Canada

Viola Irene Desmond was born on July 6, 1914 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her mother was white, and her father was black, and they were active in the black community in Halifax. Because of her skin colour,  she couldn’t go to school in Halifax so, that’s why she finished beautician training in Montreal, Atlantic City and in New York.

When Viola became a beautician, she returned to Halifax and opened her own hair salon. After that, she started The Desmond School of Beauty Culture and finally she also had her own line of beauty products: Vi’s Beauty Products.

Viola Desmond worked with her husband Jack Desmond in their own business, a barbershop and hair dressing salon in one. On November 8, 1946 while she went to Sydney to sell her beauty products, Viola’s car broke down in New Glasgow. She would have to wait a day before the car will be fixed. Waiting for her car, she decided go to the Roseland Film Theatre, and see The Dark Mirror. Desmond was sold a ticket to the balcony unaware of the segregation, but she wanted buy a ticket on the main floor to be close to the screen. Unfortunately, the main floor in this theatre was reserved only for white people. After when she went to sit in the main floor, she was asked to move. She realized what was happening and refused to move. Next, she was forcibly removed from the theatre causing injury to her hip and was arrested and put in jail for 12 hours and paid a 20-dollar fine. Also, she had to pay the difference between the ticket’s taxes which was one cent. Desmond spent one night in jail and was never informed about her right to legal advice, a lawyer, or bail.

After returning to Halifax, Viola decided to fight the charge in court. In 2010, a posthumous pardon was received by Viola Desmond; the first to be granted in Canada. The Government of Nova Scotia also apologized for coming after her for 1 cent of tax and acknowledged she was rightfully resisting racial discrimination.

In 2018, Viola Desmond became the first Canadian woman to appear on a Canadian bank note – a 10 dollars bill which was unveiled by Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz during a ceremony at the Halifax Central Library on March 8, 2018. Desmond was also named a National Historic Person in 2018.

Viola Desmond passed away on February 7, 1965. She was 50 years old and had been living in New York City. Her grave is located at Camp Hill Cemetery in Halifax. Nowadays, Desmond is celebrated as a Canadian hero.