The theme of 'Saluting our Sisters' highlights the crucial role that black women have played in shaping history, inspiring change and building communities. This article will be appreciating the work of black females across history.
Baronness Doreen Lawrence:
Lawrence is a British Jamaican campaigner and mother to Stephen Lawrence. She promoted the reforms of the police service and founded the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. Her aim is to create "an inclusive society for everyone to live their best life, regardless of gender, race, sexuality, religion, disability or background". She campaigns for justice for victims of racist crimes and worked with other reforms to be established within the police service. The Charitable Trust is to promote a positive community legacy in her sons name. She sits with panels within the Home Office, police and human rights organisations. She was elevated to peerage as a life peer in September 2013 as Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, Commonwealth Realm of Jamaica.
Diane Abbott:
Abbott is a British politician who was the first woman of African descent to be elected to the House of Commons (dated 1987). As a member of the Labour Party she has served as a press officer for Greater London Council and Lambeth Borough Council and was active on race and civil liberties issues. Her service in Parliament has made her become known for her support in human rights issues. She has been vocal of how much time a terror suspect should be detained without charged, worked with organisations such as JUSTICE and Liberty. As well as looking into international development and public health. 2022 she had published the memoir 'A woman like me'.
Mary Seacole:
Jamaican and Scottish descent through her parents lineage. In 1823 Seacole had went to London alone where she experienced racist comments. In 1850 she had nursed victims of the Kingston cholera epidemic. Upon returning to England those who admired her had came to her aid. 1857 a fundraising gala was held over four nights with around 80,000 people in attendance. She published her autobiography, The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands. In 1881 she had passed away. However, in 2004 she was voted as the Greatest Black Briton and a statute was commenced in her honour.
Nicola Adams:
Adams was born in 1982 in Leeds and is known for her participation in the sport of boxing. In London 2012 she was the first woman to win an Olympic boxing gold medal. In Rio in 2016 she was the first British boxer in 92 years to successfully defend the Olympic title. She is also part of the LGBT community. She is one of the UK highest profile black lesbians. In 2020 she was the first contestant on the BBC Strictly Come Dancing to compete in a same sex pairing.
Claudia Jones:
Jones was born in 1915 and was a Trinidadian social and political activist and journalist who advocated for Black individuals in the US and UK. She has became known for her liberation of black women, intersectional feminism and recognising inequality. She was also a helper for the first West Indian Carnival hosted in London in 1959. Her work in social activism had stemmed through the publication of struggles in the working class. She organised rallies and demonstrations for those on the Scottsboro case, civil rights and wrote articles for the league journal 'Daily Worker'. She had helped organise the carnival celebration in 1959 which has been expanded to. be known as the Notting Hill Carnival.
Baronness Patricia Scotland:
Scotland KC is the 6th Commonwealth Secretary General. Born in Dominica she was the candidate for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta 2015. She had trained to become a lawyer, and was the first black woman appointed as a QC in 1991. At 35 she was the youngest woman to ever be made a QC. She was the first black woman to be appointed Deputy High Court Judge, Recorder and Master of Middle Temple. She had joined the House of Lords in 1997 as Baroness Scotland of Asthal, serving as minister in the foreign office, home office and Lord Chancellor department. She has also undertook major reform of the Criminal Justice System including the introduction of the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act. As a result in 2011 she ha d founded the organisation of 'Eliminate Domestic Violence Global Foundation'. As of recently, in 2022 she was awarded Eminent Caribbean Jurist Award.
Until the next Legal Thought,
Elicia Maxwell
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