S7E9 Viola Desmond: The Woman on the 10 Dollar Bill

01/04/22 • 18 min

1 Listener

Nine years before Rosa Parks galvanised the American civil rights movement by refusing to sit at the back of a bus, Viola Desmond sparked the mobilisation of a Nova Scotian community when she refused to be moved from a 'whites only' section in the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Her actions inspired generations of Black Canadians in not only Nova Scotia but across the entire country who fought and won the right to be seen as equals in an unequal Canadian society. While at the time Viola's struggles were nearly forgotten today she is considered a person of historical significance and is the first Canadian woman to ever appear on a Canadian dollar bill. Get add free content at Patreon!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

S7E8 Ring the Alarm – The Japanese Attack on Canada’s West Coast

In June 1942 the Japanese submarine I 26 attacked a rather unusual target on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Not since the last Fenian Raid in 1871 had Canadian territory been directly attacked by a foreign enemy. While certainly not a pivotal moment in Canada's war it was nonetheless an surprising and harrowing moment for those involved and for a brief period brought the war home to a tiny piece of land in the Pacific Northwest. Get add free content at Patreon!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

S7E10 More than Just Beads and Bannock: First Nations Women and the Fur Trade

It was in search of furs, and the riches from the fur trade, which drove so many Europeans deeper and deeper into the North American continent. Much of the modern day prairies, western Ontario, interior of British Columbia, northern Quebec were first mapped by European explorers who while seeking fame as explorers were also seeking new untapped regions of fur bearing animals. But the fur trade was not a one-way street. European explorers and traders relied heavily on the help from First Nations allies. In fact, without this help the European presence in the fur trade would have been almost non existent. One aspect of this Indigenous-European relationship that has often been overlooked is the role that women played. From being diplomats and interpreters to literally making the difference between life and death, women were key players in this lucrative and historically significant economic activity. Get add free content at Patreon!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.