The Society for the Protection and Preservation of Black Culture in Nova Scotia (better known as the Black Cultural Society of Nova Scotia) was incorporated as a charitable organization as an act of provincial legislation in 1977. The Society has provincial Board of Directors, made up of representatives from various Black communities throughout Nova Scotia. The Centre is funded in part by the Goverment of Nova Scotia.

The genesis of the Black Cultural Centre lay in a proposal put forward in 1972 by Reverend Dr. William Pearly Oliver for the creation of a Cultural Educational Centre to meet the needs and aspirations of the Black Communities of Nova Scotia.

The sod-turning ceremony took place on April 24, 1982. Seventeen months later, on September 17, 1983, the Centre officially opened. Many events have taken place at the Centre, such as cultural portrayals in the form of music, plays, concerts, as well as educational activities in the form of workshops, lectures and guided tours. Programs of the Black Cultural Centre extend beyond its doors to the broader community of Nova Scotia. This outreach is achieved through cultural events across Nova Scotia.