Posted: Feb 26, 2021 6:07 PM MT | Last Updated: February 27 Violet King was the first Black person admitted to the Alberta bar in 1954 and became the first Black female lawyer in Canada.(Glenbow Archives) The Federal Building plaza, with views of the Alberta Legislature, has a new name: the Violet King Henry Plaza. The Calgary native became Canada's first Black female lawyer in 1954. Many who protested in Edmonton as part of the Black Lives Matter movement, in response to George Floyd's death last summer, would have walked past the plaza, or through it, on their way to the Legislature. Now, it serves as a reminder of a woman who stood up to adversity to follow her dreams against all odds, carving a path for others.