Nominations invited for the 10th annual Viola Desmond Awards
Photo: Viola Desmond is the first Black woman to be depicted on a Canadian bank note.
A special 10th Annual Viola Desmond Awards and Banquet on May 11, 2018, will recognize four individuals who have contributed significantly to the promotion of Black Canadian history, and who have worked to empower the Black community at Ryerson and in Toronto.
Nominations are open in the following four categories, named after Black female trailblazers:
● a Ryerson faculty member (the Dr. Malinda Smith, Ryerson Faculty Award);
● a Ryerson staff member (the Ms. Vivian Barbot Ryerson Staff Award);
● a current Ryerson student (the Honourable Mayann Francis Ryerson Student Award);
● a local high school student who is likely to study at Ryerson (the Viola Desmond Award).
The Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion at Ryerson University invites the community to submit nominations. The celebration will also include the Viola Desmond Bursary presentation to a deserving student.
How to Nominate
- Review the award eligibility criteria detailed on our Viola Desmond Awards website.
- Submit a nomination by filling out the Viola Desmond Awards Nomination Form (external link) .
Nominations for these four awards will be accepted until April 6, 2018 at 5 p.m.
Recipients will be selected by the Viola Desmond Awards Review Committee and their decision will be final. If you have any questions, please contact equity@torontomu.ca.
The awards ceremony and banquet will take place May 11 at 6 p.m. at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, at 50 Carlton St. in Toronto. The event, which is part of The White Privilege Conference (WPC) Global - Toronto, will honour Desmond for her contribution to Canada’s human rights movement and also celebrate Black women who are leaders in Canada today.
Desmond (1914-1965) was an African-Nova Scotian female entrepreneur who bravely challenged racial segregation at the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia in 1946. Her struggle became one of the most publicized incidents of racial discrimination in Canadian history.
Desmond remains widely recognized for her catalyzing efforts and fittingly, this year’s banquet will also offer an opportunity to celebrate the debut of Canada’s new $10 bill featuring Desmond. The Viola Desmond Awards & Banquet will also be the first time that the bank note will be at a public event held in Toronto. This new bill produced by the Bank of Canada is the first to include a Black woman on the face of Canada’s regularly circulating currency.
“While this is an annual awards event, we’re especially pleased to commemorate such a historic moment with many supporters of social justice who will take part in WPC Global - Toronto,” said Denise O’Neil Green, vice-president, equity and community inclusion at Ryerson. “Viola Desmond is a true heroine who fought for and demanded equal rights for Black people in Canada, and I can think of no one more deserving to spotlight at our awards banquet.”
Recognizing talented students, staff and faculty, the event will also celebrate members of the Ryerson community who have contributed significantly to the promotion of Black Canadian history.
Register to attend the 10th Annual Viola Desmond Awards & Banquet at https://www.torontomu.ca/wpc-global/viola.