Rosemary Brown, née Wedderburn, was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on 17 June 1930. A Canadian politician, activist, and feminist, she was raised in a politically aware household and deeply influenced by her grandmother, Imogene Wilson-James—a pioneering landowner and reputed founding member of Jamaica’s People’s National Party (PNP). Her early exposure to politics, community leadership, and advocacy for the disenfranchised set her on a lifelong path of social justice.
Education and Early Activism in Canada
In 1951, at the age of 21, Brown moved to Canada to study social work at McGill University in Montreal. She later completed her Master of Social Work at the University of British Columbia (UBC). As a young Black woman in 1950s Canada, she encountered numerous barriers—including racism, sexism, and discrimination in housing and employment. But these challenges only deepened her resolve to create systemic change.
Brown quickly became active in civil rights and feminist organising. In 1956, joining the British Columbia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (BCAACP), which pushed for legislation against racial discrimination in housing, employment, and public services. She also volunteered at the Vancouver Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre, joined the Voice of Women, and was a regular panellist on the television programme People in Conflict.
Notably, Brown was a founding member of the Vancouver Status of Women Council, where she served as the organisation’s first Ombudswoman, creating an advocacy structure for women to challenge inequality and access legal support. She was among the earliest public figures in Canada to articulate what we now call intersectionality—recognising the compounded effects of race, gender, and class-based oppression.
Breaking Barriers in Provincial Politics
In 1972, with the backing of her feminist colleagues, Brown ran as a New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate and won the seat for Vancouver-Burrard, making her the first Black woman elected to a provincial legislature in Canada. She later served the Burnaby-Edmonds constituency from 1979 until her retirement in 1986.
During her 14 years in office, Brown fought to remove sexist material from school textbooks, chaired the Berger Commission on the Family, and championed legislative reforms that improved access to services for seniors, people with disabilities, immigrants, and low-income families.
She also pushed for stronger human rights protections and frequently challenged her own party on issues they were slow to act on—most notably, their failure to create a Ministry for Women, despite it being part of NDP policy.
In 1975, she again made history by becoming the first Black woman, and only the second woman, to run for leadership of a federal political party in Canada. Her campaign, which carried the slogan “Brown is Beautiful,” captured the national imagination. She placed second to Ed Broadbent but left a lasting mark on Canadian politics and representation.
National and Global Leadership
After leaving political office in 1986, Brown expanded her influence beyond Canada. She served as CEO and Special Ambassador for MATCH International Women’s Fund, supporting women-led development initiatives in the Global South. In 1991, she helped establish the Canadian Women’s Foundation, now one of the country’s most prominent charities advocating for gender equality.
In 1993, she was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, a role she held until 1996. That same year, she was named to the Security Intelligence Review Committee, responsible for overseeing Canada’s intelligence agencies. She was sworn into the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and later served on the Advisory Committee of the Order of Canada until her passing.
She also became a professor of Women’s Studies at Simon Fraser University, where she mentored future generations of changemakers.
Personal Life
Rosemary Brown married Bill Brown, an American biochemist and psychiatrist, in 1955. Together, they raised three children. Despite her demanding public life, Brown remained rooted in her personal values of equity, humility, and self-determination.
In her 1989 autobiography, Being Brown: A Very Public Life, she reflected candidly on her upbringing, her journey through politics, and the battles she fought for justice. One of her most quoted lines encapsulates her worldview:
“To be Black and female in a society which is both racist and sexist is to be in the unique position of having nowhere to go but up!”
Another enduring quote, often cited during Black History Month and Women’s History celebrations, is:
“Until all of us have made it, none of us have made it.”
Accolades and Honours
Brown’s trailblazing career garnered many awards and recognitions:
- Order of British Columbia (1995)
- Order of Canada (1996)
- United Nations Human Rights Fellowship (1973)
- Commander of the Order of Distinction, Jamaica (2001)
- YWCA Woman of Distinction (1989)
- Canadian Labour Congress Award for Outstanding Service to Humanity (2002)
- Over 15 honorary doctorates from leading universities including UBC, McGill, Dalhousie, Queen’s, and the University of Toronto.
Subsequent tributes include:
- Rosemary Brown Lane, Vancouver (2017)
- Rosemary Brown Public School, Durham District School Board, Ontario (2021)
- The Rosemary Brown Recreation Centre in Burnaby, BC—a 92,000 sq. ft. community facility opened in May 2024, complete with ice rinks and a public art piece titled Gliding Edge.
The Rosemary Brown Award for Women, established in 2004, is presented annually to individuals or organisations that reflect her ideals of justice, equality, and leadership.
A Lasting Legacy
Brown passed away on 26 April 2003 at the age of 72 after suffering a heart attack. Yet her legacy lives on across Canada and beyond. In 2005, a park in her former constituency of Vancouver-Burrard was named in her honour. In 2009, Canada Post issued a commemorative stamp featuring her image.
Rosemary Brown was more than a pioneer—she was a force of transformation. From her early activism in Vancouver to the halls of the British Columbia legislature, and from national policymaking to global gender advocacy, she remained uncompromising in her pursuit of justice. Her work laid the foundation for today’s more inclusive political landscape and continues to inspire activists, educators, and leaders across generations.
By boldly challenging racism and sexism wherever she encountered them, Rosemary Brown helped reshape the narrative of who belongs in politics—and who has the right to lead. Her voice, legacy, and impact endure, reminding us that the path to equality is built by those who dare to walk it first.
