Black British women progressing politics and society

The legacy of violent discrimination against Black people sadly continues to this day but it continues to act as a rallying call to powerful Black women who have risen up to help create a fairer Britain for everyone. Today, we salute those Black British women who have taken the political scene by storm and continue challenging the status quo in British politics.

Baroness Doreen Lawrence

Following the murder of her son Stephen Lawrence and the disinterested cursory investigation by an institutionally racist Metropolitan Police force, Baroness Lawrence began a lifetime of campaigning for social justice, establishing the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation in 2020 that aims to raise the aspirations among young people with a focus on the classroom, community and careers, working with communities and other charities to create pathways to success for children across the UK. Now elevated to the House of Lords, Baroness Lawrence works with charities and as a government advisor to promote social change, including exploring lessons to be learned from the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus.

Diane Abbott MP

The first Black woman to be elected to Parliament, Diane Abbott MP continues to work as an outspoken public figure fighting for race equality and justice, has set up programmes to support Black women in business, and continues to be an advocate for the difficulties Black children face at school and for human and civil rights in general. A vocal opponent of the extensions to the time terror suspects could be held without charge, she won a special human rights prize in 2008 awarded jointly by Liberty, JUSTICE and the Law Society.

Tessy Ojo CBE

Community builder and Chief Executive of the Diana Award, a charity created as a legacy charity in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, a trustee of Comic Relief and a BBC Appeals Advisory Committee member, Tessy Ojo helps change the lives of young people and to work with communities to overcome systemic racism. Tessy was the first British person ever to receive a Martin Luther King Award. She was awarded a CBE in 2022 for her services to young people.

Image credit:

“Official portrait of Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon crop 1” by Chris McAndrew, reproduced under a Creative Commons CC-BY-3.0 licence via Wikimedia Commons.