Jody Nyasha Warner - Viola Desmond Wont Be Budged!

Acknowledgments

The illustrations were done with the very much appreciated help of Jayde Tynes, Beth Crichton, Tansy Rudnicki, Stephanie Crane, Dr. Leslie Oliver, Dr. Henry Bishop, the staff of the Black Cultural Centre,

Bucky Hiltz, Clyde F. Macdonald, Lynn McLean, Glen Walker, and Mark and Kelly Rimmington. A special thanks to my darling wife, Susan Tooke. RR

Text copyright 2010 by Jody Nyasha Warner

Illustrations copyright 2010 by Richard Rudnicki

Published in Canada and the USA in 2010 by Groundwood Books

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a license from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For an Access Copyright license, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll free to 1-800-893-5777 .

Groundwood Books / House of Anansi Press

groundwoodbooks.com

We acknowledge for their nancial support of our publishing program the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the Government of Canada.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Warner, Jody Nyasha

Viola Desmond wont be budged / Jody Nyasha Warner ; illustrated by

Richard Rudnicki.

ISBN 978-1-55498-196-0 (fxl)

. Desmond, ViolaJuvenile literature. . Race discriminationNova

ScotiaHistoryJuvenile literature. . Civil rightsNova ScotiaHistory

Juvenile literature. . Civil rightsCanadaHistoryJuvenile literature.

. Black CanadiansNova ScotiaBiographyJuvenile literature.

I. Rudnicki, Richard II. Title.

FC2346.26.D48W37 2010 j 971.6004960092 C 2007-905329-7

The illustrations were painted with acrylic paint on watercolor paper.

Photo page courtesy of Mrs. E. Clyke

Design by Michael Solomon

For Mum and Dad, consummate activists both. JNW

To my dad, Walter Rudnicki, a lifelong champion of social justice, with love and admiration. RR

Viola Desmond

Wont Be Budged!

Jody Nyasha Warner

Richard Rudnicki

GROUNDWOOD BOOKS

HOUSE OF ANANSI PRESS

TORONTO BERKELEY

PICTURES BY

V iola Desmond was one brave woman! Now come on here, listen in close and Ill tell you why.

It was a day with a zing in the air when Viola set out on her way.

She waved to Gladys and Sue-Sue who worked for her at Vis Studio beauty parlor.

Then she stepped into her car and drove away.

Viola drove those winter wet roads with care. She had a meeting to attend three towns away.

But guess what? She never made it there.

First she heard a rattle. Then she heard a clunk. And her car began to shake.

Quick, quick, Viola drove into New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, to a garage. The mechanic said it would take some long hours to x up the car, so Viola made plans to pass the time.

She walked up the street and down until she came upon the beautiful Roseland Theatre. Ill watch a movie, Viola thought. And she stepped up to the window to buy a ticket for the show.

Her ticket in hand, Viola found the perfect seat, right down close where she could see real good. But then she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up into the face of the usher.

You have a cheap upstairs ticket, she said. You have to go up to the balcony.

Well, said Viola, that cashier must have made a mistake. Ill just go on and buy me a main floor ticket then.