Rosemary Brown (Canadian politician)

Biography

Rosemary Brown (née Wedderburn; June 17, 1930 – April 26, 2003) was a Canadian politician, social worker, and human rights advocate. As a member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly from 1972 to 1986, she was the first black woman elected to a legislature in Canada at either the provincial or federal level. In 1975, she also became the first black woman to run for the leadership of a federal political party, finishing second in the New Democratic Party leadership race. Her work focused on anti-racism, gender equality, and expanding social supports for marginalized communities. After leaving politics, Brown taught women's studies at Simon Fraser University and served as Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission from 1993 to 1996. She also sat on the Federal Security Intelligence Review Committee and the Advisory Committee of the Order of Canada.

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