Black Baroness

Baroness Valerie Amos was the first Black woman to serve in the British Cabinet. She was appointed Secretary of State for International Development on May 12, 2003. Later that year she made history again when she was appointed the first Black woman to head the House of Lords, the highest chamber in the British parliament. She held the post until 2007. Ms. Amos was born in Georgetown, Guyana. Prior to taking her Cabinet post, she served as the government’s international development representative for the House of Lords and as Foreign Office Minister for Africa. Baroness Amos was created a life peer in August 1997 as Baroness Amos for her political service to the Labor Party. The Peerage is a system of titles of nobility in the United Kingdom, part of the British honors system. Life peers are created members of the Peerage whose titles may not be inherited. Nowadays life peerages are entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as age and citizenship. The legitimate children of a life peer are entitled the prefix the Honorable. In the House of Lords she was a co-opted member of the Select Committee on European Communities Sub-Committee F (Social Affairs, Education and Home Affairs). Ms Amos is used to being the first. In high school she was the first Black deputy Head Girl at Bexley Technical High School for Girls. She went on to receive a degree in sociology at Warwick University in 1976, a master's degree in cultural studies from Birmingham University in 1977 and doctoral research at University of East Anglia.

After working in Equal Opportunities, Training and Management Services in local government in London, she became Chief Executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission. In 1995 Amos was an adviser to the South African Government on public service reform, human rights and employment equity.

Baroness Amos was made Leader of the House of Lords on 6 October 2003 following the death of Lord Williams of Mostyn, which meant that her tenure as Secretary of State for International Development lasted less than six months. Prior to her appointment as Secretary of State for International Development, Baroness Amos was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs on June 11, 2001, with responsibility for Africa; Commonwealth; Caribbean; Overseas Territories; Consular Issues and FCO Personnel.

Baroness Amos was the principal spokesperson in the House of Lords on International Development as well as one of the Government's spokespersons in the House of Lords on Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. She was previously a spokesperson on Social Security, International Development and Women's Issues.

Baroness Amos is one of three Black peers that sit in the House of Lords. She is on the list of Great Black Britons.