December 5, 2018
A Canadian Icon and Her Fight Towards an Integrated Nation
Rosa Parks gets consistently praised for the ground-breaking role she played in creating equal rights for black people. This led to Viola Desmond being often referred to as the “Canadian Rosa Parks” (CBC News, 2016). However, Desmond acted towards civil rights by refusing to sit in her discriminatory assigned seat 10 years before Parks did (Reynolds, 2016). In 2015, Canada was ranked second amongst all nations for its tolerance and inclusion according to the Social Progress Index (Gilmore, 2015). This acceptance of a diverse society may be traced back to the 1940’s when Viola Desmond walked into an unfamiliar theatre only to be challenged by racism. She was victimized in a Nova Scotia theatre when purchasing a ticket for a seat in the lower section (Reynolds, 78). The usher at the theatre informed her that the ticket she had purchased was not acceptable (CBC News, 2016). When she went to pay one cent tax difference for a seat closer to the screen, the box office refused her money because of her skin colour, allowing only “whites” to sit on the main floor. Desmond spent that night in jail and was charged with court charges and $26 tax evasion (equivalent to $469.64 presently) (Johnson- Robert, 2010). Born and raised in Halifax, Viola Irene Desmond was a significant member of the African-Canadian community who frequently stood up for her rights (Bingham, 2016). Viola Desmond helped define Canada’s diverse heritage by broadening opportunities for black women, and was a civil rights leader who, through her achievements, helped Canada become a more progressive and open-minded nation.
Throughout her life, Viola Desmond also broadened opportunities for black women all across Canada. When she was denied acceptance to the local beauty school because of her race, she traveled to Montreal to study at the Field Beauty Culture School, one of the few institutions that accepted black students (Bingham, 2016). After graduating, she opened her own school, the Desmond School of Beauty Culture, along with a business soon after. Desmond felt obligated to her community and created this school in order to broaden opportunities for black women to attend beauty school. Along with the title of a civil rights leader, Desmond went on to become a cosmetic pioneer for black women. She produced and sold her own line of beauty products specialized for darker complexions, which earned her praise from the black community as the amount of makeup products that suited dark skin tones were extremely limited (Bingham, 2016). She taught and hired black beauticians, these graduates would sell the products she produced in her stores (CBC News, 2016). This school provided future generations of black women an opportunity to work and pursue their dreams without being judged for their race. Overall, due to her experiences with racism, Viola Desmond was inspired to create more opportunities for black women across Canada (Bingham, 2016).
By inspiring justice, Viola Desmond became a civil rights leader who led Canada into becoming a more accepting country. In the 1940s, almost half of Canada’s black population lived in Nova Scotia, yet they were still frequently being turned away from some institutions. (Hunter, 2016). When the segregated movie theatre refused her money, Desmond filed a lawsuit. She started to resist the common attitude many felt against black people, and eventually the community began to support her. The Clarion Newspaper, Nova Scotia’s second black owned and operated newspaper, featured Desmond and condemned her arrest as disgraceful (Bingham, 2016). Through challenging segregation laws, Desmond’s actions became the initial spark for the Civil Rights Movement. Viola Desmond helped shape the path towards Canadian freedom for the nation.
Viola Desmond passed away in 1965 in New York City, although her legacy lives on to this day (Bingham, 2016). Desmond has since been honored for her inspiring actions, especially in recent years (Cook, 2016). In April of 2010, Desmond was granted a posthumous pardon by Lieutenant-Governor Mayann Francis, declaring her innocent. (Robart-Jhonson, 2010). On March 8, 2016, the Bank of Canada announced that Desmond would be the first black women to appear on the $10 bank note (Bingham, 2013). The new bill officially entered circulation on November 26, 2018, proving to all Canadians that her contribution to the black community has not gone unnoticed (Cooke, 2018). Instead of being known as the “Canadian Rosa Parks”, she should be known as Viola Desmond- an influential black civil rights leader that, through her achievements, has defined and shaped the way this nation views and accepts diversity.
Works Cited
Bingham, Russell. “Viola Desmond.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, 27 Jan. 2013, wwww.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/viola-desmond/.
Cook, Jesselyn. “The Canadian Rosa Parks Will Be On The Next $10 Bill.” HuffPost Canada, HuffPost Canada, 8 Dec. 2016, www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/viola-desmond-canada-banknote_us_58497119e4b0d0aa037f72a9.
Cooke, Alex. “New $10 Bill Featuring Viola Desmond Enters Circulation.” Financial Post, 19 Nov. 2018, business.financialpost.com/news/economy/a-giant-step-forward-new-10-bill-featuring-viola-desmond-to-enter-circulation.
Gilmore, Scott. “Canada's Racism Problem? It's Even Worse than America's.” Macleans.ca, 22 Jan. 2015, www.macleans.ca/news/canada/out-of-sight-out-of-mind-2/.
Hunter, Jennifer. “Canada's Forgotten History of Segregation.” Toronto Star Touch, 31 Jan. 2016, startouch.thestar.com/screens/003e50ae-8fe5-4e1f-be7e-03c88df86f84%7C_0.html.
News, CBC. “Here Are the First 7 Subjects Heritage Day Will Honour.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 6 Feb. 2015, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-heritage-day-s-first-7-subjects-announced-1.2948344.
News, CBC. “How Civil Rights Icon Viola Desmond Helped Change Course of Canadian History.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 8 Dec. 2016, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/viola-desmond-bio-1.3886923.
Nova Scotia Canada. “Site Sections” Late Viola Desmond Granted Apology, Free Pardon, 15 April. 2010, novascotia.ca/news/smr/2010-04-15-pardon.asp.
Revesz, Rachael. “Viola Desmond.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 8 Dec. 2016, www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/viola-desmond-bank-note-20-dollar-canada-black-activist-a7463646.html.
Reynolds, Graham. Viola Desmond's Canada: a History of Blacks and Racial Segregation in the Promised Land. Halifax, Fernwood Publishing, 2016.
Robert-Johnson, Sharon. “Desmond, Viola Davis (1914-1965).” The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed, 21 Oct. 2010, www.blackpast.org/gah/desmond-viola-davis-1914-1965.
Cook, Jesselyn. “The Canadian Rosa Parks Will Be On The Next $10 Bill.” HuffPost Canada, HuffPost Canada, 8 Dec. 2016, www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/viola-desmond-canada-banknote_us_58497119e4b0d0aa037f72a9.
Cooke, Alex. “New $10 Bill Featuring Viola Desmond Enters Circulation.” Financial Post, 19 Nov. 2018, business.financialpost.com/news/economy/a-giant-step-forward-new-10-bill-featuring-viola-desmond-to-enter-circulation.