Laubach Literacy Ontario.

Famous Canadians Series: 
Viola Desmond.

Written by: Deanna Wilkinson.

Published by Laubach Literacy Ontario 2023

Viola Desmond

<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sepia_Beauty_Products_by_Viola_Desmond_(15880614683).jpg">Image source</a>

“Many years after Viola died, she was finally given a pardon. Viola was the first Canadian to be given a pardon after they were dead. It was Viola’s sister, Wanda, who helped make Viola’s story famous. &nbsp;Wanda did not want Viola’s story to be forgotten. Wanda was proud of her sister. Viola had stood up for herself and for other Black Canadians. Wanda spent many years telling Viola’s story to schools, reporters, and everyone she could.” &nbsp; __________________________ Pardon: the act of removing a criminal charge from a person’s record so that they are no longer guilty of that crime.

“It was on a business trip that Viola’s trouble started. On November 8th, 1946, on her way to Sydney, Nova Scotia, Viola’s car broke down in the city of New Glasgow. The mechanic told Viola that it would take until the next day to fix her car. To pass the time, Viola decided to see a movie. It was this decision that helped shape Canada’s history.”

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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/7119320@N05/35930609876">Image source</a>

“Viola needed to go to school to become a beautician (beu-ti-shun). The beautician school in Halifax did not allow people of colour to be students. &nbsp; Viola had to go far away from home to go to school. She did not let that stop her dream. She went to school in Montreal (Mon-tree-all) and then in Atlantic City, and finally, Viola finished her schooling in New York at the famous Madam C.J. Walker’s beauty school.” __________________________ Beautician: a person whose job is to improve the look of a person’s hair, skin, and nails.

The bus drove down the street and hit a bump in the road. Sara bounced in her seat. She looked down and saw something purple. Sara picked it up. It was a $10 bill. Sara asked the woman next to her, “Is this yours?” “No, it isn’t,” said the woman. Sara looked at the $10 bill. There was a picture of a mixed-race woman on the money. The name under the picture was Viola Desmond (Vi-o-la Dez-mund). Sara said out loud to herself, “Who was Viola Desmond?” &nbsp; __________________________ Mixed-race: a person with parents who are of different races.

<a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/prison-prison-cell-jail-crime-553836/">Image source</a>

“I can answer your question,” said the woman sitting beside Sara. “I know the story of Viola Desmond. Do you want to hear it?” “Yes, please,” said Sara. Sara’s bus stop was still twenty minutes away. She was happy to have something to do to help pass the time on her bus ride. She also wanted to know what a person had to do to have their picture put on Canadian money. “Viola’s sister Wanda is one of the reasons Viola is on our $10 bill. It was Wanda’s determination (de-ter-min-a-shun) to tell Viola’s story that made Viola famous,” said the woman. “What was Viola famous for?” Sara asked.

“So that’s why Viola Desmond is on the $10 bill,” said Sara amazed at the story she just heard. “It’s important to remember that change takes time and for people to never forget the past,” stated the old woman.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bankofcanada/39983096694">Image source</a>

<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Clarion_-_Miss_Viola_Desmond_Takes_Action_(16499030491).jpg">Image source</a>

“Viola’s story began in 1914, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She grew up in a large, middle-class family with ten siblings. Viola’s parents were hard-working and well-liked in the community. When Viola grew up, she wanted to be a successful businesswoman. Viola knew that black women needed special hair and skin products. These things were hard to find. Viola wanted to make and sell these products.”

References Bingham, Russel. 2021. Viola Desmond (Article – The Canadian Encyclopedia). https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/viola-desmond Canada Museum for Human Rights. 2019 The Story of Viola Desmond (Video: <a href="https://youtu.be/szSqfmbXx0Y">https://youtu.be/szSqfmbXx0Y</a>) Canada’s History. February 25th, 2015. Viola Desmond: An Unlikely Crusader (Video: <a href="https://youtu.be/a9zQ5bNyn8s">https://youtu.be/a9zQ5bNyn8s</a>) CBC News. March 8th, 2018. New $10 Bill Featuring Viola Desmond Unveiled (Video: <a href="https://youtu.be/msk24KRRtvE">https://youtu.be/msk24KRRtvE</a>) MacLeod, Elizabeth. 2018 Meet Viola Desmond. Scholastic Canada Ltd.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/vieilles_annonces/4040882936">Image source</a>

Double click on the icon to download a fillable PDF activity booklet for the story:

Viola Desmond Activity Booklet.pdf

Double click on the icon to download a PDF copy of the book:

Viola Desmond PDF.pdf

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<a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/hammer-libra-dish-justice-law-802296/">Image source</a>

“When Viola was done school, she came back to Halifax and opened her own hair salon called Vi’s Studio of Beauty Culture. Her business was a success! Viola did not stop there. She also opened a beauty school called the Desmond School of Beauty Culture. Now, women of colour did not need to leave Halifax to become a beautician. Viola was not done yet! She also made her own line of beauty products. She made hair and skin products for black women. She sold her products in her salon and in other salons, too. Viola had become a successful businesswoman.”

<a href="https://pixabay.com/vectors/nova-scotia-flag-official-province-28550/">Image source</a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bankofcanada/30667096144">Image source</a>

<a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/collective-bus-urban-city-bus-bus-435584/">Image source</a>

“Viola spent the night in jail. She was charged with tax evasion (e-vay-shun). Viola was taken to court the next day and fined $26. The judge told Viola that she had failed to pay 1¢ in tax. Viola had paid for a balcony ticket, and she had sat on the main floor. The main floor tickets were more money. Viola had not paid enough tax to sit on the main floor.&nbsp; Viola was convicted of tax evasion for not paying 1¢ of tax. Nothing was ever said about the colour of her skin or that only white people could sit on the main floor. Viola knew that it was her skin colour on trial. She had sat where only white people were allowed and for sitting there she was put in jail and convicted of a crime.” _________________________ Tax evasion: not paying the full amount of tax.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bankofcanada/31470617996">Image source</a>

“Viola knew that this was about the colour of her skin. Unlike Halifax, this theatre still discriminated (dis-krim-in-a-ted) against people of colour. Only white people could sit on the main floor. People of colour had to sit on the balcony. Viola did not let that stop her. Viola went back into the theatre and sat back down in her seat. The manager walked up to Viola and told her to move to the balcony. Viola said no. Viola told the manager that she had tried to buy a main floor ticket but was refused. Again, the manager told Viola she had to move. Viola refused to move. The manager called the police. The police dragged Viola from her seat and took her to jail.” &nbsp; __________________________ Discriminated: to treat someone differently because of the colour of their skin or appearance.

The Fisher Street bus stopped in front of Sara. She waited for the door to open. Sara went up the steps into the bus. She put $2 in the meter and said hello to the bus driver. &nbsp; Sara looked for a seat. She saw a seat near a window and sat down. More people came on the bus. An older woman with nice white-grey hair and dark skin sat beside Sara. The woman smiled at Sara. Sara smiled back.

Sara looked out the bus window. She saw that her stop was coming. Sara turned to the nice old woman and said, “Thank you. Thank you for telling me Viola’s story.” “You are most welcome,” replied the woman. Sara got off the bus and started walking home. She smiled to herself and thought, “not only am I $10 richer, but I also have a good story to tell my friends.”

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/-jm/51543990093">Image source</a>

“Viola liked to go to the movies. She liked to sit on the main floor so she could easily see the movie screen. In Halifax, where Viola lived, this was not a problem. Everybody could sit anywhere they wanted. Viola asked for a main floor ticket. Viola took her movie ticket and found a seat. Soon after Viola sat down, she was asked to move. &nbsp;Viola was told that she had a balcony ticket, not a main-floor ticket. Viola thought that a mistake had been made. She went back to the ticket counter and asked to change her ticket for one on the main floor. &nbsp;The ticket seller refused to sell Viola the ticket.“ &nbsp; __________________________ Balcony: the upper floor that looks over the main floor below.

<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roselandtheater1.jpg">Image source</a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/aetius396/4823992120">Image source</a>

“Some people say Viola’s story helped start the civil rights movement in Nova Scotia (No-va Sco-sha). Some people say Viola was someone who faced racism (ray-ci-zim) one too many times. Everyone agrees that Viola was a strong, independent businesswoman of colour who helped with racial equality (e-kwall-e-ty) in Canada.” &nbsp; __________________________ Civil Rights Movement: a group fighting for equal rights for people of all colours. Racism: a belief that one race of people is better than a different race of people. Racial equality: when every race of people is treated equally.

<a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-headscarf-sitting-by-window-in-old-bus-11560473/">Image source</a>

“Viola went back home. Some people told Viola that Black people would always be treated badly. There was nothing she could do about it. Other people told Viola that she should get a lawyer and fight back. Viola chose to fight back. With help from the Nova Scotia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NSAACP) and her community, Viola went back to court to fight her conviction. It was a long battle. They tried to win, but in the end, nothing changed. The Supreme Court of Nova Scotia said that Viola’s case was about tax evasion, not racial discrimination. Even though Viola lost her case, her fight for justice helped end Nova Scotia’s segregation (seg-ra-ga-shun) laws.” __________________________ Segregation: a law or belief that people of different races should not be allowed to be in the same place as each other.

“In April 2010, Nova Scotia’s premier, Darrell Dexter, and the Lieutenant Governor, Mayann Francis, gave Viola Desmond a free pardon for her crime and an apology. The government of Nova Scotia said that Viola had not committed any crime and that Viola had been treated unfairly.”

“Viola’s story did not end there. Shortly after Viola was given a free pardon and an apology, she was put on a Canadian postage stamp. &nbsp; There are schools, parks, and a ferry boat named after Viola. There are portraits and statues of Viola found in many places in Nova Scotia and in other provinces. &nbsp; Then in 2018, Viola Desmond became the first black person and the first woman (except the Queen of England!) to be put on the $10 bill.”

The online version was made with Book Creator Pictures and images from personal collections and Pixabay.com

<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Viola_Desmond.jpg">Cover image source</a>

This Employment Ontario project is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.&nbsp;

Nova Scotia Government. February 6th, 2012. Long Road to Justice: The Viola Desmond Story (Full Documentary) (Video: <a href="https://youtu.be/yI00i9BtsQ8">https://youtu.be/yI00i9BtsQ8</a>) Reynolds, Graham. 2016. Viola Desmond’s Canada. Fernwood Publishing. Reynolds, Graham and Robson, Wanda. 2018. Viola Desmond. Her Life and Times. Roseway Publishing. Robson, Wanda. 2010. Sister to Courage. Breton Books.

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