No black person had ever been elected to the Manitoba Legislature Assembly in the 150-year history of the province, until Nigerian psychiatric nurse o
No black person had ever been elected to the Manitoba Legislature Assembly in the 150-year history of the province, until Nigerian psychiatric nurse of Igbo extraction, Uzoma Asagwara, broke the jinx this week in Canada. She won the Union Station seat for the NDP.
The first-generation Canadian whose parents are Nigerian, is a longtime community activist in Winnipeg’s core. Until Tuesday’s vote, no black person had ever been elected to the Manitoba Legislature in the 150-year history of this province. Uzoma Asagwara won the Union Station seat for the NDP.
She is also one of three black people to have been elected into the 150-year parliament. Speaking on her victory, Uzoma Asagwara said, “This is a historic moment for our team and our communities.”
Asagwara said that being one of the first Black Member of the Legislative Assembly elected in Manitoba was “wonderful…incredible and a sign that folks are really making sure that our elected officials reflect the communities they serve.”
Kicking off her campaign in August, Asagwara who played for the Canadian National Basketball team tweeted on her official handle, “The election has officially been called and Sept 10th is only a few weeks away! I’m running to make sure Union Station is represented by a progressive and compassionate MLA with deep roots in our community.”
