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Laura Mae Lindo

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Laura Mae Lindo
Lindo at an event during the 2018 Ontario provincial election
Critic, Citizenship and Immigration Services
In office
August 23, 2018 – July 13, 2023
LeaderAndrea Horwath (2018-2022)
Peter Tabuns (interim) (2022-2023)
Marit Stiles (2023-)
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
for Kitchener Centre
In office
June 7, 2018 – July 13, 2023
Preceded byDaiene Vernile
Succeeded byAislinn Clancy
Personal details
Born
Laura Mae Monique Lindo

1976 (age 47–48)
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Political partyNew Democratic
Children3
RelativesAlvin Curling (uncle)
Residence(s)Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Education
Occupation
  • Non-profit director
  • post-secondary administrator
Websitelauramaelindompp.ca

Laura Mae Monique Lindo (born 1976) is a Canadian politician who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 provincial election.[1] She represented the electoral district of Kitchener Centre as a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party. In January 2023, Lindo announced that she would step down as MPP in July to take a position with the philosophy department of the University of Waterloo. She officially resigned on July 13, 2023.[2]

Early life and education

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Born in Canada, Lindo's parents immigrated to the country from Jamaica.[3] Her mother Osra Lindo graduated from York University with a bachelor's degree in gender and women's studies at the age of 79.[4][5] She is the niece of former Ontario MPP and Speaker Alvin Curling.[5] Raised in Scarborough, Lindo has lived in Kitchener since 2014.[6]

Lindo graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in philosophy in 1998 followed by a second BA degree in African studies and philosophy from York University.[7] Her Master of Education degree, completed at York, examined Ontario's high school philosophy program.[7] Lindo also holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in education.[6] She completed her studies at York University in 2011 with a thesis titled "I'm Writing for Freedom!" Mapping Public Discourse on Race in Comedy.[8]

Career

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Lindo is Kitchener's first Black MPP.[3] She served as a Member of the Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills, and as Critic for Citizenship and Immigration Services and Critic for anti-racism.[9] In 2018, Lindo was named a member of the Ontario NDP's first ever Black Caucus, alongside NDP caucus colleagues Rima Berns-McGown, Faisal Hassan, Jill Andrew and Kevin Yarde.[10] Prior to her election, she worked as Director of Diversity and Equity at Wilfrid Laurier University.[6][3] In December 2021, she introduced Bill 67, The Racial Equity in Education Systems Act which "embeds anti-racist language into pieces of legislation from kindergarten to grade 12, and all throughout post secondary", saying "when you define it, then it is real".[11][12]

After the resignation of Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath in June 2022 after the party's defeat in the Ontario general election, Lindo was seen as a potential candidate in the subsequent leadership election, but she decided not to run in November.[13]

In January 2023, Lindo announced that she would be stepping down that July to join the University of Waterloo's philosophy department.[13] She cited child care costs as a cause for her resigning her seat.[14] Lindo endorsed Debbie Chapman as the next NDP candidate in the by-election. However, the seat flipped to the Green Party candidate Aislinn Clancy.

Select publications

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  • Carr, Paul R.; Lund, Darren E., eds. (2007). "Whiteness and Philosophy: Imagining Non-White Philosophy in Schools". The Great White North? Exploring Whiteness, Privilege, and Identity in Education. Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers. ISBN 9789087901448.
  • Laura Mae Lindo (2012). "A Comic Routine: The Place of Slavery in Identify Formation for the Twenty-First Century". In Allen, Marlene D.; Williams, Seretha D. (eds.). Afterimages of Slavery: Essays on Appearances in Recent American Films, Literature, Television and Other Media. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN 978-0786490165.
  • Lindo, Laura Mae (November 2015). "A Man and His Mic: Taking Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle to Teacher's College". European Journal of Humour Research. 3 (4): 54–74. doi:10.7592/EJHR2015.3.4.lindo.

Election results

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2022 Ontario general election: Kitchener Centre
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Laura Mae Lindo 15,789 40.59 −2.80 $69,851
Progressive Conservative Jim Schmidt 10,376 26.67 −0.99 $73,765
Liberal Kelly Steiss 5,728 14.72 −5.37 $53,771
Green Wayne Mak 4,980 12.80 +5.96 $16,108
New Blue Peter Beimers 2,029 5.22   $3,767
Total valid votes/Expense limit 38,902 99.33 +0.91 $118,646
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots 262 0.67 -0.91
Turnout 39,164 46.21 -12.06
Eligible voters 84,304
New Democratic hold Swing −0.90
Source(s)
2018 Ontario general election: Kitchener Centre
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Laura Mae Lindo 20,512 43.38 +20.57
Progressive Conservative Mary Henein Thorn 13,080 27.66 +0.68
Liberal Daiene Vernile 9,499 20.09 -23.05
Green Stacey Danckert 3,234 6.84 +1.07
Libertarian Jason Erb 439 0.93 -0.37
None of the Above Chris Carr 429 0.91
Communist Marty Suter 87 0.18
Total valid votes 47,280 98.42
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 757 1.58
Turnout 48,037 58.27
Eligible voters 80,514
New Democratic gain Swing
Source: Elections Ontario[15]

References

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  1. ^ "NDP's Laura Mae Lindo wins in Kitchener Centre". CBC Kitchener-Waterloo, June 8, 2018.
  2. ^ The Canadian Press (13 July 2023). "Ontario NDP member resigns Kitchener Centre seat, cites child-care challenges". CP24. Bell Media.
  3. ^ a b c "Laura Mae Lindo joins Catherine Fife on the NDP benches". therecord.com. 8 June 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  4. ^ Otis, Daniel (11 October 2018). "79-year-old Toronto grandmother earns first university degree". CTVNews. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b Rubinoff, Joel (11 March 2019). "Kitchener Centre MPP Laura Mae Lindo: "I know what it's like to not be heard, so I think I listen more to people whose experiences are different than me"". Toronto.com. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  6. ^ a b c "Laura Mae Lindo takes Kitchener Centre". TheRecord.com. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  7. ^ a b Allen, Marlene D.; Williams, Seretha D., eds. (2012). "About the Contributors". Afterimages of slavery : essays on appearances in recent American films, literature, television and other media. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. pp. 233–234. ISBN 978-0786490165.
  8. ^ Lindo, Laura Mae Monique (2011). I'm Writing for Freedom!" Mapping Public Discourse on Race in Comedy (PhD thesis). York University. OCLC 794163436.
  9. ^ "Laura Mae Lindo (Kitchener Centre)". Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  10. ^ "NDP establishes first official Black Caucus in Ontario History". Ontario New Democratic Party, April 15, 2019.
  11. ^ "Kitchener Centre MPP introduces bill to fight racism in schools". cbc.ca. December 3, 2021.
  12. ^ "Kitchener Centre MPP receives support on racial equity bill". citynews.ca. March 3, 2022.
  13. ^ a b "Kitchener Centre MPP Laura Mae Lindo stepping down to take Ontario university job". CBC News. January 18, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  14. ^ The Canadian Press (July 14, 2023). "Ontario NDP member resigns seat, cites child-care challenges". Global News.
  15. ^ "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 December 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
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