In June of 2021, Senait Yohannes, reached out to Heritage Calgary to see what UCBLSA would need to do to designate Violet King’s childhood home as a Calgary Historic site. Heritage Calgary informed us that in April of 2021, the home was added to the Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources, However, there were no current plans for external recognition of the home. UCalgary’s Black Law Students Association offered the funding to officially commemorate the home as a culturally significant historic site and underwent planning with Heritage Calgary.
On February 25th, 2022, the UCalgary Chapter of the Black Law Students Association and Heritage Calgary presented the current homeowner Dr. Angela Pucci, with a commemorative plaque in celebration of Violet King and the King family’s contributions to our communities and to the legal profession in Alberta. We would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Pucci for being eager and committed to permanently affixing her home with this plaque.
In attendance for today’s celebration:
Homeowner: Dr. Angela Pucci, two daughters Kensie and Mya Emmons
The UCalgary BLSA Team: Co-Presidents David Isilebo and Keshia Holloman-Dawson, VP Marketing Mirabelle Harris-Eze, and VP Events Chyna Brown.
Heritage Calgary Team: Josh Traptow
UCalgary’s Vice Provost of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Dr. Malinda Smith
City of Calgary Councillors: Ward 7 Councillor Terry Wong (insta: @yyctkw)
The Calgary Public Library’s Diverse and Inclusive Services: Nicole Dodd
Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association: Lorna Codeiro (insta: @hillhurst_sunnyside)
"I am a Crescent Heights alumna, a Black woman, and an aspiring lawyer, and knowing that I walked the same hallways as her and perhaps experienced the intersections of race and gender in similar ways, makes this celebration incredibly special to me. Violet went on to achieve many “firsts” under her belt at a time when the odds were stacked against her so it is imperative we continue to share her story, and others like hers, so young Black girls and women see themselves represented in positions of leadership, power and status and aspire to fill these positions. Today, we celebrated Violet King's life in the home and community she grew up in, and my hope is that every person who walks by this plaque will be inspired to learn more about Violet, and the significant contributions Black people have made, and continue to make in our city." - Senait Yohannes
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