Viola Desmond, An Amazing Woman Who Changed History

Women's History Month: Viola Desmond

Viola Desmond was a famous Canadian civil rights activist. Her fight against injustice helped establish the modern civil rights movement in Canada. Let’s learn more about this remarkable woman.

Breaking Barriers in Beauty

Viola Desmond was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on July 6, 1914.

Her father was black and a barber, and her mother was the daughter of a white minister. Although interracial marriages were uncommon in Canada at the time, the family was accepted and supported by their community.

Viola wanted to pursue a career in beauty culture, but at the time, no beauty schools allowed black female students in Nova Scotia. So, she went to Quebec and later the United States to complete her training.

When Viola returned to Halifax, she married Jack Desmond and opened Vi’s Studio of Beauty Culture.

Shortly after, Viola opened the Desmond School of Beauty Culture, the first beauty school to allow black female students. She even went on to develop a line of beauty products.

Taking a Stand

In 1946, Viola’s car broke down while doing business in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. After learning it would take some time to fix, she decided to see a movie at the Roseland Theater.

Desmond purchased her ticket and went in to see the movie. However, she was quickly escorted out and told that the theater’s main floor was only for white patrons.

Viola was nearsighted and had trouble seeing the screen from the balcony. She asked to purchase a ticket for the more expensive main floor but was told no.

Viola couldn’t see any signs indicating the theater was segregated, and New Glasgow had no segregation laws at the time, so she headed back to the main floor to watch the movie.

The manager called the police after Desmond refused to leave. The police came and forcibly removed her, injuring her hip in the process. She was arrested and sent to jail.

Viola was charged with attempting to defraud the government by sitting in a seat that was more expensive than the ticket she had purchased. She was given no legal advice, and no one helped her. Viola ended up trying to defend herself in court the next day.

Viola Desmond was found guilty and charged a fine of $26, and spent 30 days in jail. Her race was never mentioned during the trial, even though it was clear to Viola that is why she was denied a seat where she could see the movie.

Frederick William Bissett was a local lawyer who heard about Viola’s case and agreed to file a civil suit against the theater and its manager. They claimed she was falsely imprisoned and assaulted during the arrest.

Bissett’s case never went to trial and was appealed to Nova Scotia’s Supreme Court. Due to a technicality, the judge ruled against Desmond, and the fine and charges stood.

Delayed Justice: A Free Pardon

Segregation officially ended in Nova Scotia in 1954. Viola’s case received considerable publicity at the time, and many citizens were outraged that she never received justice.

Viola died in New York on February 7, 1965, at 50.

In 2010, Desmond’s sister, Wanda Robson, published Sister to Courage, a book about Viola’s experience. It renewed interest in the case.

In the same year, Nova Scotia Lieutenant Governor Mayann Francis granted Desmond a free pardon posthumously (after her death.) This was the first free pardon given to a person who had died. A free pardon meant that the courts recognized Viola’s innocence and that her conviction was wrong.

Viola Desmond is often called Canada’s First Lady of Civil Rights. She is frequently compared to Rosa Parks and her role in the civil rights movement in the United States.

Viola Desmond will always be remembered for helping start Canada’s modern civil rights movement. She was indeed a brave and remarkable woman.

To read about more amazing women who changed history, visit the blog post, 12 Women Who Changed History and How to Teach About Them.