A Fight for Civil Rights

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A Fight for Civil Rights
The section dedicated to the civil rights icon Viola Desmond in the Canadian Human Rights Museum is particularly interesting. Indeed, Viola is often labeled the “’Rosa Parks of Canada,” for the role she played in the fight against racial discrimination in Canada, a country that did not have an official structure of racial segregation (Canadian Human Rights Museum Website 1).
Besides, she was born to a white mother and a hard working black father who were active within their Halifax community. Hence, Desmond grew up with great ambition. In a period where opportunities for black people and women were extremely thin for, Desmond was determined to establish herself in business. She went to study in Montreal’s Field Beauty Culture School, a handful of which accepted few students of color. She opened Vi’s Studio of Culture and Beauty as well as a salon in Halifax after her studies. Next, she extended her business kingdom, by starting the Desmond School of Beauty Culture that enrolled black women and further introducing her line of beauty products. On 8th of November 1946, then 32, Desmond had some free time to spent while she relaxed and waited for her car to be fixed after malfunctioning while in New Glasgow (CBC News Website 1). In that case, she went to entertain herself at the local Roseland Theatre. Since she did not know that the theatre was segregated, Desmond decided to sit at the “whites only” main-floor. She was later informed of the segregation but still refused to move to the “colored patrons” balcony, for which she was arrested (Canadian Human Rights Museum Website 1).

At her trial, no one acknowledged that racism was behind the case, a fact that really bothered me. Instead, she faced a conviction for tax evasion for her alleged refusal to pay one cent worth of tax (CBC News Website 1). Nevertheless, her bravery in confronting discrimination encouraged many others. Desmond, after over ten decades of wrongful conviction, was posthumously pardoned by Nova Scotia. Even though Desmond did not win her case, her legacy and enthusiastic activism were vital to 1954 subsequent bad on segregation policies in the province (Canadian Human Rights Museum Website 1).
Desmond’s is the story that is relatable to dozens of others. One story it can be related to is the case of McNab vs. Calyniuk Restaurants Inc. Miss McNab with her other two friends who were white went to Rylys. Her two friends entered the joint without being asked for identifications. When McNab’s turned to be served entry came, she was asked for identification which she provided proving that she was above the legal drinking age. Unfortunately, this was not enough to grant her entry. She was told she needed Saskatchewan government insurance identification to be granted entry. It became apparent that Miss McNab was denied entry because she was of Cree ancestry. Her friends decided to leave the joint when they learned of what had transpired. Miss McNab would later sue the restaurant where she secured a compensation worth $1,500 for injury to loss of self-esteem and hurt feelings. Ram’s 1991 case vs. MacDonald’s restaurant is also similar to McNab’s case against Calyniuk Restaurants. Ram was denied service at MacDonald’s because of his Fijian ancestry.
In a nutshell, this discussion is a small heat map of the course taken by civil rights in Canada in history a nation that had no formal system of racial segregation. Ram, Miss McNab and particularly Miss Viola Desmond are examples of unique individuals in unique situations who took action to challenge the status quo then initiating turn of events that improved racial relations in the country.
Works Cited
Canadian Human Rights Museum Website. “One Woman’s Resistance.” Canadian Museum of Human Right Website, 2014. https://humanrights.ca/one-womans-resistance
CBC News Website. “How Civil Rights Icon Viola Desmond Helped Change Course of Canadian History.” CBC News Website, 2016. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/violadesmond-bio-1.3886923.