Wanda Robson
Wanda Robson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Wanda Davis December 16, 1926 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Died | February 6, 2022 (aged 95) Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Spouse | Joseph Robson |
| Relatives | Viola Desmond (sister) |
Wanda Robson (December 16, 1926, in Halifax – February 6, 2022) was a Canadian civil rights activist.[1]
Activism
[edit]Robson became an activist when her sister, civil rights activist Viola Desmond, was arrested in 1946.[1] Robson spent years working to get her sister's arrest pardoned, which occurred in 2010 through the Nova Scotia legislature.[1] Because of the considerable effort Robson put into this, Canada gave a posthumous free pardon for the first time.
Robson believed that education was extremely important. She spoke at many educational events, where she discussed the importance of a future free of racial discrimination.[2]
Robson served three terms on the Nova Scotia Advisory Council for the Status of Women.[3]
In 2022, Robson received the Order of Nova Scotia.[4]
Writing
[edit]Robson wrote two books. The first, co-written with Cape Breton Professor Graham Reynolds, was Viola Desmond, Her Life and Times,[1] a biography for her sister.[5] Robson’s second book, Sister of Courage (2010), recounts her own life.[6]
Personal life
[edit]Robson met her husband, Joseph Robson, in the 1960s, when they were co-workers at a lab.[7] The couple had one son.[8]
Robson completed her lifelong dream of having a University education in 2004, graduating from Cape Breton University with a Bachelor of Arts degree.[6]
Robson died on February 6, 2022, at the age of 95. At the time of her death, she and her husband lived in North Sydney, Nova Scotia.[1] She was buried alongside her sister in Camp Hill Cemetery in Halifax.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Ramesar, Vernon. "Wanda Robson, activist who championed legacy of her sister Viola Desmond, dies at 95". CBC News. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
- ^ Glover, Chris (2017-02-09). "Wanda Robson, 90-year-old sister of Viola Desmond, speaks to Toronto kids". CBC News. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
- ^ "Wanda Robson, activist sister of Viola Desmond, dies in Nova Scotia at 95". Global News. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
- ^ "Order of Nova Scotia Recipients Announced for 2021". Government of Nova Scotia News Releases. 2021-12-07. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
- ^ "Teacher's Guide for Viola Desmond: Her Life and Times". Fernwood Publishing. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Wanda Eloise Robson". Cape Breton University. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ a b White, Evelyn C. (2023-07-11). "Wanda Robson championed her sister Viola Desmond's legacy; now they are honoured together at Camp Hill cemetery". Halifax Examiner. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
- ^ Colley, Sherri Borden (2018-11-19). "New $10 bill tells valuable civil rights story, says Viola Desmond's sister". CBC News. Retrieved 2024-04-02.