Save A Seat For Viola Campaign

At a time when disheartening levels of racism have been increasing globally, Black History Month recognizes a history of systemic injustice, celebrates community responses, and honours current and past activists.

Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society (AMAAS) is acknowledging Black History Month with a Viola Desmond recognition campaign at participating Alberta cinemas. A selected seat will be claimed by a sign with a likeness of Ms. Desmond, describing her story to cinema-goers.

In 1946, Viola Desmond challenged racial discrimination when she refused to leave the segregated Whites-only section of the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Viola was arrested, jailed overnight and convicted without legal representation for an obscure tax offence as a result. Desmond’s courageous refusal to accept an act of racial discrimination provided inspiration to later generations of Black persons in Nova Scotia and in the rest of Canada.

Viola Desmond’s story has been amplified with her recent placement on the Canadian $10 bill, but hers is not the only historical example of early black activism in Canada.

Melanee Murray-Hunt, a local actor and social justice activist, played the role of Carrie Best in Historica Canada’s Heritage Minute. “Behind every great black female activist is another great black female activist. The woman behind Viola Desmond, the woman who was the first to sue for the right to sit at the illegally segregated movie theatre in Nova Scotia, was Carrie Best,” said Ms. Murray-Hunt. “She launched one of the first black newspapers and was the first person to bring public attention to Desmond’s case against the theatre. Their solidarity and struggle for the rights of Black Canadians – indeed all Canadians everywhere – is a lesson in how sisterhood, unity and focused action did and does make a difference.”

An early civil rights case in Calgary was recently unearthed with the story of Charles Daniels, who was refused a seat in the ‘white only’ section of the Grand Theatre in Calgary in February 3, 1914, and sued for damages, and won.

“We hope that this campaign, and the telling of the story of Viola Desmond, continues to inspire Canadians to fight for justice and equality, and to recognize that small acts of defiance can have great impact on systemic issues,” said Sharon Stevens, Executive Director of AMAAS.

AMAAS acknowledges Black History Month

In recognition of Black History Month AMAAS has interviewed Creatives Empowered,  a non-profit collective of artists + creatives.

Comprised of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, who empower each other as an allied community, Creatives Empowered are film + tv, media and arts professionals – from emerging to established – based in western Canada. They are the first and only organization of its kind in Alberta.

Creatives Empowered was founded by racialized talent in the province, and AMAAS spoke with its Executive Director Shivani Saini (South Asian) to provide insight on what the organization does.

Shivani Saini also heads up Atelier Culturati which specializes in consulting, producing and communications, resulting in creative + intelligent strategies, high quality storytelling and content, increased brand and public awareness, and powerful audience engagement.

Watch the interview with Creatives Empowered and AMAAS Executive Director Sharon Stevens below!

Kicking up a Fuss: The Charles Daniels Story (presented in 2021)

In honour of Black History Month AMAAS is celebrating the stories of Viola Desmond, Carrie Best and Charles Daniels.

We invite you to watch these short films and celebrate Black History while reflecting on the work that still has to be done to achieve equality and to create an anti-racist future.

The videos include introductions from Cheryl Foggo and Melanee Murray-Hunt, and Cheryl Foggo’s short feature “Kicking Up A Fuss.”

Desmond, Best and Daniels were early trailblazers in the fight for justice and equality, and demonstrate that small acts of defiance can have a great impact on systemic issues.