yes . from her wikipediaViola grew up with parents who were active in the black community in Halifax , and were prominent members of various social circles and organizations . . Being of African descent , Viola Desmond was not allowed to train to become a beautician in Halifax , so she left and received beautician training in Montreal , Atlantic City , and one of Madame C . J . Walker ' s beauty schools in New York . She was of mixed descent and despite the one drop rule , it would have afforded her better status and treatment than most black people were granted . what it ' s worth , she was my vote because I like her claim to fame better than the others and it ' s a more important lesson for Canada than the achievements of the others . I almost voted Tekahionwake because I think the intermixing of First Nations with settlers , especially as a two way street for gaining status , is a hidden part of our history that deserves more acknowledgement . It is likely that a lot more people have native ancestors than realize it because it is the kind of thing that families would hide from their own descendants to avoid prejudice .