January 13, 1984 - Ann Cools

Ann Cools becomes Canada’s first black senator. Born in Barbados in 1943, Anne Cools moved to Montreal at the age of 13. She graduated from McGill University with a bachelor of arts and worked at various academic institutions. Early on in her career, she demonstrated a passion for advocacy, taking on issues such as domestic violence and violence against women. An active member of Canada’s Liberal Party, she ran for the House of Commons in both 1979 and 1980 in Toronto. Her work inspired Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to appoint her to the Senate on January 13, 1984. It was a proud moment for blacks to hail Canada’s first black senator. But among her fellow Liberals, Cools was controversial. They regarded her stands on family issues as anything but “liberal.” She worked against expanding the definition of family, and opposed legislation that seemed to work against fathers’ rights. She was recognized by a number of organizations, including REAL Women, (Realistic, Equal, Active, for Life) for promoting family values. On June 8, 2004, Cools joined the Opposition in the Senate by sitting as a Conservative senator.

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