Martha Osamor, Baroness Osamor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Baroness Osamor of Tottenham
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Official portrait, 2019
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| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| Assumed office 26 November 2018 Life Peerage |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Martha Otito Osantor
24 September 1940 Delta State, Nigeria |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British Nigerian |
| Political party | Labour |
| Children | Kate Osamor (daughter) |
Martha Otito Osamor, Baroness Osamor (born 24 September 1940) is a British-Nigerian politician. She is a member of the Labour Party and a life peer, which means she has a special title that lasts for her lifetime and allows her to be a member of the House of Lords. Baroness Osamor is also known for her work as a community activist and a champion for civil rights. She is the mother of Kate Osamor, who has been a MP for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill since 2015.
Early Life and Community Work
Martha Otito Osamor was born in Delta State, Nigeria. In 1963, she moved to the United Kingdom to join her husband, who was studying in London. They made their home in Tottenham, where they raised their four children. Sadly, her husband passed away in 1975.
Baroness Osamor has always been active in her community. She helped start the United Black Women's Action Group (UBWAG). From 1977 to 1997, she worked at the Tottenham Law Centre, which is now called the Haringey Law Centre. During this time, she also became involved with the Broadwater Farm Youth Association Mothers' Project. This project was on the nearby Broadwater Farm housing estate.
Political Career
From 1986 to 1990, Martha Osamor served as a Labour councillor for the Bruce Grove Ward in the London Borough of Haringey. A councillor is someone elected to represent their local area in the council, which makes decisions about local services. She eventually became the deputy leader of the Haringey London Borough Council.
After some difficult events in the Broadwater Farm area, Baroness Osamor and Dolly Kiffin organized a civil rights demonstration on 3 October 1987. They created a document called a Manifesto of the movement for civil rights and justice. She also became one of the first members of the Broadwater Farm Defence Campaign, which worked to support the community.
Baroness Osamor was a strong voice on the left side of the Labour Party. She was nominated to be the party's candidate for a special election in Vauxhall in 1989. However, the party's national committee decided to choose a different candidate instead.
In May 2018, Jeremy Corbyn, who was the leader of the Labour Party at the time, suggested that Martha Osamor should become a life peer. On 26 November 2018, the Queen officially gave her the title of Baroness Osamor. Her full title connects her to Tottenham in London and Asaba in Nigeria.
Family Life
Baroness Osamor is the mother of Kate Osamor, who is also a Member of Parliament.
