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What laws exist according to racial inequality? 

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What laws exist according to racial inequality? 

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What is society's responses to Racial Inequality? 

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What is society's responses to Racial Inequality? 

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People can experience racial discrimination in a variety of different ways. In its most overt form, racial discrimination can occur as a result of stereotyping, prejudice and bias. Racial discrimination also occurs in large measure through subtle forms of differential treatment.

Prejudice and overt bias

Racial discrimination may occur because of overt prejudice, hostility or negative feelings held by someone about a racialized person or group. Unfortunately, people are still treated unequally, such as by being refused a job or apartment, simply because of overt bias towards them based on race and related grounds.

Stereotyping

In addition, people may experience racial discrimination because of stereotyping. Stereotyping typically involves attributing the same characteristics to all members of a group, regardless of individual differences. It is often based on misconceptions, incomplete information and/or false generalizations. In most cases, stereotypes assume negative characteristics about a group. Even those who are well meaning and not overtly biased can nevertheless stereotype.

Racial profiling

Racial profiling is a form of stereotyping that has particular implications for racialized persons. The Commission has defined racial profiling as any action undertaken for reasons of safety, security or public protection that relies on stereotypes about race, colour, ethnicity, ancestry, religion or place of origin rather than on reasonable suspicion, to single out an individual for greater scrutiny or different treatment. Race only needs to be a factor in the conduct alleged to constitute profiling.
Some considerations that help determine whether racial profiling occurred include:

Statements that indicate stereotyping or prejudice such as racial comments;

A non-existent, contradictory or changing explanation for why someone was targeted;

The situation unfolded differently than if the person had been White; or

Deviations from normal practices or an unprofessional manner.

Subtle forms of racial discrimination

Subtle and subversive discrimination has also been identified as one of the most common ways racialized people experience unequal treatment. Subtle forms of discrimination can often only be detected upon examining all of the circumstances. As well, contrasting how a racialized person was treated with how others were treated in a comparable situation, or looking for patterns of behaviour will help to determine whether subtle discrimination was at play. While comments about race may sometimes be made, this is not necessary for a finding that subtle racial discrimination has occurred. Racial discrimination need only be one of the reasons for the treatment received.

There are many examples of subtle forms of racial discrimination. In employment, it can take the form of failing to hire, train, mentor or promote a racialized person. Racialized persons may find themselves subjected to excessive performance monitoring or may be more seriously blamed for a common mistake. And, normal differences of opinion or failing to get along with a co-worker may be treated as more serious when a racialized person is involved.

Subtle racial discrimination can occur in a variety of other contexts as well. In housing, racialized persons may be turned away as tenants, or may not be granted equal access to maintenance and repairs. Issues also arise in services and facilities including malls, restaurants, movie theatres, education services and healthcare services.

For further information or copies of the Commission's Policy and Guidelines on Racism and Racial Discrimination.

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Examples of racial discrimination (fact sheet)

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People can experience racial discrimination in a variety of different ways. In its most overt form, racial discrimination can occur as a result of stereotyping, prejudice and bias. Racial discrimination also occurs in large measure through subtle forms of differential treatment.

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What do we mean by racial justice?

When it comes to human rights, racial justice work means going beyond preventing individual cases of racial discrimination and combatting structural oppression. It involves working towards systemic change and solutions, by targeting the root causes of racial oppression as it intersects with patriarchy, colonialism and slavery as well as economic inequality.

At the heart of this work lies the voices of people subjected to racial injustice and their experiences of human rights violations due to systemic racism.

What is systemic racism?

Systemic racism can be defined as policies and practices that exist throughout a whole society that leads to a continued unfair advantage to some people and unfair or harmful treatment of others based on race.

Systemic racism takes many forms including:

When one group of people and their values, ways of doing things are classified as "normal" and other groups of people are "abnormal".

The political power to withhold basic rights from people of colour and use the full power of the state to enforce segregation and inequality, in practice.

The social power to deny people of colour full inclusion or membership in associational life.

The economic power that privileges white people in terms of job placement, advancement, wealth, and property accumulation.

How does racial discrimination impact society?

In international law, "racial discrimination" is understood as "any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life".

It can include Black people and other racialised communities. It can intersect with religious and ethnic minorities and can take specific forms when targeting people on the move. There are numerous ways in which racial discrimination affects societies and people's lives.

Policing and the criminal justice system

Globally, the police system is blighted by racial and discriminatory practices. People that are disproportionately affected by these practices include Black people, as well as Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims and other racially marginalised communities.

They are subjected to racial profiling, unlawful arrests, cruel, degrading, and inhumane treatment as well as police violence that can result in death. They also face increased identity checks, arrests, incarceration for drug-related offences, petty offenses and "public order" offences, as well as migration-related offences and the criminalisation of sex work.

For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the enforcement of lockdown measures had a disproportionate impact on racially marginalized individuals and groups. In Brazil, the "war on drugs" has been used to justify unnecessary and excessive use of force, including extrajudicial executions. As a result, thousands of afro-Brazilians living in favelas have died.

Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers

There has been an alarming trend of systemic racial discrimination, including violence, against migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. This callous treatment in some circumstances has amounted to crimes under international law - disproportionately affecting Black migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

In Tunisia, racist remarks by the President ignited a wave of anti-Black violence in the country, including violent attacks against Black migrants and students, which were downplayed by Tunisian authorities.

In Qatar, migrant workers - especially from Africa and South Asia - face discrimination because of their national origin and race in several areas, including salaries.

In Europe, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are increasingly forced to resort to unsafe routes to access European borders due to ongoing efforts to block safe and legal routes by European policymakers through pushbacks and the criminalization of rescue assistance.

Access to healthcare

Due to structural inequalities, racism creates barriers that stop some people from getting quality healthcare, which can exacerbate health issues further down the line. Often, these barriers are the result of not only a person or group's race, but also a combination of other factors, such as gender, sexuality, income, citizenship, employment status, and the presence of a health condition or disability.

The issue is widespread. For example, in Namibia, the San people face significant barriers to access healthcare due to their remote location. Although most rural Namibians face similar distance-related barriers to accessing healthcare facilities, the San's multiple challenges including lack of education, financial means and poor access to public transport makes it even more difficult to access healthcare facilities, which in some cases are 80kms away.

Access to education

Children experiencing racism have been prevented from accessing quality education.

For example, Romani children have suffered systemic and ongoing discrimination in primary education in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and other European countries for decades.

These human rights violations are systemic in nature and as a result, Romani children have been placed into special schools and classes intended for pupils with mental disabilities, they have been segregated in Roma-only schools and classes, and they have been treated differently and with prejudice in mainstream schools, simply because of their ethnicity.

Racial and climate justice

Sadly, ethnicity, race, class, and caste go hand in hand with the detrimental effects of climate change and fossil fuel-related inequalities.

In India and Nepal, women and girls belonging to so called "low castes" such as Dalit, are more susceptible to the negative impacts of climate change as they are forced to live in segregated and isolated housing. Time and again, these women are ignored and overlooked in humanitarian and rehabilitation responses and are persistently deprived of resources and opportunities to influence decisions concerning them.

In North America, air pollution disproportionately affects poorer racialized communities especially Black communities, whose neighbourhoods are more likely to be situated next to power plants, refineries, and highways. This leads to higher rates of respiratory illnesses and cancers, and Black people are three times more likely to die of airborne pollution than the overall US population.

It also has a detrimental effect on Indigenous Peoples. The burning of fossil fuels is killing people and damaging the environment. But as the global economy starts to move away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources, it can also harm people's human rights, as well as the environment, as it relies upon a massive increase in the mining of metals and minerals. If mining companies and their buyers continue these practices, they could deepen the human rights abuses experienced by front line communities, including Indigenous Peoples and block the path to a sustainable future.

Crimes against humanity and international justice

Amnesty International is concerned about the double standards when it comes to international justice, including the apparent failures of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to hold suspected perpetrators from powerful states to account and to ensure equal access to justice for all victims of crimes under international law.

Recent decisions by the Office of The Prosecutor of the ICC not to investigate or to deprioritise investigations into crimes allegedly committed by nationals of powerful states, such as the US and the UK, appear to beg the question of whether the principles of international justice are applied equally to all perpetrators, regardless of how powerful they are. Similarly, the voluntary funding allocated to the investigation in Ukraine as compared to the budgetary constraints on investigations into the other situations such as Nigeria and Afghanistan risks perceptions of a hierarchical system of international justice in which victims of crimes under international law do not enjoy equal access to justice.

Moreover, there has been a lack of progress in the ICC's investigation into the crimes committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. These crimes include apartheid, which is a crime against humanity. Apartheid is a system of prolonged and cruel discriminatory treatment by one racial group of members of another with the intention to control the second racial group.

My plan was for them to have a warm family home close to their loved ones and family members. Now I'm passing on the memories of their first childhood home being destroyed.
Mohammed Al-Rajabi

Movements for racial justice

For decades, the racial justice movement has been accelerating, with people bravely speaking out in the face of injustice around the world.

In recent years, #BlackLivesMatter has been at the forefront of change. Founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin's murderer, Black Lives Matter fights to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.

However, speaking out is not easy, especially if you are a minority.

The ability to protest safely is an issue that intersects with the right to be free from discrimination. People who face inequality and discrimination, based on their age, race, gender identity and many other factors, face even more dangers to their right to protest.

It is crucial that everyone can protest safely and without discrimination - an issue Amnesty International is tackling through its Protect the Protest campaign.

What is Amnesty doing to fight for racial justice?

Amnesty International is calling for people who have been historically and systemically discriminated against to enjoy equality in law and practice.

States must ensure justice and redress including through the removal of racist laws, policies and practices, and guarantee equality in access to economic and social rights. They should also take measures to end the over-policing and overcriminalisation of discriminated people and communities.

To learn more about descent-based discrimination and how to tackle it, take part in our course, Decoding Descent Based Discrimination.

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Working towards systemic change by targeting the root causes of racial oppression.

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How can Racial Inequality been seen at a Global level

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How can Racial Inequality be seen at an National level

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These Are the Worst Countries for Racial Equity

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These countries are falling short on fostering racial equity within their borders, according to survey respondents.

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The LaSalle Multicultural Resource Center (LMRC), a non-profit organization in Montreal, is hosting a conference to reveal the results of a research study examining Quebec's school practices.

The center says the results pulled from the complied data "unmask the exclusionary school practices that impact the school success and trajectory of Black Anglophone and Francophone youths in the Quebec school system."

The two-year study found that black youths in Quebec were often placed into special groups, subject to racially hostile environments and biased practices.

"The research is titled Changing Black Youth's Future," said co-researcher Gloria Ann Cozier. "We are looking at trying to explore that whole system, the practice of Quebec school, and to look at some solutions so that we can make changes for the future of our children."

The research study was started in 2021 and funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage, Anti-Racism Action Program.

Principal researcher Dr. Lerona D. Lewis and Cozier examined how Quebec school practices negatively impact the experience of English-speaking and French-speaking Black students. The pair found there were systemic exclusionary school practices, streaming Black youths into special education classes; police presence, a racially hostile environment, and biased practices adversely impacted Black students' educational and career trajectories.

"They are streamlined into the segregated classes where, you know, they have to go to welcome classes," said Cozier. "And during that time, they are not able to participate in the general curriculum of the schools."

Cozier explains that many times, Black students will be separated from their classmates because they fail to comprehend or to grasp French quickly.

Then, there's the issue of classes for new students who come in at 14 or 15 years-old, she adds.

These classes are often scheduled to coincide with the regular stamp of school activities, which she states can have lasting consequences down the line.

"Black youths are already marginalized," Cozier adds. "To have to actually experience this in the school system is very, very difficult for them."

"In terms of their trajectory or career, it is really bad."

The LMRC research data will be presented in conjunction with those from the Institute for Research and Education on Race Relations (IRERR). They conducted an online survey and community forums on racial profiling in education, and literature review research done by an educational advisor and intercultural relations CSDM.

"We're hoping that our ministers and people in decision making are not school boards anymore," said Cozier. "But the school center services would be able to hear us."

It begins with the government collecting the proper data, adds Cozier.

According to Reseau Reussite Montreal, Quebec has one of the highest school dropout rates in Canada at 14.9 per cent. What statistics can't say is what number within that percentage accounts for Black students.

"Race-based data is needed," said Cozier. "If we are really thinking of making any real change, any sustainable change, then we need to start with that."

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Discrimination and racism in Quebec schools: Montreal non-profit releases data

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The LaSalle Multicultural Resource Center (LMRC), a non-profit organization in Montreal, is hosting a conference to reveal the results of a research study examining Quebec's school practices. The center says the results pulled from the complied data "unmask the exclusionary school practices that impact the school success and trajectory of Black Anglophone and Francophone youths [...]

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why is it important to address Racial Inequality? 

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why is it important to address Racial Inequality? 

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It is important because everyone should be treated equal no matter there race

Every race should get the same opportunities

Social status should not be based on race

Racial Inequality can cause increased crime rates, unequal distribution of resources, economic opportunities, etc...

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What was her education and career like? 

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What was her education and career like? 

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Viola Desmond, in full Viola Irene Desmond, née Davis, (born July 6, 1914, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada-died February 7, 1965, New York, New York, U.S.), Canadian businesswoman and civil libertarian who built a career as a beautician and was a mentor to young Black women in Nova Scotia through her Desmond School of Beauty Culture. It is, however, the story of her courageous refusal to accept an act of racial discrimination that provided inspiration to a later generation of Black persons in Nova Scotia and in the rest of Canada.

Early life and family

She was brought up in a large family, including 10 siblings, and her parents were highly regarded within the Black community in Halifax. Her father, James Albert Davis, was raised in a middle-class Black family and had worked for a number of years as a stevedore before establishing himself as a barber. Her mother, Gwendolin Irene (née Johnson) Davis, was the daughter of a white minister and his wife who had moved to Halifax from New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. Although racial mixing was not uncommon in early 20th-century Halifax, intermarriage was a rare occurrence. Nonetheless, her parents were accepted into the Black community, where they became active and prominent members of various community organizations.

Motivated by her parents' example of hard work and community involvement, Desmond aspired to success as an independent businesswoman. After a short period teaching in two racially segregated schools for Black students, she began a program of study at the Field Beauty Culture School in Montreal, one of the few such institutions in Canada at the time that accepted Black applicants. She continued her training in the U.S., in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and in New York. Desmond opened Vi's Studio of Beauty Culture in Halifax, catering to the Black community.

Entrepreneur and community leader

In the early part of the 20th century, with the advent of new hairstyles that demanded special products and maintenance and an emphasis on fashion trends and personal grooming, beauty parlours offered opportunities for female entrepreneurs. Black women, in particular, were able to discover opportunities not otherwise available. Beauty parlours became a centre of social contact within the Black community, allowing shop owners to achieve a position of status and authority.

Desmond quickly found success. She opened a beauty school, the Desmond School of Beauty Culture, and expanded her business across the province. (Desmond created a line of beauty products, which were sold at venues owned by graduates of her beauty school.) Aware of her obligation to her community, Desmond created the school in order to provide training that would support the growth of employment for young Black women. Enrollment in Desmond's school grew rapidly, including students from New Brunswick and Quebec. As many as 15 students graduated from the program each year.

Although racism was not officially entrenched in Canadian society, Black persons in Canada-and certainly in Nova Scotia-were aware that an unwritten code constrained their lives. Sometimes the limits were difficult to foresee. In a way, the "unofficial" character of Canadian racism made it more difficult to navigate.

Roseland Theatre

On the evening of November 8, 1946, Desmond made an unplanned stop in the small community of New Glasgow after her car broke down en route to a business meeting in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Told that the repair would take a number of hours, she arranged for a hotel room and then decided to see a movie to pass the time. At the Roseland Theatre, Desmond requested a ticket for a seat on the main floor. The ticket seller handed Desmond a ticket to the balcony instead, the seating generally reserved for nonwhite customers. Walking into the main floor seating area, she was challenged by the ticket taker, who told her that her ticket was for an upstairs seat, where she would have to move. Thinking that a mistake had been made, Desmond returned to the cashier and asked her to exchange the ticket for a downstairs one. The cashier refused, saying, "I'm sorry, but I'm not permitted to sell downstairs tickets to you people." Realizing that the cashier was referring to the colour of her skin, Desmond decided to take a seat on the main floor.

Desmond was then confronted by the manager, Henry MacNeil, who argued that the theatre had the right to "refuse admission to any objectionable person." Desmond pointed out that she had not been refused admission and had in fact been sold a ticket, which she still held in her hand. She added that she had attempted to exchange it for a main floor ticket and was willing to pay the difference in cost but had been refused. When she declined to leave her seat, a police officer was called. Desmond was dragged out of the theatre, injuring her hip and knee in the process, and taken to jail. There she was met by Elmo Langille, chief of police, and MacNeil. The pair left together, returning an hour later with a warrant for Desmond's arrest. She was then held in a cell overnight. Shocked and frightened, she maintained her composure and, as she related later, sat bolt upright all night long.

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Viola Desmond | Biography, Family, & Facts

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Viola Desmond, Canadian businesswoman and civil libertarian who in 1946 defied the segregation policy of a movie theater in Nova Scotia, taking a seat in the whites-only section. Her refusal to accept an act of racial discrimination provided inspirational to a later generation of Black persons in Canada.

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The Honourable Mayann Francis, Former Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia

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Viola Desmond: One woman’s resistance | CMHR

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Viola Desmond helped inspire Canada’s civil rights movement by refusing to give up her seat in a movie theatre. Now, she is on the $10 bill.

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Early Life and Family

Viola Desmond was brought up in a large family with 10 siblings. Her parents were highly regarded within the Black community in Halifax. Her father, James Albert Davis, was raised in a middle-class Black family, and had worked for several years as a stevedore before establishing himself as a barber. Her mother, Gwendolin Irene Davis (née Johnson), was the daughter of a White minister and his wife, who had moved to Halifax from New Haven, Connecticut. Although racial mixing was not uncommon in early 20th-century Halifax, intermarriage was rare. Nonetheless, her parents were accepted into the Black community and became active and prominent members of various community organizations.

Motivated by her parents' example of hard work and community involvement, Desmond aspired to success as an independent businesswoman. After a short period teaching in two racially-segregated schools for Black students, she began a program of study at the Field Beauty Culture School in Montreal, one of the few such institutions in Canada at the time that accepted Black applicants. She continued her training in Atlantic City and in New York. Desmond opened Vi's Studio of Beauty Culture in Halifax, catering to the Black community.

Entrepreneur and Community Leader

In the early part of the 20th century, with the advent of new hair styles that demanded special product and maintenance, and an emphasis on fashion trends and personal grooming, beauty parlours offered opportunities for female entrepreneurs. Black women in particular were able to discover opportunity not otherwise available. Beauty parlours became a centre of social contact within the Black community, allowing the shop owner to achieve a position of status and authority.

Viola Desmond quickly found success. She opened a beauty school, the Desmond School of Beauty Culture, to train women and expanded her business across the province. (Desmond created a line of beauty products, which were sold at venues owned by graduates of her beauty school.) Aware of her obligation to her community, Desmond created the school in order to provide training that would support the growth of employment for young Black women. Enrolment in Desmond's school grew rapidly, including students from New Brunswick and Quebec. As many as 15 students graduated from the program each year.

Although racism was not officially entrenched in Canadian society, Black persons in Canada, and certainly in Nova Scotia, were aware that an unwritten code constrained their lives. Sometimes the limits were difficult to foresee. In a way, the "unofficial" character of Canadian racism made it more difficult to navigate. ( See also Prejudice and Discrimination.)

Did you know?
In 1943, Hugh Burnett went to a restaurant in Dresden, Ontario, wearing his army uniform. To his dismay, the owner would not serve him. Burnett promptly wrote to the federal Minister of Justice, Louis St-Laurent, informing him that, "even in uniform a Black man could not be served in any Dresden restaurant." The Deputy Minister's reply simply stated that there was no law against racial discrimination in Canada.

Roseland Theatre

On the evening of 8 November 1946, Viola Desmond made an unplanned stop in the small community of New Glasgow after her car broke down on her way to a business meeting in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Told that the repair would take several hours, she arranged for a hotel room and then decided to see a movie to pass the time.

At the Roseland Theatre, Desmond requested a ticket for a seat on the main floor. The ticket seller handed Desmond a ticket to the balcony instead, the seating generally reserved for non-White customers. Walking into the main floor seating area, she was challenged by the ticket-taker, who told her that her ticket was for an upstairs seat, where she would have to move. Thinking that a mistake had been made, Desmond returned to the cashier and asked her to exchange the ticket for one downstairs. The cashier refused, saying, "I'm sorry but I'm not permitted to sell downstairs tickets to you people." Realizing that the cashier was referring to the colour of her skin, Desmond decided to take a seat on the main floor anyway.

Desmond was then confronted by the manager, Henry MacNeil, who argued that the theatre had the right to "refuse admission to any objectionable person." Desmond pointed out that she had not been refused admission and had in fact been sold the ticket, which she still held in her hand. She added that she had attempted to exchange it for a main floor ticket and was willing to pay the difference in cost but had been refused. When she declined to leave her seat, a police officer was called. Desmond was dragged out of the theatre, injuring her hip and knee in the process, and taken to jail. There she was met by the Elmo Langille, chief of police, and MacNeil - the pair left together, returning an hour later with a warrant for Desmond's arrest. She was then held in a cell overnight. Shocked and frightened, she maintained her composure and, as she later explained, sat bolt upright all night long.

Did you know?
The Fred Christie Case (1939) is a decision of the Supreme Court of Canada that allowed private businesses to discriminate on the basis of freedom of commerce. In July 1936, Fred Christie and two friends went to the York Tavern attached to the Montreal Forum to have a beer. The staff refused to serve them because Christie was Black. Christie sued, eventually bringing his case to the Supreme Court, which ruled that the York Tavern was within its rights to refuse to serve people on the basis of race. The case reveals an era of legalized racism, while its facts hide the subtle ways that racism operated in early 20th-century Canada.

Viola Desmond's Trial

In the morning, Viola Desmond was brought to court and charged with attempting to defraud the provincial government based on her alleged refusal to pay a one cent amusement tax (i.e., the difference in tax between upstairs and downstairs ticket prices). Even though she had indicated when she was confronted at the theatre that she was willing to pay the difference between the two ticket prices and that her offer had been refused, the judge chose to fine her $26. Six of those dollars were awarded to the manager of the Roseland Theatre, who was listed in the court proceedings as prosecutor. Throughout the trial, Desmond was not provided with legal representation or informed that she was entitled to any. Magistrate Roderick MacKay was the only legal official in the court; no crown attorney was present.

At no point in the proceedings was the issue of race mentioned. Still, it was clear that Desmond's real offence was to violate the implicit rule that Black persons were to sit in the balcony seats, segregated from White persons on the main floor. When asked about the incident by the Toronto Daily Star, MacNeil maintained that there was no official stipulation that Black persons could not sit on the main floor. It was "customary," he said, for Black persons to sit together on the balcony. Nonetheless, it was common knowledge among the Black community in New Glasgow that seating at the Roseland Theatre was racially segregated.

Desmond's husband, Jack, had grown up in New Glasgow and was not surprised when Viola told him about her treatment at the Roseland. Like many other Black Nova Scotians who had grown accustomed to the racist attitudes that prevailed in the province, he was inclined to let the issue rest. "Take it to the Lord with a prayer," was his suggestion. Others in the community were less accepting; the Nova Scotia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NSAACP) raised money to fight Desmond's conviction, and Carrie Best, the founder of The Clarion, the province's second Black-owned and operated newspaper, took a special interest in the case. Best had had a similar experience at the Roseland Theatre five years earlier and had unsuccessfully filed a civil suit against the theatre's management. The Clarion closely covered Desmond's story - often on the front page.

Did you know?
In December 1941, Carrie Best heard that several high school girls had been removed by force from the Roseland Theatre. The Black teens had tried to sit in the Whites-only section. After she explained to the Roseland's owner, Norman Mason, that the theatre's policy was racist, she visited the theatre with her son, Calbert, and sat downstairs. Best and her son were arrested and charged with disturbing the peace. Afterwards, Best filed a civil lawsuit against the Roseland for racial discrimination; however, the owner's right to exclude anyone service won out over the bigger issue of racism in court.

On the advice of the doctor who examined the injuries that resulted from her arrest, Desmond contacted a lawyer in order to reverse her charge. Legal scholar and historian Constance Backhouse mentions that, at the time, the legal nature of racial discrimination had yet to be settled in Canada ( see Fred Christie Case). While judgements varied from case to case, two competing principles prevailed: freedom of commerce, and an individual's right to freedom from discrimination based on race, creed or colour. Neither principle took precedence over the other. In addition, no court in the province had ruled on the illegality of racial discrimination in hotels, theatres and restaurants.

Given the ambiguity of the situation, Frederick Bissett, Desmond's White lawyer, chose not to take on the violation of Desmond's rights: neither her basic civil rights, nor her rights to a fair trial with competent legal representation ( see also Civil Liberties). Instead, Bissett had the court issue a writ identifying Desmond as the plaintiff in a civil suit that named MacNeil and the Roseland Theatre Co. Ltd as defendants. It sought to establish that MacNeil had acted unlawfully when he forcibly ejected Desmond from the theatre, which would entitle her to compensation on the grounds of assault, malicious prosecution and false imprisonment.

The suit never made it to trial, and Bissett later applied to the Supreme Court to have the criminal conviction put aside. The case was considered by Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Maynard Brown Archibald, who, on 20 January 1947, ruled against Desmond on the grounds that the decision of the original magistrate should have been appealed to the County Court. As the 10-day deadline for filing an appeal to the original conviction had passed, the conviction stood.

After the Supreme Court decision, legal action on the matter stopped. Bissett did not bill his client, which allowed the NSAACP to use the funds raised for legal fees to continue their fight against segregation in Nova Scotia. Change didn't happen quickly, and it is difficult to say whether Desmond's experience had a direct effect on the quest for racial equality in the province. Nonetheless, her choice to resist the status quo, and the level of community support she received (e.g., from The Clarion and the NSAACP), reveals a mobilization for change among members of Nova Scotia's Black population who were no longer willing to endure life as second-class citizens. In 1954, segregation was legally ended in Nova Scotia thanks in large part to the courageous determination of Viola Desmond and others like her who fought to be treated as equal human beings.

It is difficult to know what Viola Desmond felt about her brave stand and its aftermath. Eventually, and perhaps due to her experience with the Nova Scotia legal system, her marriage fell apart. She decided to abandon her business and move to Montreal and then New York City. She died on 7 February 1965 in New York.

Significance and Legacy

Decades after her death, Viola Desmond's story began to receive public attention, primarily through the efforts of her sister Wanda Robson. In 2003, at the age of 73, Robson enrolled in a course on race relations in North America at University College of Cape Breton (now Cape Breton University) taught by Graham Reynolds. In the course, Reynolds related the experience of Viola Desmond, prompting Wanda to speak out. With the help of Reynolds, she began a prolonged effort to tell her sister's story, including the publication of a book about her sister's experience, Sister to Courage (2010).

On 15 April 2010, Viola Desmond was granted a free pardon by Nova Scotia Lieutenant-Governor Mayann Francis at a ceremony in Halifax. The pardon, accompanied by a public declaration and apology from Premier Darrell Dexter, recognized that Desmond's conviction was a miscarriage of justice and that charges should never have been laid. At the formal ceremony, Minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs and Economic and Rural Development Percy Paris said, "With this pardon, we are acknowledging the wrongdoing of the past," and "we are reinforcing our stance that discrimination and hate will not be tolerated."

In 2010, the Viola Desmond Chair in Social Justice was established at Cape Breton University, and in 2012, Canada Post issued a postage stamp bearing her image. A Heritage Minute relating Desmond's story was released during Black History Month, in February 2016.

On 8 March 2016, International Women's Day, the Bank of Canada launched a public consultation to choose the first Canadian woman to appear on the face of a Canadian banknote. On 8 December 2016, it was announced that Desmond would appear on the face of the $10 note ( see Women on Canadian Banknotes).

In 2017, Desmond was inducted to Canada's Walk of Fame under the Philanthropy & Humanities category. In January 2018, she was named a National Historic Person by the Canadian government. On 6 July 2018, a Google Doodle telling Desmond's story was released in Canada in celebration of her 104th birthday.

On 19 November 2018, the $10 bill featuring Viola Desmond was released. The bill was Canada's first vertical banknote ( see Money in Canada). It also features a map of the North End of Halifax, where Desmond lived and worked, and an excerpt from theCanadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: "Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination." The Canadian Museum of Human Rights is featured on the back of the bill.

In February 2019, the Royal Canadian Mint announced the release of its first Black History Month coin, a pure silver coin featuring an engraved portrait of Viola Desmond. In April 2019, the $10 bill featuring Desmond won the International Bank Note Society's Banknote of the Year Award for 2018.

The government of Nova Scotia repaid an adjusted amount of Viola's fine to her sister in February 2021. Wanda used the $1,000 to fund a scholarship at Cape Breton University.

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Viola Irene Desmond (née Davis), businesswoman, civil rights activist (born 6 July 1914 in Halifax, NS; died 7 February 1965 in New York, NY). Viola Desmond bu...

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Viola Desmond (1914-1965) National Historic Person

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In mid-20th century Canada, Viola Desmond brought nationwide attention to the African Nova Scotian community's struggle for equal rights.

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What did Viola Desmond do to make a difference? 

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What did Viola Desmond do to make a difference? 

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She's often described as " Canada's Rosa Parks," but if anything, Rosa Parks is America's Viola Desmond.

The civil rights icon and new face of the Canadian $10 bill refused to give up her seat in a whites-only section of a Nova Scotia movie theatre nine years before Parks's famous act of civil disobedience on a racially segregated bus in Montgomery, Ala.

"Viola was passionate about people. She inspired them and she inspires us," Desmond's 89-year-old sister Wanda Robson said Thursday when the bill was announced at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que.

Now she's made history again as the first Canadian woman to be featured on a $10 bill.

Between 2004 and 2012, the back of the $50 bill featured Quebec suffragette Thérèse Casgrain and the "The Famous Five" Canadians who fought for women to be recognized as persons under law: Louise Crummy McKinney, Irene Marryat Parlby, Nellie Mooney McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards and Emily Murphy.

Entrepreneurial spirit

Born and raised in Halifax to parents who were active members of the city's black community, Desmond was always ambitious.

At a time when opportunities were extremely limited for women and black people, she set out to establish a career in business.

She studied at the Field Beauty Culture School in Montreal, one of the few institutions that accepted black students, and went on to open Vi's Studio of Beauty and Culture, a Halifax beauty parlour and shop that catered to black women.

From there, she expanded her empire, founding the Desmond School of Beauty Culture and launching a line of products sold at shops owned by her graduates.

Taking a stand by taking a seat

On Nov. 8, 1946, Desmond, who was then 32, had some time to spare while she was waiting to get her car fixed, so she decided to catch a movie at the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow.

She sat in the slightly more expensive, and implicitly whites-only, section of the theatre. She was asked to move, but she refused - so she was removed by force.

"The usher came up and said, 'Miss, you are sitting in the wrong seat, you can't sit here, that seat is more expensive,' so Viola said, 'OK, I'll go and pay the difference,'" her sister and Wanda Robson, who has dedicated her life to telling Desmond's story, told CBC News earlier this year.

"But when the usher came again and said, 'I'm going to have to get a manager.' Viola said, 'Get the manager. I'm not doing anything wrong.'"

The manager dragged her out of the theatre and she was arrested. She spent a night in jail and was released the next day, badly bruised, after paying a $20 fine and $6 in court costs.

The charge against her was attempting to defraud the provincial government because of the one-cent difference in the amusement tax.

Her battle didn't stop there. Desmond hired legal counsel and appealed the charge in court - but she ultimately lost.

"She discovered that Canada was not ready to recognize racism and its shameful companion, segregation," Patty Hajdu, minister of the status of women, said Thursday at the Ottawa event.

Posthumous pardon

Even though Desmond lost her court battle, her story and her vigilant activism through the Nova Scotia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People were important factors in the eventual abolition of the province's segregation laws in 1954.

But all the attention she received - much of it negative - took a serious toll on Desmond. She eventually divorced, shut down her business and left her home province for Montreal and then New York City in search of a fresh start.

She died alone in 1965 at the age of 50 from internal bleeding.

In 2010, 45 years after her death and 63 years after her conviction, Nova Scotia's government posthumously awarded Desmond an apology and pardon.

A place in the history books

Despite her profound impact on history and undeniable bravery, Desmond has only begun to achieve mainstream recognition in recent years, in large part thanks to Robson's tireless efforts to tell her sister's story.

She often travels the country to speak about Desmond, and she penned a book about her, Sister to Courage, in 2010.

In 2014, Desmond was honoured on a Nova Scotia holiday. That same year, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights unveiled a display dedicated to the legacy of the black rights pioneer. Last year, an outdoor theatre opened in New Glasgow bearing her name.

A portrait of Desmond hangs in Government House of Nova Scotia, and earlier this year, Historica Canada released a Heritage Minute detailing her act of civil disobedience.

Still, her name is not known far and wide like that of Rosa Parks.

Craig Smith, president of the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia, told CBC News earlier this year that Desmond's story should be a part of basic history in Canadian schools.

"Here in Canada, we're really good at - for lack of a better term - whitewashing history, or even just omitting it from the history books altogether so nobody has to learn from it."

'A lady'

To Robson, Desmond was more than a civil rights icon; she was a kind person, a sometimes annoying sister who would correct her when she used bad grammar, a skilled businesswoman who genuinely cared about her customers and a passionate advocate for education.

"The last thing I'd like you to remember about Viola is that she was a lady," Robson said Thursday. "If you wanted another person other than the Queen to be on the bill, you've chosen the right person."

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How civil rights icon Viola Desmond helped change course of Canadian history | CBC News

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She's often described as "Canada's Rosa Parks," but if anything, Rosa Parks is America's Viola Desmond.

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Viola Desmond made a significant difference in the fight against racial discrimination in Canada through her courageous act of resistance in 1946. When she refused to leave the whites-only section of a movie theater in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, she was arrested, bringing attention to the systemic racism prevalent at the time. Her case became a catalyst for discussions on civil rights and equality in Canada, inspiring future generations to challenge discrimination.

Desmond's actions helped raise awareness about racial injustice and contributed to the eventual development of anti-discrimination laws. Her legacy was further solidified when she became the first Canadian woman featured on a banknote, the $10 bill, in 2018, symbolising her enduring impact on social justice and equality in Canada

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What did Viola Desmond do to make a difference? 

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What did Viola Desmond do to make a difference? 

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Who is Viola Desmond? Get to know an important civil rights pioneer | Leddy Library

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This week, the Government of Canada announced that Viola Desmond (1914-1965) will be featured on the new ten dollar bill in 2018. Who is Viola Desmond? Here are some facts and resources to help you get to know her and her important story.

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Viola Desmond was a pioneering beautician who opened the Desmond School of Beauty Culture in Halifax in 1946, providing Black women with professional training in cosmetology during a time of racial exclusion. She also created a line of hair and skin products tailored to Black consumers, addressing the lack of suitable options. Desmond’s work empowered her students and supported the local Black community economically, while her activism against racial discrimination made her a significant figure in Canada’s civil rights movement. Her legacy continues to inspire future generations.

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Where Viola Desmond's actions affective?

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Where Viola Desmond's actions affective?

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She contributed to anti - discrimination laws in Canada

She provided training and economic independence for black women through her beauty school

She became a symbol of resilience, for future generations

She was the first Canadian women on a dollar bill ( 10$ bill )

Her story raised racial awareness for racial injustice

She continues to inspire ongoing movements for social justice and equality