Zanana Akande facts for kids

Zanana Lorraine Akande (born around 1937) is an important Canadian politician from Ontario. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1994. During this time, she represented the area of St. Andrew—St. Patrick in downtown Toronto.

Zanana Akande made history as the first Black woman to be elected to the Ontario Legislature. She was also the first Black woman to become a cabinet minister in Canada. A cabinet minister is a leader who helps run a part of the government.

Early Life and Education

Zanana Akande was born in the Kensington Market area of downtown Toronto. Her parents came from the Caribbean islands of St. Lucia and Barbados. They were both teachers in their home countries.

However, when they moved to Canada, they could not continue teaching. At that time, people from the African Diaspora faced barriers to becoming teachers in Canada.

Zanana Akande went to Harbord Collegiate Institute for high school. Later, she studied at the University of Toronto. She earned two degrees there: a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Education. She also attended the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

Following in her parents' footsteps, Zanana Akande became a teacher. She also worked as a school principal for the Toronto District School Board. She created special programs to help students with unique learning needs.

Community Involvement Before Politics

Before entering politics, Zanana Akande was very active in her community. She helped start Tiger Lily, a newspaper for women from visible minority groups. She also helped organize a festival called Toronto Arts Against Apartheid. This festival spoke out against the unfair system of apartheid.

Zanana Akande was a member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation when she was young. This group later became the New Democratic Party. She was friends with Stephen Lewis, who later became a leader of the NDP.

Zanana Akande was married to Isaac Akande, who passed away in 1991. They had three children: a son named David, and two daughters named Aderonke and Ajike.

Becoming a Politician

In 1990, Zanana Akande was elected as a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP). She ran for the New Democratic Party in the Toronto area of St. Andrew—St. Patrick. She won in a close election against two other candidates.

Her election was a big moment because she was the first Black woman to become an Ontario MPP. The NDP won the election and formed the government. On October 1, 1990, Zanana Akande was chosen to be the Minister of Community and Social Services.

Making a Difference in Government

As a minister, Zanana Akande worked to help people with lower incomes. She increased welfare benefits for Ontarians. She also raised the social assistance rate and the amount of money for shelter.

She also announced funding for food banks. Even though her party usually did not support food banks, she understood they were needed at the time. She believed in helping people in practical ways.

In 1991, Zanana Akande stepped down from her role as minister. There were questions about her private financial arrangements. However, a review later cleared her of any wrongdoing.

In 1992, she was appointed as a special assistant to Premier Bob Rae. She helped him with important tasks. One of her big achievements was creating the jobsOntario Youth Program. This program helped young people find summer jobs from 1991 to 1994.

Zanana Akande left politics in 1994. She resigned from the Legislature because she disagreed with how an investigation was handled. After leaving government, she returned to her job as a school principal.

Life After Politics

Even after leaving politics, Zanana Akande continued to be very active in her community. In 2004, she received the Constance E. Hamilton Award. This award recognized her work in promoting fairness and equality in the community.

As of 2006, she was the president of Harbourfront Centre, a cultural organization in Toronto. She also served on the boards of the YWCA and Centennial College. She is also a member of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations.

Zanana Akande was also a founding board member of Milestone Radio. This company owned Flow 93.5, Canada's first radio station dedicated to urban music.

In 2014, she supported John Tory in the 2014 Toronto mayoral election. In January 2018, she spoke at the 2018 Women's March in Toronto. In May 2018, she received the YWCA Toronto Women of Distinction Award.

In 2020, she supported Annamie Paul in a special election for Toronto Centre. In 2024, Zanana Akande was made a Member of the Order of Ontario. This is a very high honor given to people who have made great contributions to the province.