A couple weeks back Stuff You Missed in History Class released an episode on Viola Desmond. Though she is a prominent figure in Nova Scotia and Canada’s history (even featuring on our $10 bill), there are too few opportunities to learn about her life. This podcast presents her story more fully than most media I’ve encountered.
Desmond was convicted after refusing to leave her seat in a segregated movie theater in Nova Scotia in 1946. But she also established the first beauty salon for Black women her area, and founded a beauty school for Black women.
Viola Desmond