The Enduring Legacy of Viola Desmond
There are numerous Black people, men and women, who refused to surrender their seats for a White person. Everyone knows about Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on the bus on December 1, 1955; however, fewer people know about the many that preceded her. Here are 10, to name a few from the US:
- Jeanette Reese: (2 months before Parks) member of the original five plaintiffs in the Browder versus Gayle case
- Susie McDonald: (2 months before Parks) member of the original five plaintiffs in the Browder versus Gayle case, 76 years old
- Mary Louise Smith: (2 months before Parks) member of the original five plaintiffs in the Browder versus Gayle case, 18 years old
- Aurelia Browder: (8 months before Parks) member of the original five plaintiffs in the Browder versus Gayle case, 36-year-old college graduate and widowed mother of six children
- Claudette Colvin: (9 months before Parks) member of the original five plaintiffs in the Browder versus Gayle case, 15 years old
- Sarah Keys: (3 years before Parks) 23-year-old Army private
- Lillie Mae Bradford: (4 years before Parks) 20-years-old
- Bayard Rustin: (8 years before Parks) openly homosexual Civil Rights Activist
- Irene Morgan: (11 years before Parks) 17-years-old
- Viola White: (11 years before Parks) 35-year-old wife and mother of three
However, I never knew about Viola Desmond, a Black Nova Scotian woman arrested for not giving up her movie seat and sitting in the “colored” section on the balcony of a theatre. Desmond took a stand on November 8, 1946 (9 years before Parks) and etched her name in the annals of Canadian history with an act of defiance.
Early Years
Long before becoming a Canadian Civil Rights Movement figure, Viola Desmond was an exemplary symbol of courage, determination, entrepreneurship, and breaking barriers. She was born July 6, 1914, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to James Albert Davis and Gwendolin Irene Davis. Her father was a businessman and self-employed barber, and her mother was a homemaker. She was raised in a large, close-knit family as one of 10 children in a small, vibrant community in Canada.
Although this Black community faced significant racial discrimination, Viola Desmond’s values of dignity and equality were nurtured in her community. Desmond was working as a teacher in the racially-segregated school system when her attention was diverted to the lack of beauty products available for Black women. She experienced barriers to obtaining training as a beautician in Nova Scotia.
Desmond left to train in Montreal, ever the determined problem-solver, then attended one of Madam C. J. Walker’s beauty schools in New York City and concluded her studies in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Her experience abroad gave her the necessary skills to return to Halifax and carve out a niche in the beauty industry. She married Jack Desmond upon her return and then established Vi’s Study of Beauty Culture in 1937, which catered to the Black community.
Vi’s Studio of Beauty Culture served as a beauty salon and a center for interaction, empowerment, and education for Black women. She would continue learning about beauty culture and launch her line of products for women of color. Desmond further expanded her efforts to educate Black women formally by establishing the Desmond School of Beauty Culture in 1944. The school trained dozens of women, many of whom went on to open businesses, fostering a network of Black female entrepreneurs in the Atlantic provinces.
The Arrest
Now a successful Black businesswoman, she found herself serendipitously at the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, after her car broke down. While awaiting repairs to her 1940 Dodge sedan, she decided to watch a movie at the theatre. She purchased a ticket for the balcony to watch the 7:00 PM showing of The Dark Mirror; however, she took a seat on the main floor, which was reserved for white customers.
When the police arrived, she refused to relocate to the balcony. To resolve the issue, she offered to pay the extra ten cents to exchange the balcony ticket for the main floor ticket and remain where she was, but this request was refused. As a result, she was forcibly arrested on the grounds of tax evasion. The tax on the forty-cent ticket was three cents, and the thirty-cent ticket was two cents, making a difference of one cent in taxes remitted; therefore, she was fined $26 after being held in a prison cell for 12 hours and enduring an injury to her hip during the detainment.
When she returned home and discussed the incident with her husband, he recommended she let it go and remit the fine. However, after consulting with the minister of her church and his wife, Desmond sought legal counsel to fight the charge. This incident highlighted the everyday reality of racial segregation in Canada despite the lack of a law requiring segregation in theaters and was a catalyst for future events that would slowly occur, changing the landscape of race relations in Canada.
Her challenge of conviction and unwillingness to accept unjust treatment through higher courts illuminate her resilience and unwavering commitment to justice. Ultimately, her appeal was dismissed because her lawyer, Frederick William Bissett, filed for a judicial review based on the wrongful accusation of tax evasion instead of basing the appeal on a racial discrimination claim. Nevertheless, the trial process increased societal discourse around the issue of systemic racism in Canada and served as a foundation for future generations to continue the fight for equality.
The Aftermath
Despite the legal defeat, Desmond returned to Nova Scotia with an unwavering spirit and continued her entrepreneurial pursuits. She continued her work in beauty and cosmetics, empowering Black women when opportunities remained scarce. She also steadfastly advocated for the rights of Canadians of African descent.
Eventually, her marriage to Jack Desmond was dissolved, and she never had any children. She closed her business and relocated to NY, where she attended business school; however, she passed away unexpectedly due to gastrointestinal bleeding on February 7, 1965. Desmond was 50 years old.
Decades after her defiance against racial segregation, her contributions have been widely acknowledged and celebrated within Canadian society due to the perseverance of Desmond’s younger sister, Wanda Robson, who fought to have her story told and her name cleared. Robson also published a book about her sister, “Sister to Courage,” in 2010.
Sixty-four years after the arrest, on April 15, 2010, Desmond received an apology from Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter and became the first person in Canada to be granted a free pardon posthumously. This gesture formally acknowledged the racial injustice she endured. On February 3, 2021, the Nova Scotia government offered a symbolic repayment of the $26 court fees valued at $368.29 to Desmond’s sole living family member. The repayment was later increased to $1,000 after Robson said the money would be given to Cape Breton University as a one-time scholarship donation.
In 2012, she was commemorated on a postage stamp. Desmond would later become the first female Canadian to appear on a regularly circulating Canadian banknote released on November 19, 2018, and the first Black History Month coin image in February 2019. These honors symbolize the ongoing process of reconciliation and acknowledgment of the historical injustices faced by Black Canadians.
Final Thoughts
Desmond’s legacy inspires a new generation of Canadians to continue the fight for equity, inclusion, and justice. Her mentorship of Black women, resolute courage, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to justice have secured her place as a pivotal figure in Canada’s Civil Rights history. She is a constant reminder one person can be a pebble in an ocean, but the ripple effect can last for generations. I am grateful to have learned about Viola Desmond, and I hope you will also benefit from this brief synopsis. Thanks for reading!
If you want to read about more extraordinary women, have a look at some of my other offerings below:
