There were a lot of siblings in the family of Viola Desmond. Her parents were very respected by the Black community. James Albert Davis was raised in a middle-class Black family and worked as a barber for many years.
What did Viola Desmond struggle with?
She confronted the anti-Black racism that African Nova Scotians faced when they refused to move from her seat in the whites-only section of the Roseland Theatre. She was arrested, imprisoned and fined for this.
What did Viola Desmond do in her early life?
There is a woman named Viola Desmond who was born in 1914. She wanted to open a beauty salon, but found that Nova Scotia beauty schools didn’t accept Black students. Instead of giving up on her dream of becoming a hairdresser, she trained in Montréal and the US.
Why is Viola Desmond on the $10 dollar bill?
She made her own beauty products when she couldn’t find what she was looking for. There are many African Nova Scotian families that trace their histories back to the 18th century and seeing her on the $10 bill reminds them.
Why was Viola Desmond discriminated?
The Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia had a section for Whites only. Viola was jailed overnight and convicted without legal representation for an obscure tax offence as a result of her arrest.
What is an interesting fact about Viola Desmond childhood?
She was brought up in a large family, including 10 siblings, and her parents were very respected in the Black community. Her father, James Albert Davis, was raised in a middle-class Black family and had worked for a number of years as a barber before starting his own business.
Why is Viola Desmond’s story important?
The abolition of the province’s segregation laws was influenced by her story and her activism, even though she lost her court battle.
What was Viola Desmond’s famous quote?
She once told them to do their little bit of good where they were. The world is overwhelmed by the little bits of good. The $10 bill was chosen by the Bank of Canada in December of last year.
How old was Viola when her father died?
At the beginning of the play, Viola is alone because her father died when she was 13 and she lost her brother.
What are some important facts about Viola Desmond?
A successful black businesswoman is depicted in this picture. When he refused to leave a whites-only seat in a movie theatre, he was jailed, convicted, and fined. The pursuit of racial equality in Canada can be traced back to the case of Desmond.
What happened in Africville?
On January 2, 1970, the last resident of Africville left. Around 400 people were relocated by that time. The Seaview United Baptist Church, the spiritual center of Africville, was lost along with their homes.