Kickass Women in History: Carrie Best

This month our Kickass Woman in History is a Canadian woman named Carrie Best. Carrie Best was the founder of The Clarion, the first Black-owned newspaper in Nova Scotia that was written and distributed specifically for Black readers.* Best used her platform to advance civil rights for Black people in Nova Scotia, and her work made Best an important leader in advocating for Black Canadians. Carrie Mae Best was born Carrie Prevoe in 1903. She married Albert T. Best and they had one son, James Calbert Best, who grew up to be a union activist and a diplomat. Carrie and Albert also adopted four siblings as children: Berma (who became a teacher and who often gave talks and interviews about Best’s work), Aubrey, Sharon, and Mitchell. Carrie Best proofreads an issue of The Clarion In 1943, Carrie and James went to the movies at the Roseland Theater. The theater was segregated, with Black patrons forced to sit on the balcony. Carrie and James purchased two tickets for seating in the downstairs section. They were arrested and lost a legal battle against the theater. This experience inspired Best and her son to found The Clairon. In 1946, Viola Desmond, another Kickass Woman, refused to leav...