For decades, Viola Desmond’s ordeal inspired the emergence of Human rights legislation 

and fair accommodation laws throughout Canada during the 1950s and 1960s. The loss 

of Viola as a dynamic business role model has denied generations of Black entrepreneurs 

of her inspiration in that field. Today Black Business entrepreneurs still feel frustration 

and resistance.

Canada celebrates her strength of character in defying social injustice in 1946 Nova 

Scotia.  As Dr. Martin Luther King Junior wrote in 1963, “…injustice anywhere is a threat 

to justice everywhere”. For that, Viola (Davis) Desmond remains a role model and source 

of pride for African-Canadians.

Black Canadian Curriculum – ETFO – 2014