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There's an old saying that... "There are none so blind as those who choose not to see."

6/27/2021

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Without wishing to cast negative aspirations towards the sight impaired, today's blog deals with those, some of whom know  better, who choose to ignore part of history. They seem either unable, or worse yet, unwilling to see the forest because of the trees in front.

Today's story perhaps begins way back in 1862 during the US Civil... or should I say... UNCIVIL  War. That was the year that Joe enlisted in the US Navy at New York City. I have yet to find records regarding his true age but it was probably about 20.

It has been said that for at least 17 of the next 20 years Joe wore the  uniform of a sailor. Slight broken service after some re-enlistments account for the 3 yrs lost time in uniform.

Ten years into his service Joe's name would be recorded  for all eternity as a naval hero, for those interested enough to check it out. It would be just one day after Christmas in 1872 that Joe, now a fully trained seaman would hear his call into the history books.

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Having served on many ships, 1872 found him as a seaman onboard the USS Powhatan, pictured above. This warship was known as a  steam and sail operated side-wheel frigate, was 253 ft long and had a compliment of about 300 officers  and men. The commander at the time was naval Captain Pierce Crosby, who would later reach the rank of  Rear Admiral.

Here is what the Captain had to say about Joe...
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The Captain omitted a few items. He made no mention of others onboard who failed to also dive in, or that Joe probably dived some 18 feet into the frigid waters, said to be about 25 degrees,  and then perhaps as many more feet swimming down to rescue his fellow shipmate. One source says that when rescued the shipmate was sinking and came back onboard... insensible.

Regardless, Joe would  be awarded a Medal of Honor for his heroism. He would be the 2nd of 3 from this vessel that would receive MOH's for bravery during service on this vessel during their time in the  North Atlantic Squadron.

It has been noted in earlier blogs here and  quite often on the net that Joe received the first Medal of Honor awarded after the end of the Civil War.

This has been disproved by my research in the last few weeks. But more on this possibly in a future blog.

On 24 August 1873 the Powhatan got caught up in a hurricane off the coast of Halifax, Some  600 lives were lost, 900 buildings  destroyed and 1,222 vessels lost. The  Powhatan was not lost, but was driven from the Cunard wharf across the inner harbour to the Ordnance Wharf in Halifax Nova Scotia.  On board may well have been Joe and two other MOH recipients at the time.

Joe continued his service and, while sailing on the USS Wyoming, he was sent from there in 1881 to the naval hospital at Norfolk, Virginia in 1881, suffering from paralysis and "starting to lose his mind." By June his case had worsened and he was transported to the Government Insane Hospital at Washington DC. Insanity was the catch all, in those days, for veterans who suffered from  what we now call PTSD.

On 21  March 1882 he passed away there and was buried on site.

Much more on this in 2 weeks.
Bart


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Facta Non Verba

6/21/2021

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Over the past several blogs I have brought you once again the story of Nova Scotian Viola Desmond.

Viola was a black business woman who faced considerable obstacles in pursuing her chosen career as a  beautician. One that concentrated on servicing her black community in the Greater Halifax area.

Seeking professional training and accreditation, local refusals to accept her as such, she  took same in Montreal and New York and then opened up shop back in Halifax. Business grew so much that her specialty products were being sought across the province and beyond.

In an attempt to make deliveries to the Cape Breton area, a car breakdown saw her her  stuck in New Glasgow for the night. The rest was History. Or should I saw HERSTORY.

Taking in a show saw her sitting in the white section of a theatre. In short, she was hauled off to jail, spent the night, given no legal advice or counsel, hauled into court and fined. Forced to pay the fine, she  then returned to her business interests.

She would later locate to Montreal and then New York and passed away very early in life. Her remains were returned to Halifax where she rests to this day.

But since death, her story as an entrepreneur and one choosing to not accept the status quo of racism, have been kept alive by those who felt her injustice needed to be dealt with. They were right! 

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Back in February, Black History Month in Canada and also the US, our own Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Justin  Trudeau paid tribute to Viola Desmond (shown above).

He declared  that..."Viola reminds us of the importance of learning about Black experiences and recognizing and addressing injustices." He went on to say that there is..."still more to be done and the government remains committed to this work."

Similar thoughts have been expressed by at least two  Nova Scotia Premiers and several of their cabinet members, officials in new Glasgow, and elsewhere, including from the Lt Governor General of NS.

The interpretation of the Latin motto shown as this blog's title is that... deeds speak louder than words.

Indeed they do. True to the motto, recognizing and commemorating the milestone advocacy of Viola Desmond reached a milestone with the introduction of the  Canadian Stamp issued in her honour back in 2012. (It's description shown in a past blog.)


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This followed the unveiling of a portrait of Viola at the official residence of the Lt Governor of Nova Scotia, at what is known as Government House.

The year 2010 also saw the Lt. Governor granting a Free Pardon to the late Viola Desmond posthumously. This being the first time ever in Canada that a pardon, let alone a FREE pardon was awarded posthumously in the country.

Six years later the transit folks in the Greater Halifax area named a ferry in honour of Desmond. The year 2017 saw Viola being commemorated with the acceptance into the Canadian Walk of Fame at Toronto.

During 2018, after a several year effort by a Victoria woman and so many others, Desmond's image was selected to be put on the Canadian $10 bill. This being the first time ever that a Black and a non Royal female appeared alone on this bill. She appears standing up, so the bill need to be turned on edge to appreciate her standing up for her rights.

That year also saw a Toronto park named in her honour. In the town of New Glasgow Nova Scotia where Viola's arrest was made back in 1946, 2018 saw a significant change.

A street was named in her honour, and the name being changed being suggested by her younger sister. The name.... Viola's Way ... clearly showed that Viola did things HER WAY.

In 2019 a Montreal street was named for Viola, and St Mary's University in Halifax adopted a bursary program for a few students. The amount of each was, most interestingly  set at $1,946. This representing the year of the advocate's arrest.

Not to be outdone, the Canadian Mint jumped in with the unveiling of a sterling  silver $20 coin in her honour in 2019. With the image, it bore the dates...not of circulation, but her birth and death... a most rare event.

And in February of this year, at the suggestion of an Ontario student, the government, having already paid the fine years earlier, now reimbursed  the Desmond family for the original fine so many years earlier. The amount was adjusted for inflation and an amount of $1000 was given to the family who in turn gave it to the University of Cape Breton NS for a one time scholarship to be awarded to a deserving student.

Clearly all of this shows that deeds  rather than verbiage, are all important.

Viola's story and the incredible actions to keep her efforts alive in these deeds, has been an incredible service to the Black community, and indeed all of Canada over these years.

On Sunday next I shall then give a story were there has been almost a 100% failure to recognize another Black for services performed at risk of life.

The event has been oft noted in this space but as of yet actions rather the words, seem completely absent for decades.

But more on that of Sunday,

Please join me then,

Bart

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Jailed, Part V...

6/6/2021

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Last week I brought you part four of the Viola Desmond Story. Information was provided regarding some of the many accolades this late Nova Scotian had received over the years.

I broke away from  these to also note that last weekend was the annual weekend for the remembrance of those in the services of the US military who were killed on duty over the years. This being originally only one day and called Decoration Day, and how it had evolved and is now called the Memorial Weekend. It leads up to Monday, also known as Memorial Day.

The history of the earlier event has been covered in this space several times over the past nine years.

I now would now like to go back to the Viola Desmond story and the ever increasing acknowledgments coming  from her actions   before and after the horrible New Glasgow movie house incident of discrimination of 1946. (For the new reader, see the past several blogs on this icon of black history.) 


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Almost 270 years ago a ferry was commissioned to run the saltwater harbour route between the twin cities of Halifax and Dartmouth Nova Scotia. The ferry is still run today, though a few of the original vessels have probably been replaced... hehe. The 3 KM sailing that lasts  about 15 minutes is the oldest ferry system on salt-waters in North America.

In fact it is even older that the oldest newspaper in Canada. That being the Halifax Gazette, now called the Royal Gazette. It didn't start till a month later.

Today the system is run by the Halifax Transit Authority. Above is no doubt one of its latest vessels. And as you can see, it has been named in honour of Viola Desmond. Its unveiling was in July 2016.

About 6 months later it was announced nationally that Viola Desmond's name had been selected, and she would become  the first woman to stand alone, and of colour and a non Royal figure to appear on our Canadian $10 bill.

About 6 months later, in late June of 2017 news told Canadians from coast to coast to coast that the late Viola Desmond had yet another creditation to add to her ever growing list of accomplishments. She was inducted into  the most prestigious Canadian Walk of Fame in Toronto.

This, not for profit, national organization inspires all Canadians by shinning a light on each individual's extraordinary achievements and successes. On becoming a member, Desmond joined some 270 other Canadians being recognized in a permanent walkway in Toronto that stretches several blocks. The year 2018 saw this group's enjoying their 20th anniversary of recognizing their fellow Canadians.

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The top picture, above shows the maple leaf  image and plaque that would appear as one of the stars along the walk in Toronto.

2018 saw many other events commemorating the Desmond story. On 12 Jan this black rights pioneer was named by Canada as being a National Historic Person.

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On Mar 8 2018 Nova Scotia's Finance Minister Bill Moreau and Stephen Poloz, Governor of the Bank of Canada were at the Halifax Central Library and assisted Viola's younger sister Wanda as she unveiled an image of the  new ten dollar bill, front and back. Below Wanda holds one of the bills with her sister's image for the camera to capture.
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As noted in past blogs, Victoria BC's author and advocate Merna Forster conducted a several year petition to collect thousands of signatures requesting the Canadian government to finally put an image of a Canadian woman of one of our bills of currency. Her successful works resulted in the selection of Viola Desmond.

Above we see Merna unveiling an image of Viola and below we see a picture of Merna and  our former Governor General on her fist official visit to Victoria back on 21 March 2018. On that occasion The Right Honorable Julie Payette presented Merna with the prestigious Meritorious Service Medal, as shown above.

Three months later, and back at Halifax, the plaque and the  two ten dollar bills were either mounted at the Halifax Ferry Terminal or right on the ferry named in honour of Desmond.

And in June of 2018 A Toronto community renamed a park in her name.

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The 6th of July 2018 would have marked Viola Desmond's 104th birthday. Google Canada recognized this and on its search engine page for the day it showed an  image depicting Viola sitting in the jail cell she occupied for some 9 hours before being hauled off to court. The image appears above.

The same day the folks in New Glasgow NS unveiled a new street sign in the town. It was on the corner where the movie house once stood and from which the police arrested Desmond back in 1946.

Sister Wanda has oft told the story that she picked the title of the new street name... as seen above. She said that Viola' s standing up for her own rights as a citizen of Canada could be described best as her doing things her OWN WAY and thus the name... Viola's Way.

Four months would pass and then the actual new ten dollar bills noted above, were put into circulation across Canada.
About 3 month later,  in Feb. of 2019 the Canada Mint released 8,000 mint collector coins made of 99.9% pure silver and marked as $20 coins and bearing, not the usual year of circulation, but her years of birth and passing. Here is that coin...

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Wanda Robson was presented this first coin at a brief gathering at her Nova Scotia home just before the coin was released to the public.

On the release of the coin, The Right Honourable Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noted that Desmond was..."a courageous fighter against racism. " He also noted that it was... "a fantastic choice."

The year 2019 also saw a Montreal street named in Viola's honour.


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Viola's grave, as noted in past blogs, is located at the camp Hill Cemetery in Halifax.. the top image shows the original grave and years ago signs were posted so that visitors may better locate the historic marker. Last fall one of the signs was damaged by the application of racial slurs, but same were quickly removed.

In April of this year an Ontario school board announced that with the hopeful opening of a new school possibly in September, it will be named in remembrance of Viola Desmond.

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While speaking of schools here is a picture of a high school student in an area I policed back in the mid 1970's. Her name is Varishini and she played a most instrumental role in the current story of Viola Desmond.

Several years ago, while in public school an English class assignment was for the students to pick  a person of colour who contributed significantly to the country as a whole. She  chose Viola.

In her studying of the events of 1946 and the ultimate fine she was upset and came to the position quickly that one should not have to pay a fine for a crime they did not commit. She noted that Desmond had received a posthumous Pardon already, and with it clear statements that a crime was not committed.  Varishini then decided to write to the Premiere of NS and ask that the $26 spent on the fine be given back  to the Desmond family. 

She was no doubt quite surprised to hear that during the last week of NS Premiere Stephen McNeil's reign in office, he agreed to return the $26, but it today's dollars, due to inflation. The amount of $358.29 was also increased to a full amount of $1,000, and same was turned over to Viola's sister Wanda. It was then sent to the  Cape Breton University as a one time scholarship for a student of that University.

The Premier would later state that... "Viola was a trailblazer whose story continues to affect the lives of many people." He added that... "We must continue to acknowledge and recognize the incredible people of African decent, like Viola, who have made significant contributions to our society."

The Honourable Tony Ince, then serving as the African Nova Scotia Affairs Minister would also go on record regarding the Desmond story, and the rebate of funds to the family after the Pardon was issued.

He stated that..."Young people across our country are shinning examples of those who refuse to settle for the status quo. It is through them that positive transformation is taking place so that we as a country can connect more deeply with each other through equality, inclusiveness and empathy.

The minister added that   Varishini's request is a symbol of the bright future before us.

Many groups and individuals at the national, provincial, regional and municipal levels and politicians at all levels have had their say about the Viola Desmond story. Without them, much of her work would have gone unnoticed in our minds and in our history books for future generations to read, learn from and be inspired to continue to advance the causes of all walks of life in Canada.

Sadly all of these positive traits have been thrown out the window regarding another case. One which you have read about in the past in this space. And one in which at least one of the above politicians had committed in the past to keep nurturing.

But as I see it Zilch has been done in the form of follow up.  And this story is as important as Viola Desmond's.

I will again bring it back to the fore in my next blog.

Hope to see you then... two weeks from now.

Bart

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    Author;
    Bart Armstrong, C.D.,
    Recipient, Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers 

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