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Viola Desmond – Making a Stand by Taking a Seat

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Viola Desmond – Making a Stand by Taking a Seat national Viola Desmond – Making a Stand by Taking a Seat For decades, the Queen has been asked Canadians to nominate the only female face on the front women who had hel'ed sha'e Black HIstory of Canadian bank notes. Th at our history. Month will change next year. Canada o> cially recogni4ed In just o#er one month, more February as Black History Month The faces of Canada than 26,000 nominations came in 177?. This month celebrates In 20 4 the Bank of Canada in. The 46 women nominated the heritage and achie#ements sur#eyed Canadians. It wanted included suff ragettes, of African6Canadians like to find out what they thought humanitarians, Olym'ic 5iola Desmond. It it also raises should be on the country%s bank cham'ions, writers, artists, awareness of the obstacles they notes. scientists and engineers. ha#e faced, such as segregation. This long list of names was The sur#ey showed that (he was born in 17 4 in Halifax, e#entually narrowed down to Canadians want to see gender 8ova Scotia. equality, multiculturalism twel#e, then fi#e. Finally, in and Aboriginal representation. December, the Bank of Canada &t that time, many Canadian They also want images of announced its decision. Finance schools, neighbourhoods and iconic Canadian acti#ities, +inister Bill Morneau and Bank businesses were segregated. achie#ements, and peo'le. of Canada go#ernor Stephen -eo'le of colour couldn%t -oloz said Viola Desmond will eat in certain restaurants or (o, on International Women%s re'lace Sir John A. Macdonald shop in certain stores. Th ey *ay last March 8, Prime on the ten6dollar bill. weren%t welcome in all schools. +inister Justin Trudeau acted. Viola Desmond Em'loyers could refuse to hire 0e said the go#ernment would them. honour a woman from Canada%s 5iola Desmond was a 'ast on a new bank note. He mixed6race businesswoman. Definitions gender equality: the situation that results when there is no discrimination based on gender i !ni : very famous and well known, and belie#ed to re'resent a particular idea "ulti ulturali#": the presence of (or su''ort for ha#ing) multi'le distinct cultural or ethnic groups within a society #egregate: to enforce the se'aration of di=erent racial groups in a country, community, or establishment #u$$ragette: a woman seeking the right to vote through organi4ed protest 2016/2017: Issue 5 What in the world? Level 1 Page 3 national Viola Desmond – Making a Stand by Taking a Seat Because of segregation, Viola manager,E she said. “I%m not Desmond couldn%t attend beauty doing anything wrong.E On the Money school in Nova Scotia. So what The Bank of Canada, established The manager called the police. did she do@ She trained in in 17G?, is the country%s central They remo#ed and arrested her. +ontreal and the United States bank. One of its responsibilities The next day, they charged her instead. Then, she returned to is to design and distribute bank with not paying the one-penny 0alifax where she set up the notes. tax di=erence between an successful Desmond School of u'stairs and a downstairs ticket. Bank note series are redesigned "eauty Culture. She also created from time to time to protect our a line of beauty products for Ms. Desmond paid a $26 fi ne currency with the latest security black women. rather than spend 30 days in jail. features. The current series, for instance, switched from !ne do"n# please% Hater, howe#er, she a''ealed the decision. That made her the fi rst 'aper to hard6to-counterfeit In 17!2, Ms. Desmond was on a 'erson of colour to challenge polymer. Other u'dates added business trip when her car broke segregation in a Canadian court. text in French and English, and down in New Glasgow, Nova more features for the visually (cotia. While she waited for it to In the end, the Nova Scotia im'aired. be fixed, she went to a mo#ie at (u'reme Court ruled against Bank note themes change, too. the Roseland Th eatre. her. Howe#er, her bra#ery Queen Eli4abeth was remo#ed ins'ired blacks to 'ush for an from se#eral bills in the 17K0s to Ms. Desmond asked the cashier end to legal segregation in the make room for other Canadian for a ticket to sit downstairs. 'ro#ince. In 17?!, that fi nally leaders. The back has also 0owe#er, when she took her ha''ened. increasingly focussed on our seat, the usher told her that she Pa'doned scenery and accom'lishments. was in the wrong place. She was 5iola Desmond died in 172?. Canada%s eighth series of bank su'posed to sit in the balcony. notes will be issued o#er the next In 20 0, Mayann Francis, Nova )hen Ms. Desmond tried decade. The bill featuring Viola (cotia%s first black lieutenant6 to clear up the mistake with Desmond will be designed fi rst. go#ernor, %ardoned her. As well, the cashier, she learned that 0er portrait will be on the front the premier a'ologi4ed on behalf there hadn%t been one. She had with images of social justice on of the pro#ince. He called her the re#erse. been sold a balcony ticket on resistance “an act of courage.E 'urpose. “I’m not permitted to D"ig changes can start with &Ier that, Viola Desmond%s sell downstairs tickets to you moments of dignity and historic story began to spread. peo'le,” the cashier told her. bra#ery,E said Mr. Morneau. In 20 2, Canada Post issued a &er day in cou') D5iola DesmondJ broke down stam' with her picture and last barriers, pro#ided ins'iration Outraged, Viola Desmond year a new Heritage Minute told to Canadians on social justice returned to her chosen seat. her story. Now, she%s going to be issues and showed that... e#ery (he refused to lea#e it. “Bet the the face of our new ten6dollar one of us, indi#idually, can make bill. a di= erence.EJ Definitions &ard!n: to o>cially forgive someone for a crime Page 4 What in the world? Level 1 2016/2017: Issue 5 national Viola Desmond – Making a Stand by Taking a Seat ON THE LINES 'nswer t)e follo(ing in com%lete sentences: 1. What does segregation mean? 2. Describe what it was like in Canada in the early 1700s for peo'le of colour. 3. Where did Viola Desmond attend beauty school? Why? !. Where did Viola Desmond establish her business? 5. In which town did Viola Desmond attend a mo#ie in No#ember, 17!2@ 2. Where did Viola Desmond wish to sit in the theatre? K. What ha''ened aIer Viola Desmond refused to mo#e to the balcony? ,. What was the result of the charges against Viola Desmond? Ex'lain. 7. Which organi4ation is responsible for designing and distributing currency in Canada? 0. What did the go#ernor of the bank and the federal finance minister announce on December 8@ 2016/2017: Issue 5 What in the world? Level 1 Page 5 national Viola Desmond – Making a Stand by Taking a Seat BETWEEN THE LINES &n inference is a conclusion drawn from e#idence. A plausible inference is supported by evidence in the article and is consistent with known facts outside of the article. )hat inference;s) can you draw from the fact that more than 26,000 nominations came in for a woman to be honoured on a new $ 0 bank note? BEYOND THE LINES Cesearch and report on the other four worthy women who were shortlisted for the ten6dollar bill. Who would you ha#e chosen and why? (tart your research at )tt%+,,(((-.an/o*canada-ca,.an/notes, .an/notea.le,nominations, JUST TALK ABOUT IT 1. a) What do you imagine was going through Viola Desmond%s mind as she determinedly sat in her downstairs seat? Ex'lain. b) As you see it, for what reasons might it be acce'table for peo'le to break a law that they consider un1ust? For what reasons could you argue that it is ne#er acce'table to break a law? Ex'lain. 2. As you see it, what is the importance of this story? Ex'lain. ONLINE Note: The links below are listed at w((-les%lan-com,en,lin/s for easy access. 1. Visit Historica%s annotated guide to online resources on the history of Canada%s Black community at )tt%+,,(((-.lac/)istorycanada-ca,inde0-%)%1lang2en 2. Watch the Heritage Minute for Viola Desmond at )tt%s+,,(((-youtu.e-com,(atc)132ie4056789:6 3. Learn more about Viola Desmond and bank notes from the Bank of Canada website at )tt%+,,(((-.an/o*canada-ca,.an/notes, !. Read “/en Black Trailbla4ers E#ery Canadian Should Know” at )tt%+,,(((-c.c-ca,.oo/s,;4<=,4;,3iola>desmond-)tmlJ Page 6 What in the world? Level 1 2016/2017: Issue 5 national Viola Desmond – Making a Stand by Taking a Seat -hotogra'hs are useful sources of information. Learning to “read the clues” in photogra'hs can help us learn about historical or contemporary e#ents, time periods or peo'le. The “?)” questions (Who, )hat, Where, When and Why< is a techniMue used by reporters when in#estigating an e#ent – and may be hel'ful in inter'reting a photogra'h. Each of the 5W questions can help us focus on clues (hints or pieces of information that help us find out something< or e#idence in the picture.
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