Rosemary Brown (1930 – 2003)

Rosemary Brown was a politician whose personal experiences of racism and sexism fuelled her passionate international advocacy efforts and lifelong fight for equality and human rights. She was born in Jamaica and moved to Canada in 1951. Elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 1972, Brown became the first black woman in Canada to sit in a provincial legislature. She ran for the leadership of the federal New Democratic Party in 1975, and while she did not win, Brown made history once again as only the second woman (and the first black woman) ever to run for leadership of a federal political party. Her years of community service earned her numerous distinctions, including the Order of Canada, and honorary degrees from many Canadian universities.

“We must open the doors and we must see to it that they remain open, so that others can pass through.”