Diane Abbott made history in 1987 by becoming the first Black member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Abbott was recently re-elected to her historic past last month amid worries that she might not return to her post.
Abbott was born in London in 1953 to Jamaican parents. She attended university at Cambridge’s Newhamn College ahead of her foray into politics in 1982. After an unsuccessful bid to the British Parliament in 1985, Abbott was elected to the Parliament’s House of Commons two years later.
During her tenure, Abbott has been painted as something of a firebrand in the British press and critics have bristled at her outspoken stances on racism and politics. With her stances against the Iraq War and invasive policies such as ID cards for citizens, Abbott branded herself a woman of the people. A member of the left-leaning moderate Labour Party, she’s become known for disagreeing with some of her party’s political choices. (READ MORE)
