There are many people and moments that have defined Canada’s history. Viola Desmond, a businesswoman and cardinal figure in African-Canadian history, is one of those people. Desmond was a successful beautician who opened up her own beauty school, studio, and curated her own line of beauty products. However, Desmond is regarded for more than her entrepreneurial success and achievements. After events that took place on November 8th, 1946, in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Desmond challenged racial segregation and discrimination laws in the town’s Roseland Movie Theatre. She was forcefully removed and jailed for one night by a police officer. Desmond was charged and fined on the account of tax evasion. She never won her court case, but her story became …show more content…
essential to the conversation of segregation and discrimination in Canada. Throughout this essay, one will explore how Desmond created and maintained a pivotal role in Canadian history as a whole, for women, and for the black community. This is corroborated through her early life and achievements, her defining court case, and her impact and effect on society today. Viola Irene Desmond was born on July 6th, 1914, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She was raised by her parents James and Gwendolyn Davis in a large family of 10 siblings. Although she was raised in a predominantly white community, the Desmond family were very well regarded in the black community of Halifax (Viola Desmond’s Canada). After high school, Desmond aspired to pursue a career in beauty and cosmetics, but due to existing segregation laws in Nova Scotia that did not allow for black women to attend beauty schools, she was forced to travel to Montreal and New York to receive an education in beautician studies. At this time, the fashion and beauty industry was in full flourish, leaving many aspiring entrepreneurs with a new avenue to explore. After obtaining her degrees, she began her entrepreneurial career. She opened her very own salon, Vi’s Studio of Beauty Culture, and beauty school, the Desmond School of Beauty Culture. The creation of these spaces supported Nova Scotian black women in easily accessing education and business opportunities, with as many as 15 graduates annually. Desmond also curated her own line of makeup that were suitable for women with darker complexions - something many products at the time did not do (Britannica). Although Viola Desmond has become a notable person within the topic of black freedom civil rights in Canada, one can argue that she has earned a space in the discussion of influential persons for her inspiring story as a businesswoman and leader for the black women in Nova Scotia. Canada, admittedly, has not struggled with racism and segregation being established into its society in the same way the United States has, however, this does not dismiss the presence of discrimination in the country.
Many places in the United States had ‘Jim Crow’ laws in place, laws which legally allowed for the segregation of black people in society. Canada lacked these laws, but segregation took place nevertheless. For the first time in 1841, the Common Schools Act was enacted into Canadian legislature in Upper Canada, on the principle of separating schools on the basis of religion, specifically between Protestant and Catholic. This act, which was renamed and modified many times, narrowly allowed for the creation of segregated Black schools. (Viola Desmond’s Canada) Due to this, segregated schools existed and operated in quieter areas in Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. This explains why Desmond was unable to attend a beauty school in her own province and accentuates the impact she made on her community by creating her own school. The last segregated school in Ontario was in the town of Merlin, and closed in 1965. The last segregated school in Nova Scotia and all of Canada was closed in 1983 (Black History Canada). Due to the fact that racism and segregation were not enshrined into Canadian law but were still present, one may contend that only made the topic harder to navigate and …show more content…
defeat. Throughout history, Canadians have witnessed the justice system fail it’s people several times.
Unfortunately, the case of Viola Desmond is an example of this. One evening, while the entrepreneur was completing a business trip between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, her car broke down and caused her to stop and spend the night in the small town of New Glasgow in Nova Scotia. She then decided to catch a movie at the local cinema, the Roseland Movie Theatre. She requested and purchased upstairs ticket. On her way to the lower portion of the theatre, the ticket-collector stopped and notified her that her ticket was for the upper section. Thinking he was mistaken, she returned to the cashier to exchange her ticket and was refused. When Desmond queried as to why, the cashier responded, “I’m sorry, but I’m not permitted to sell downstairs tickets to you people” (The Halifax Chronicle). Desmond found no good reason for her forbiddance, and returned to the lower portion of the theatre. Shortly after, the manager and a policeman arrived. As Viola describes to local newspaper The Halifax Chronicle, “The policeman grasped my shoulders, and the manager grabbed my legs, injuring my knee and hip. They carried me bodily from the theatre out into the street” (The Halifax Chronicle). She was then driven to a police station and jailed for the night. The next morning, she was put on trial and charged on the account of tax evasion; the difference on the amusement tax between an upstairs and
downstairs ticket. For her ‘crime’ she was fined $20 (Nova Scotia Archives). The trial received a large amount of attention in the local community and in December of 1946 the case was brought before the Supreme Court. However, due to the grounds of the centiaori (an order by which a higher court reviews the decision of a lower court), the appeal was dismissed and the case was not helped. Justice Hall, one of the four judges that attended to this case wrote; “One wonders if the manager of the theatre who laid the complaint was so zealous because of a bonafide belief there had been an attempt to defraud the Province of Nova Scotia of the sum of one cent, or was it a surreptitious endeavour to enforce a Jim Crow rule by misuse of a public statute” (The King v. Desmond). Viola Desmond’s pursuit of justice in her court case was left unsuccessful, however, it sparked a dialogue about civil rights in Canada that was historically important for the growth of the country. In the last decade, Viola Desmond’s story and role in Canadian society have become increasingly recognized. In April 2010, nearly seven decades later, Nova Scotia premier Darrell Dexter officially apologized to Desmond’s family and to all black Nova Scotians for the institutional racism of the past. Desmond was granted a posthumous pardon for her charges (CBC News). Furthermore, on December 8th, 2016, Desmond was chosen by the Ministry of Finance as the new face of the $10 bill, the first woman to appear on a regular occurring note (Bank of Canada). She has an exhibit in the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and has been recognized and named as a national historic person by the Government of Canada (The Story of Viola Desmond). She is actively recognized as an icon for women, black women, and Canadians in general. In conclusion, Canada’s history as a nation can be characterized by a lot of moments, individuals, and their contributions to Canadian history. Viola Irene Desmond is one such individual, whose outstanding achievements and voice for justice have earned her the name of an icon and civil rights activist. In a country where informal, clandestine discrimination was once not uncommon, Desmond created an important discussion which sparked a movement of civil rights and equality. Demonstrated through her entrepreneurial career and early life achievements, her fight for justice and her court case, and the lasting legacy she created, one discovers how Viola Desmond’s life and story was imperative to the development of Canada today.
Her book focuses on the myriads of issues and struggles that Indigenous men and women have faced and will continue to face because of colonialism. During her speech, Palmater addressed the grave effects of the cultural assimilation that permeated in Indigenous communities, particularly the Indian Residential School System and the Indian Act, which has been extensively discussed in both lectures and readings. Such policies were created by European settlers to institutionalize colonialism and maintain the social and cultural hierarchy that established Aboriginals as the inferior group. Palmater also discussed that according to news reports, an Aboriginal baby from Manitoba is taken away every single day by the government and is put in social care (CTVNews.ca Staff, 2015). This echoes Andrea Smith’s argument in “Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy: Rethinking Women of Color Organizing” that colonialism continues to affect Aboriginals through genocide (2006, p. 68). Although such actions by the government are not physical acts of genocide, where 90% of Aboriginal population was annihilated, it is this modern day cultural assimilation that succeeded the Indigenous Residential School System and the Indian Act embodies colonialism and genocide (Larkin, November 4,
A non-guilty verdict in the murder trial of Bradley Barton accused of killing Cree mother of three Cindy Gladue who bled to death from an eleven centimetre internal laceration argues that the wound was the result of rough sex. Gladue known in Edmonton as a sex worker spent two night with Barton in an Edmonton hotel room in June 2011. This essay will argue the appeal that was warranted through looking firstly at feminist analyses of sexual assault and legal consent, secondly, the contexts of intersectional power relations/ interlocking oppressions such as Gladue being a women from a Cree nationality who works as a sex worker, thirdly the problematic notion of Gladue being the bearer
Jonathan Kozol, an award winning writer, wrote the essay “Still separate, Still Equal” that focuses on primary and secondary school children from minority families that are living in poverty. There is a misconception in this modern age that historical events in the past have now almost abolished discrimination and segregation for the most part; however, “schools that were already deeply segregated
Schissel, Bernard, and Terry Wotherspoon. “The Legacy of Residential Schools.” Inequality in Canada: A Reader on the Intersections of Gender, Race, and Class. 2nd ed. Ed. Valerie Zawilski. Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2010. 102-121. Print.
A Critical Analysis of Racism in Canadian Law and the “Unmapping” of the White Settler Society in “When Place Becomes Race” by Sherene H. Razack
In the year 1957, Canada elected its first Prime minister without English or French root, John Diefenbaker. While growing up in the city of Toronto, because of his German name, he was often teased. [1] He grew up as an outcast, and so he was able to relate to the discrimination and inequality many of the minorities in Canada felt. This essay will attempt to answer the question: To what extent did Prime Minister John Diefenbaker help promote equality to the minority communities. . The minorities in this time period were the women, aboriginals, and immigrants. During his time as the Prime Minister, he was able to help protect the rights of this group because many of their rights were being abused by the society. Diefenbaker also helped the minorities to stand up for themselves and other groups. Diefenbaker was able to bring positive change to the minority communities by making an official Bill of Rights and appointing people of discriminated groups to the parliament while other members did not.
In McLaurin’s hometown of Wade, North Carolina, segregation was obvious and everywhere in daily routines of life. Segregation was often meant to mean that blacks had separate facilities from whites, yet equal. However, this was often not the case. In fact, it was quite opposite. Many times, a public restroom for white was well kept, nice, and clean, whereas if it was for a black, it was dirty and rundown. A good example of the difference in facilities for whites and blacks were the elementary schools McLaurin described. The black elementary school was a one-story frame building, had no lunch program, no indoor plumbing, poor sports equipment, and hardly a playground. The white elementary school however, was a two-story brick building, “a large auditorium and stage, indoor plumbing and modern restrooms, a well-equipped kitchen, and a large dining room in which hot lunches were served daily (23).” It is clear when the two schools are compared against one another, that there is a vast difference in facilities which are for blacks, and those that a...
Systems: The canadian Future in light of the American Past.” Ontario native Council on Justice. Toronto, Ontario.
The segregation in South Carolina happens everywhere and every day. Indeed, racism is manifested through the media, the law, which legitimizes segregation, and the perceptions that white and black people have of each other. Because of the laws against colored people, Rosaleen, as a black woman, lives with constraints in her life. For example, she cannot live in a house with white people (Kidd, p.8), she cannot represent Lily at the charm school (Kidd, p.19), or even to travel with a car with white people (Kidd, p.76). The media is also influenced by racism, and constantly shows news about segregation such as the case of Martin Luther King, who is arrested because he wan...
Thompson, John Herd, and Mark Paul Richard. "Canadian History in North American Context." In Canadian studies in the new millennium. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008. 37-64.
Mary Mebane used her own experience on the bus to show how segregation affected her life. Mary Mebane points out, white people “could sit anywhere they choose, even in the colored section. Only the black passengers had to obey segregation laws.” When Mebane was young, she saw a conflict on the bus. The driver asked a black person who sat in the ‘no-man’s-land’ to move back to colored section to give the seat for the white person who was standing on the bus because the bus was full. Segregation on the bus represented how white people unequally treat black people. When black people refused this driver to move, the driver try to send them to police. Black people were living in the shadow of racism and segregation at that time. However, that situation still affects school system and community now. Mebane asserts, “It was a world without option.” Black people have lower economic and social status because they are restricted to a small box because of segregation. “In Six Decades After Brown Ruling, in US Schools Still Segregated”, Dexter Mullins claims that in some schools like Valley West Elementary School in Houston, about 90% of people are not white people. These kinds of schools do not have enough funds to support adequate school resource to these students, and these students have lower opportunities to contact with cultural diversity. Both reasons negatively impact on the
Systemic discrimination has been a part of Canada’s past. Women, racial and ethnic minorities as well as First Nations people have all faced discrimination in Canada. Policies such as, Charter of Rights and Freedoms, provincial and federal Human Rights Codes, as well has various employment equity programs have been placed in Canada’s constitution to fight and address discrimination issues. Despite these key documents placed for universal rights and freedoms Aboriginal and other minority populations in Canada continue to be discriminated against. Many believe there is no discrimination in Canada, and suggest any lack of success of these groups is a result of personal decisions and not systemic discrimination. While others feel that the legislation and equality policies have yet resulted in an equal society for all minorities. Racism is immersed in Canadian society; this is clearly shown by stories of racial profiling in law enforcement.
“Honey, you’re not a person, now get back in the kitchen and make me a sandwich!” If a husband were to say these words to his wife today, he would likely receive a well-deserved smack to the face. It is not until recently that Canadian women have received their status as people and obtained equal rights as men. Women were excluded from an academic education and received a lesser pay than their male counter parts. With the many hardships women had to face, women were considered the “slave of slaves” (Women’s Rights). In the past century, women have fought for their rights, transitioning women from the point of being a piece of property to “holding twenty-five percent of senior positions in Canada” (More women in top senior positions: Report). The Married Women’s Property Act, World War I, The Person’s Case, and Canadian Human Rights Act have gained Canadian women their rights.
Women had proven their significance in Canadian history through their struggles in gaining rights that provided equality. In order to improve the rights of women, the following were established: Royal Commission on the Status of Women, Pay Equity, and Employment Equity Act. The Royal Commission on the Status of Women (RCSW) was called by Prime Minister Lester Bowles Pearson on February 3rd, 1967, to investigate and report on the condition of women which was initiated immediately after an organization, which was led by a coalition of thirty-two women, who protested for equal rights. Together, the thirty two women’s groups gathered to form an alliance against the government. They threatened to “lead a women’s march on Parliament Hill” if nothing were to be done for this matter. Therefore, Prime Minister Pearson did not have any other option except to establish the RCSW in response to this campaign. The C...
Afro Canadian people have made several important contributions to Canadian History. They have shaped Canada’s culture and devoting their lives to fight for freedom and equality. Josiah Henson, Delos Davis, and Rosemary Brown were three of many Afro Canadians who exhibited perseverance in the face of discrimination.