Viola Desmond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Viola Desmond
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Desmond c.1940
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Viola Irene Davis
July 6, 1914 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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| Died | February 7, 1965 (aged 50) New York City, New York, U.S.
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| Resting place | Camp Hill Cemetery, Halifax |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Business owner and beautician |
| Criminal status | Convicted (pardoned April 15, 2010) |
| Spouse(s) | Jack Desmond |
| Conviction(s) | Tax evasion under s. 8(8) of the Theatres, Cinematographs, and Amusements Act, R.S.N.S., 1923, c. 162 |
| Criminal penalty | Fine and court costs amounting to $26 (reversed by free pardon) |
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Date apprehended
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November 8, 1946 |
Viola Irene Desmond (born July 6, 1914 – died February 7, 1965) was a brave Canadian businesswoman and activist. She fought for civil rights and women's rights. In 1946, she stood up against racial segregation at a movie theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. She refused to leave a "whites-only" area of the Roseland Theatre.
Because of this, she was charged with a small tax crime. This was for a one-cent difference in tax between the seat she paid for and the seat she used. Viola Desmond's case is one of the most famous examples of racial discrimination in Canadian history. It helped start the modern civil rights movement in Canada.
In 2010, Viola Desmond received a special "free pardon" after her death. This was the first time such a pardon was given in Canada. A free pardon means the person is seen as never having committed the crime. It cancels any punishments like fines. In 2021, the government repaid the $26 fine to her family. They also added more money to make it a $1,000 scholarship. The government of Nova Scotia also said sorry for charging her. They agreed she was right to resist unfair racial rules.
In 2018, Viola Desmond became the second Canadian woman to appear alone on a Canadian banknote. She is on the $10 bill. The first was Queen Elizabeth II. Viola Desmond was also named a National Historic Person in 2018. This means she is recognized for her important role in Canadian history.
Contents
Who Was Viola Desmond?
Viola Desmond was born on July 6, 1914. She was one of ten children. Her parents, James Albert and Gwendolin Irene Davis, raised her in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her father worked as a stevedore (someone who loads and unloads ships) before becoming a barber.
As she grew up, Viola noticed there were no good hair and skin-care products for Black women. She decided she wanted to fix this problem. Because she was Black, she was not allowed to train as a beautician in Halifax. So, she traveled to Montreal, Atlantic City, and New York to study at beauty schools. One of these was a school started by Madam C. J. Walker, a famous Black businesswoman.
After her training, Viola Desmond came back to Halifax. She opened her own hair salon called Vi's Studio of Beauty Culture. She even had famous clients like singer Portia White.
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Viola Desmond also opened The Desmond School of Beauty Culture. She wanted Black women to get good training without having to travel far. Her school helped women from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Quebec. Students learned how to start their own businesses. They could also create jobs for other Black women in their communities. Each year, about fifteen women graduated from her school. All of them had been turned away from "whites-only" training schools. Viola also created her own beauty products, Vi's Beauty Products. She sold these products herself.
A Brave Stand at the Movie Theatre
Viola Desmond joined her husband, Jack Desmond, in a barbershop and hairdressing salon. On November 8, 1946, Viola was on a business trip to Sydney, Nova Scotia. She was selling her beauty products when her car broke down in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. She was told it would take a day to get the parts to fix it.
To pass the time, she decided to see the movie The Dark Mirror at the Roseland Film Theatre.
There were no official laws about segregation in movie theatres in Nova Scotia. The theatre also had no signs about its rules. However, seats on the main floor were only for white customers. This was an unfair practice allowed in all Canadian provinces. Viola was sold a ticket for the balcony.
Viola did not know about the segregation rule. She was also nearsighted, so she wanted to sit closer to the screen. She went to sit in the main floor section. When she was told to move, she realized what was happening. She refused to move because she had a better view from the main floor. She asked to pay extra to exchange her balcony ticket for a main floor ticket. But she was refused and forced to leave the theatre. This caused an injury to her hip.
She was also arrested and spent 12 hours in jail. She had to pay a $26 fine for "tax evasion." The tax on a 30-cent balcony ticket was two cents. The tax on a 40-cent main floor ticket was three cents. She was found guilty of not paying one cent in tax. Viola was kept in jail overnight. She was never told she had the right to a lawyer or to bail.
When she returned to Halifax, Viola talked to her husband. He told her to forget about it. But she then asked for advice from her church leaders at the Cornwallis Street Baptist Church. The Minister, William Pearly Oliver, and his wife, Pearline, told her to take action. With their help, Viola decided to fight the charge in court.
Fighting for Justice in Court
After Viola decided to fight the charge, Carrie Best wrote about her story. It was in the first edition of The Clarion, a newspaper owned and published by Black people in Nova Scotia. Carrie Best had also faced racial segregation at the Roseland Theatre. So, she covered Viola's story closely on the front page.
With help from her church and the Nova Scotia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NSAACP), Viola hired a lawyer named Frederick William Bissett. He represented her in court. He also tried to sue the Roseland Theatre, but this was not successful.
During the trials, the government kept saying it was a case of tax evasion. A provincial law about cinemas required a tax based on the ticket price. Since the theatre only sold Viola a cheaper balcony ticket, but she sat in the more expensive main floor seat, she was one cent short on tax. The law used to convict Viola did not have any racist words in it.
Viola's lawyer tried to appeal the decision. He argued she was wrongly accused of tax evasion. He did not argue that she faced racial discrimination. This legal choice did not help her case.
Her lawyer, Bissett, did not charge Viola for his services. The money that would have been paid to him was used to support the NSAACP, which William Pearly Oliver had just started.
What Happened After?
After the trial and her experience with the legal system, Viola's marriage ended. She closed her business and moved to Montreal. There, she went to a business college. Later, she moved to New York City. She passed away there on February 7, 1965, at the age of 50. She is buried at Camp Hill Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Viola Desmond's Lasting Impact
Viola Desmond is often compared to Rosa Parks. Both women bravely challenged racism by refusing to give up their seats in "Whites Only" sections. Their actions helped start the Civil Rights Movement. Even though Nova Scotia and other Canadian provinces had unfair rules, like in education, there was no specific law forcing segregation in theatres. Viola's stand helped bring attention to these unfair practices.
How We Remember Viola Desmond
Many things have been done to remember Viola Desmond and her courage:
- In 2019, a teacher named Temma Frecker won an award for her class's idea to build a statue of Viola Desmond in Cornwallis Park.
- Cape Breton University created scholarships in the names of Viola Desmond and her sister, Wanda Robson. They also named a special teaching position (Chair in Social Justice) after Desmond.
- In 2010, Mayann Francis, the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, showed a portrait of Viola Desmond. It is now always on display at Government House (Nova Scotia).
- In 2012, Canada Post put Viola Desmond on a special stamp.
- On July 7, 2016, a ferry in Halifax harbour was named the Viola Desmond.
- On December 8, 2016, Viola Desmond was chosen to be on the Canadian ten-dollar bill. She was the first Canadian-born woman and the first Black person to appear alone on a Canadian banknote. The new $10 bill was released on November 26, 2018. The back of the bill shows a map of Halifax's historic north end and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
- Viola Desmond was named a National Historic Person on January 12, 2018.
- In June 2018, a star for Viola Desmond was unveiled at Canada's Walk of Fame at the Halifax Ferry Terminal.
- In July 2018, a short street in New Glasgow, outside the old Roseland Theatre, was renamed Viola's Way.
- In February 2019, the Royal Canadian Mint released a pure silver coin featuring Viola Desmond for Black History Month.
- In April 2019, the International Bank Note Society chose the Canadian ten-dollar note featuring Viola Desmond as the Bank Note of the Year for 2018.
- In April 2021, a new elementary school in Ontario was named Viola Desmond Elementary School. It opened in September 2021.
- In November 2022, the largest movie screening room at the Toronto International Film Festival's TIFF Bell Lightbox was named the Viola Desmond Theatre.
The Arts
- In 2000, a documentary called Journey to Justice was made about Viola Desmond and other Canadian civil rights activists. Another film about her is called Long Road to Justice: The Viola Desmond Story.
- Her sister, Wanda Robson, wrote a book about her family's activism and her experiences with Viola. It is called Sister to Courage.
- There is also a children's book about her called Viola Desmond Won't Be Budged by Jody Nyasha Warner.
- Singer Faith Nolan wrote a song about Viola Desmond.
- On February 2, 2016, Historica Canada featured Viola Desmond in a Heritage Minute. This is a short video about important Canadian historical events. Actress Kandyse McClure played Viola Desmond. She was the first historical woman of color to be featured in a Heritage Minute.
- On July 6, 2018, Google created a special picture (a Doodle) to celebrate Viola Desmond's life. It was shown across Canada.
- A play about Viola Desmond's life and racial discrimination in Canada is called Controlled Damage. It premiered in Halifax in 2020.
Apology and Pardon
On April 14, 2010, the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, Mayann Francis, gave Viola Desmond a special "free pardon" after her death. This was the first time such a pardon was given after someone had passed away. A free pardon is very rare. It means the person was innocent and the conviction was a mistake. Mayann Francis, who is also a Black Canadian, said, "Here I am, 64 years later – a black woman giving freedom to another black woman."
The Government of Nova Scotia also said sorry. Viola's younger sister, Wanda Robson, and a professor named Graham Reynolds worked with the government. They wanted to make sure Viola's name was cleared. They also wanted a public acknowledgment of the unfairness. Nova Scotia then promised to continue supporting Human Rights. The province also declared the first Nova Scotia Heritage Day in her honor in February 2015. Viola Desmond's portrait also hangs in Government House in Halifax.
In 2021, a high school student asked the government to repay Viola's original court fees. The Government of Nova Scotia offered a symbolic repayment to her sister, Wanda Robson. When Wanda said she would use the money for a scholarship at Cape Breton University, the province increased the amount to $1,000. They also gave a special check to display in their legislature. The original court costs were $26.
See also
In Spanish: Viola Desmond para niños
