The Trailblazing Life of Viola Desmond: A Civil Rights Icon
by Rachel Kehoe (Author) Chelsea Charles (Illustrator)
Years before Rosa Parks famously refused to give up a bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, Viola Desmond took a similar stand against racial segregation in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.
On November 8, 1946, she was arrested for refusing to move from the "whites-only" section of a movie theater. Her heroic act inspired Black community leaders and made her a symbol of courage in the fight against inequality. This story of Viola's life is based on rare interviews with her sister Wanda Robson, who spent her life championing her sister's story and was successful in getting Viola a posthumous pardon that recognized she was innocent of any crime. From their childhood in Nova Scotia to Viola's career as a teacher in a segregated school and, later, her role as a pioneer in Black beauty culture, young readers are introduced to the girl and the woman who went on to become the face of the civil-rights movement in Canada.
The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Locate at a Library Near You WorldCat is the world's largest library catalog, helping you find library materials online.
Find books about:
Review quotes
"This colourfully illustrated biography tells [Desmond's] courageous story with firsthand recollections from her younger sister Wanda Robson...A solid, well-sourced addition to biographies on Black women civil rights leaders."
— "Booklist"Rachel Kehoe is an avid reader, traveler and photographer who has lived in Australia, Europe and Hong Kong. She has written for Muse, Faces and Science News for Students. Rachel lives in Burlington, Ontario.
Chelsea Charles is an illustrator who resides in Brampton, Ontario, and received her BAA in illustration from Sheridan College. She creates her illustrations through a combination of digital and traditional mediums.
The late Wanda Robson was a well-known storyteller, author, community activist and unceasing crusader in seeking justice for her older sister Viola Desmond, who was wrongly arrested in 1946 for sitting in the "white only" section of the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. In 2010 she published Sister to Courage: Stories from the World of Viola Desmond. Wanda was a longtime resident of North Sydney, Nova Scotia, where she lived with her husband, Joe, until she passed away in 2022.
JNF007110 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Social Activists
JNF053270 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Social Topics | Civil & Human Rights
