From left to right: Ms. Jane Adams Ritcey, Senator Wilfred P. Moore, Leah Matheson (2021/22 Bursary recipient), and Dr. Mayann Francis.
The legacy of Viola Desmond and the Saint Mary’s University Viola Desmond Bursary in her honour, was celebrated on the 75th anniversary of her heroic anti-segregation action at a gathering hosted by the Delmore Buddy Daye Learning Institute (DBDLI) and Saint Mary’s University. The event honoured Viola’s legacy and acknowledged the latest recipients of the Viola Desmond Bursary for their roles as emerging business professionals and community leaders.
At the event, Senator Wilfred P. Moore, BComm’64 LLD’07, and Ms. Jane Adams Ritcey, the donors of the bursary, announced an additional gift to support the bursary in recognition of the 75th anniversary of Viola’s history-defining action, which will result in the awarding of three bursaries starting with the 2022 - 2023 academic year.
The Viola Desmond Bursary, established in 2018, is awarded to female African Nova Scotian undergraduate students studying commerce or entrepreneurship at Saint Mary’s University. This event and the announcement of the bursary all occurred on November 8th , the date of Viola’s heroic action in 1946. The award amount marks the year of Viola Desmond’s anti-segregation action, with students receiving $1,946.
Sylvia Parris-Drummond, CEO of the DBDLI hosted the event. The Hon. Mayann Francis BA’72 DCL’12 and Viola’s sister Wanda Robson offered very moving tributes to Viola’s inspirational legacy of bravery social activism.