User:Wellington Bay/Carolann Wright
Carolann Wright–Parks (born 1957 or 1958) is a community organizer and former politician, best known, as Carolann Wright, for being the first Black person to run for run for Mayor of Toronto, placing second in the 1988 municipal election, and for coming within 80 votes of defeating Attorney-General Ian Scott in the 1990 Ontario general election. Today, she is director of capacity building and strategic initiatives African Nova Scotian Communities at Halifax Partnership, an economic development agency in Halifax, Nova Scotia. [1][2]
Running for Mayor of Toronto[change | change source]
Wright was a community worker at Central Neighbourhood House, and a single mother and tenant living im Toronto's poor Regent Park neighbourhood, when she ran against the sitting mayor, Art Eggleton, as a protest candidate in the 1988 Toronto municipal election. Her campaign was organized by the Basic Action Poverty Group, a group of church and community workers, and supported by "Reform Toronto", a coalition of community activists that included sitting city councillor Jack Layton and Metro Toronto councillor Roger Hollander and former councillors William Kilbourn and Allan Sparrow, and ran on a platform of raising welfare payments by 25%, an amnesty for "illegal" apartments, more rooming houses.[1] Wright placed second with 24,479 votes, to 91,180 for Eggleton.[3][4]
1990 Ontario election[change | change source]
In the 1990 Ontario general election, Wright was chosen as the Ontario New Democratic Party's candidate in St. George—St. David against Liberal incumbent Ian Scott, who was attorney-general in the provincial government of David Peterson. Wright nearly defeated Scott, who won by 65 votes on election night.[5][6][7]
Early and current life in Nova Scotia[change | change source]
Wright, whose family had lived in Nova Scotia for seven generations, was born in Beechville, Nova Scotia, a Black Nova Scotian settlement in Halifax. After attending Dalhousie University in the 1970s, she moved to Toronto in 1979 to continue her studies at York University and after finding herself homeless, lived in a homeless shelter for two and a half weeks before finding housing in Regent Park and lived on social assistance. She graduated with her Bachelor of Commerce from York, and became a community worker organizing tutors and workshops for young children and computer literacy classes for community residents, also becoming co-chair of the Regent Park Residents' Association.[8][9]
By 1995, Wright had returned to Halifax where she has worked for community agencies and been a community and anti-racist activist.[10][11]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Carolann Wright-Parks: Full Interview". The Ethnic Aisle. https://www.theethnicaisle.com/the-ethnic-aisle/2014/10/6/carolann-wright-parks-full-interview October 6, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2022
- ↑ Carolann Wright : Black women in politics - Archives Catalogue". https://findingaids.library.dal.ca/carolann-wright-black-women-in-politics
- ↑ Reform mood takes Toronto", Toronto Star, 15 Nov 1988: A14.
- ↑ "Civic Election '88: The Results", Toronto Star, 15 Nov 1988: B6.
- ↑ "Two politicians with integrity", by Gerald Caplan, Toronto Star, 26 Aug 1990: B3.
- ↑ "Poverty fighter challenging Scott", by Susan Reid, Toronto Star, 08 Aug 1990: A9.
- ↑ "NDP wants recount in riding Ian Scott won by small margin", Toronto Star, 14 Sep 1990: A11.
- ↑ "Carolann Wright-Parks: Full Interview". The Ethnic Aisle. October 6, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ↑ "Folk hero activist takes on Eggleton", by Bruce McLeod, Toronto Star, 04 Nov 1988: A21.
- ↑ "Anger on both sides is growing in a long and bitter dispute in Halifax", CTV National News - CTV Television; Scarborough [Scarborough]. 15 May 1996: n/a.
- ↑ Stepping Stone hosting new fund-raiser: [Daily Edition] Daily News; Halifax, N.S. [Halifax, N.S]. 12 Feb 1995: 39.