Bernice Redmon wanted to pursue a career as a nurse and was denied admission into Canadian nursing programs in the early 1940s. At this time, Black women could not attend Canadian nursing schools. The admission of Black women would not be allowed until the late 1940s.

In 1945, to obtain her nursing diploma, Redmon moved to the United States. Later that year, she returned to Canada to work. Bernice got a job at the Nova Scotia Department of Health, becoming the first Black nurse to practice in public health. Her ground-breaking career earned Redmon a historic appointment to the Victorian Order of Nurses in Canada, making her the first Black woman to receive this honour.

Her barrier-breaking career and courageous efforts paved the way for Black women to be trained and employed in Ontario hospitals in the late 1940s and 1950s.

For more information, see here: https://www.bernicecarnegie.com/carnegie-family