Viola Desmond is an enduring icon who embodies the fight for racial equality and human rights. When she refused to give up her seat in the whites-only section of a cinema in 1946, she took a stand against injustice. Viola Desmond was also, however, a human being whose actions impacted her career, her relationships, and her reputation among the Black community in Halifax. Strong-willed and stubborn, Viola DesmondÎs ideologies would be sorely tested throughout her life, even as her efforts shone a bright light on a broken society.