Laura Mae Lindo

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
BornLaura Mae Monique Lindo
1976 (age 49–50)
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
PartyNew Democratic
Children3
RelativesAlvin Curling (uncle)
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

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 Scarborough campus of 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

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.

In 2026, Lindo endorsed Avi Lewis in that year's federal NDP leadership race.[15]

Select publications

  • 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

2022 Ontario general election: Kitchener Centre
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
New DemocraticLaura Mae Lindo15,78940.59−2.80$69,851
Progressive ConservativeJim Schmidt10,37626.67−0.99$73,765
LiberalKelly Steiss5,72814.72−5.37$53,771
GreenWayne Mak4,98012.80+5.96$16,108
New BluePeter Beimers2,0295.22 $3,767
Total valid votes/expense limit 38,90299.33+0.91$118,646
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots 2620.67-0.91
Turnout 39,16446.21-12.06
Eligible voters 84,304
New Democratic hold Swing −0.90
Source(s)
2018 Ontario general election: Kitchener Centre
Party Candidate Votes%±%
New DemocraticLaura Mae Lindo20,51243.38+20.57
Progressive ConservativeMary Henein Thorn13,08027.66+0.68
LiberalDaiene Vernile9,49920.09-23.05
GreenStacey Danckert3,2346.84+1.07
LibertarianJason Erb4390.93-0.37
None of the AboveChris Carr4290.91
CommunistMarty Suter870.18
Total valid votes 47,28098.42
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 7571.58
Turnout 48,03758.27
Eligible voters 80,514
New Democratic gain Swing
Source: Elections Ontario[16]

References

  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. 1 2 3 "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. 1 2 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. 1 2 3 "Laura Mae Lindo takes Kitchener Centre". TheRecord.com. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  7. 1 2 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. 1 2 "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. ↑ "Endorsements". lewisisleader.ca. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  16. ↑ "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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