doctoral research on Black graveyards, a subject she found deeply significant.
Her dissertation, titled ‘Segregated in Life and Death: A Black Woman’s Critical Exploration and Narrative Account of Early African Descended Communities and Graveyards in New Brunswick,’ was successfully defended in December 2020.
Mary Louise McCarthy emphasizes the importance of respect for elders in both life and death. She observed, “In our local cemeteries, Blacks and other visible minorities were often relegated to the peripheries. Sometimes, Black graves were placed at the back of cemeteries on hillsides or sloping terrain, lacking the same respect afforded to White graves.”
In Keswick Ridge she maintains a graveyard where many Black Loyalists, including her own ancestors, are buried. Additionally, she campaigned for the installation of a new memorial stone at the Kingsclear Kilburn Community Cemetery. This site saw the displacement of nearly 70 Black graves during the construction of the Mactaquac Dam in the 1960s, which resulted in these graves being submerged nearly 200 feet underwater. As the first female Black president of the New Brunswick Black History Society, she seeks a public apology for these ancestors and has begun contacting politicians to advocate for this cause.
Mary Louise McCarthy leads REACH NB (Remembering Each African Cemeteries History in New Brunswick), an organization working with the provincial archives to identify, document, and share the stories of forgotten and abandoned Black gravesites.
When asked about the origins of her interest in Black history, McCarthy replied, “I’m not exactly sure. It’s just something that’s always been a part of me. Being the middle child in a family of nine, I found validation in being around my family and elders. My mother was the eldest of 13, and her younger siblings were often in our home. I learned early about the significance of family, multi-generational support, and togetherness.”
To read more about “The Back History of New Brunswick” and see photos of some of the graveyards click here.
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