Anne Cools

Anne Clare Cools (born August 12, 1943) is a member of the Canadian Senate. Born in Barbados, she was the first black person to be appointed to Canada's upper house. Her family immigrated to Canada in 1957 when Cools was 14 years old, and settled in Montreal. Attending McGill University to study social work in the 1960s, she became involved in radical campus politics. In 1969, she was a participant in a 10-day sit-in at Sir George Williams Univer... more

Anne Clare Cools (born August 12, 1943) is a member of the Canadian Senate. Born in Barbados, she was the first black person to be appointed to Canada's upper house. Her family immigrated to Canada in 1957 when Cools was 14 years old, and settled in Montreal. Attending McGill University to study social work in the 1960s, she became involved in radical campus politics. In 1969, she was a participant in a 10-day sit-in at Sir George Williams University (later Concordia University), protesting alleged racism at the school. The action ended with $2 million worth of damage to computer equipment. Although not accused of damaging property herself, Cools was sentenced to four months imprisonment for participating in the sit-in. In 1974, Cools moved to Toronto where she founded one of the first shelters for abused women in Canada, Women in Transition Inc., and served as its Executive Director. She twice sought election to the Canadian House of Commons as a candidate of the Liberal Party of... less