The Long Walk Home The Black Worker & The Great Migration from
Cape Breton At the turn of the century, a mass migration
occurred to Cape Breton Island of hundreds of free, skilled
Black workers from Alabama, lured by what they called 'The
Promise.' Their emigration back to the US is scarcely known
today. In 1911, hundreds of men from the West Indies were again
lured by 'The Promise'. Their descendents form the heart of the
historic Whitney Pier community. Our correspondent, Paul
MacDougall, files reports from Bangor, Maine, and Sydney. By
Paul MacDougall* Shunpiking Magazine No. 38 Bangor, January
13/1903-About 250 Black people showed up here today at the
police station looking for shelter from the fierce winter cold.
They were a penniless, destitute bunch, clad mainly in rags,
complaining about being hungry, and shivering from the cold.
Their spokesmen seemed to be a person by the name of Griggins or
Griffin, I couldn't make him out, Walter was his first name so
let's stick with that. His wife was with him a