Mia Mottley has had a long political career in Barbados. As Minister of Education, Youth Affairs and Culture, she worked to increase education opportunities for Barbados youth, including creating the National Youth Development Program.
She later spearheaded a program known as "Edutech," which worked to increase sustainable development of Barbados using investment in new technology. Not only did it give young people job skills, but it also helped support the environment of the island.
Mottley was the first woman to become Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs in Barbados, and eventually became the first woman to lead the Barbados Labor Party (BLP)!
But party leaders weren’t happy, and ousted her from leadership! The BLP lost the next election in 2013, though, and she was reinstated. With her leadership came the “landslide” 2018 election - and now she’s leading all of Barbados!
Since being elected, she’s been busy. She has raised taxes on the rich in Barbados, raised pension payments, and fought against exploitative contracts from huge multinational corporations like Sandals Resorts, which control much of the economy in the vacation destination.
It’s only been a year, so it’s impossible to tell yet if Mottley is the new leader Barbados needs. Here’s hoping she keeps up the great work and continues her Black woman excellence!