Uzoma Asagwara: Difference between revisions

Uzoma Asagwara
MLA
Uzoma Asagwara MLA
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; September 10, 2019
Preceded by	first member
Constituency	Union Station
Personal details
Political party	New Democratic Party

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Uzoma Asagwara is a Canadian politician and retired basketball player. Since 2019, they have represented the Union Station electoral district in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.^[1]^[2] Asagwara is a member of the Manitoba New Democratic Party (Manitoba NDP).

Biography

Asagwara was born to Igbo Nigerian parents^[3] and attended the University of Winnipeg.^[4] Asagware was the University of Winnipeg Female Athlete of the Year in 2005-06. In 2007 they led the Canadian Interuniversity Sport in scoring with 28.05 points per game.^[5] Prior to their election, Asagwara worked full-time as a psychiatric nurse specializing in adult and youth mental health and addictions.^[6]

Asagwara has a long history as a grassroots community activist, educator, entrepreneur and mental health advocate and currently serve as a member of the Women's Health Clinic board of directors. In 2014, Asagwara founded Queer People of Colour Winnipeg,^[7] a Winnipeg-based initiative that creates safer spaces for and increases the visibility and representation of queer and transgender people of colour.

Legislative Assembly of Manitoba

In the 2019 Manitoba general election, Asagwara was elected to represent the Union Station electoral district.^[1]^[2] Asagwara, alongside Jamie Moses and Audrey Gordon, is one of the first three Black Canadian MLAs elected in Manitoba.^[2] They are also the first queer black person to win a seat^[8] and Manitoba's first gender non-conforming MLA.^[9]

Asagwara currently serves as the Manitoba NDP's health critic.^[10] During their time in the legislature, Asagwara has advocated for recognition of Manitoba's minority communities, and was able to pass a bill marking Somali Heritage Week.^[11]

Electoral record

2019 Manitoba general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	New Democratic	Uzoma Asagwara	2,635	52.23	+13.3	$17,642.20
	Liberal	Harold Davis	949	18.81	-4.0	$4,328.11
	Progressive Conservative	Tara Fawcett	908	18.00	-1.6	$521.28
	Green	Andrea Shalay	473	9.38	-4.8	$2,067.06
	Communist	Elsa Cubas	48	0.95		$310.80
	Manitoba Forward	James Yau	32	0.63		$0.00
Total valid votes			5,045	100.0
Total rejected ballots
Turnout				43.9
Eligible voters
	New Democratic hold		Swing		+8.2

References

^ ^a ^b Ononiwu, Elizabeth (October 3, 2019). "Black, Queer and Making History - Meet Uzoma Asagwara". ByBlacks.com. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c Bryce Hoye, "Meet the rookies: Manitobans elect 13 first-time MLAs". CBC News Manitoba, September 11, 2019.
^ "I didn't know I'd make history in Canada –Uzoma Asagwara, Canadian lawmaker". Punch Newspapers. October 12, 2019. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
^ "Favourite local politician". uniter.ca. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
^ "Asagwara Named Canada West All-Star". Basketball Manitoba. 2007-2-28. Retrieved 2022-02-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ Wasney, Eva (January 25, 2019). "Asagwara hopes to fill Minto seat". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
^ "Meet a Future 40 finalist building relationships — while he builds houses and a new Cree language app". CBC News. November 19, 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
^ Hatherly, Dana (September 10, 2019). "Trio of black MLAs make history by winning seats in Manitoba Legislature". CBC News. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
^ "MLA diversity improves, but more needed". Winnipeg Free Press. October 4, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
^ "Critics blast province for lack of preparation as COVID-19's fourth wave looms". winnipegsun. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
^ "MLA Uzoma Asagwara Passes First Bill Marking Somali Heritage Week". Your Manitoba. Retrieved October 8, 2021.

[:0-1] Ononiwu, Elizabeth (October 3, 2019). "Black, Queer and Making History - Meet Uzoma Asagwara". ByBlacks.com. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.

[cbc-2] Bryce Hoye, "Meet the rookies: Manitobans elect 13 first-time MLAs". CBC News Manitoba, September 11, 2019.

[3] "I didn't know I'd make history in Canada –Uzoma Asagwara, Canadian lawmaker". Punch Newspapers. October 12, 2019. Retrieved October 8, 2021.

[4] "Favourite local politician". uniter.ca. Retrieved October 8, 2021.

[5] "Asagwara Named Canada West All-Star". Basketball Manitoba. 2007-2-28. Retrieved 2022-02-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[6] Wasney, Eva (January 25, 2019). "Asagwara hopes to fill Minto seat". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved September 11, 2019.

[7] "Meet a Future 40 finalist building relationships — while he builds houses and a new Cree language app". CBC News. November 19, 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2019.

[8] Hatherly, Dana (September 10, 2019). "Trio of black MLAs make history by winning seats in Manitoba Legislature". CBC News. Retrieved September 11, 2019.

[9] "MLA diversity improves, but more needed". Winnipeg Free Press. October 4, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019.

[10] "Critics blast province for lack of preparation as COVID-19's fourth wave looms". winnipegsun. Retrieved October 8, 2021.

[11] "MLA Uzoma Asagwara Passes First Bill Marking Somali Heritage Week". Your Manitoba. Retrieved October 8, 2021.

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 == Biography ==
-Asagwara was born to [[Igbo people|Igbo]] [[Nigerian Canadians|Nigerian]] parents<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-10-12|title=I didn’t know I’d make history in Canada –Uzoma Asagwara, Canadian lawmaker|url=https://punchng.com/i-didnt-know-id-make-history-in-canada-uzoma-asagwara-canadian-lawmaker/|access-date=2021-10-08|website=Punch Newspapers|language=en-US}}</ref> and attended the [[University of Winnipeg]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Favourite local politician|url=https://uniter.ca/view/75-favourite-local-politician|access-date=2021-10-08|website=uniter.ca|language=en}}</ref> Asagwara was a member of the [[Canada women's national basketball team|Canadian national women's basketball team]], and was involved in mentoring youth athletes in downtown Winnipeg.<ref name="cbc" /> Prior to their election, Asagwara worked full-time as a psychiatric nurse specializing in adult and youth mental health and addictions.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/metro/Asagwara-hopes-to-fill-Minto-seat-504877871.html|title=Asagwara hopes to fill Minto seat|last=Wasney|first=Eva|date=January 25, 2019|work=[[Winnipeg Free Press]]|access-date=September 11, 2019}}</ref>
+Asagwara was born to [[Igbo people|Igbo]] [[Nigerian Canadians|Nigerian]] parents<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-10-12|title=I didn’t know I’d make history in Canada –Uzoma Asagwara, Canadian lawmaker|url=https://punchng.com/i-didnt-know-id-make-history-in-canada-uzoma-asagwara-canadian-lawmaker/|access-date=2021-10-08|website=Punch Newspapers|language=en-US}}</ref> and attended the [[University of Winnipeg]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Favourite local politician|url=https://uniter.ca/view/75-favourite-local-politician|access-date=2021-10-08|website=uniter.ca|language=en}}</ref> Asagware was the University of Winnipeg Female Athlete of the Year in 2005-06. In 2007 they led the [[Canadian Interuniversity Sport]] in scoring with 28.05 points per game.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2007-2-28|title=Asagwara Named Canada West All-Star|url=https://www.basketballmanitoba.ca/2007/02/asagwara-named-canada-west-all-star_28.html|access-date=2022-02-09|website=Basketball Manitoba}}</ref> Prior to their election, Asagwara worked full-time as a psychiatric nurse specializing in adult and youth mental health and addictions.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/metro/Asagwara-hopes-to-fill-Minto-seat-504877871.html|title=Asagwara hopes to fill Minto seat|last=Wasney|first=Eva|date=January 25, 2019|work=[[Winnipeg Free Press]]|access-date=September 11, 2019}}</ref>
 Asagwara has a long history as a grassroots community activist, educator, entrepreneur and mental health advocate and currently serve as a member of the Women's Health Clinic board of directors.  In 2014, Asagwara founded Queer People of Colour Winnipeg,<ref>{{Cite news|date=November 19, 2018|title=Meet a Future 40 finalist building relationships — while he builds houses and a new Cree language app|work=[[CBC News]]|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/2018-manitoba-cbc-future-40-day-1-1.4908077|access-date=September 11, 2019}}</ref> a Winnipeg-based initiative that creates safer spaces for and increases the visibility and representation of queer and transgender people of colour.

v t e Current members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
New Democratic	Kinew Altomare Asagwara Blashko Brar Bushie Cable Chen Compton Cross Dela Cruz Devgan Fontaine Kennedy Kostyshyn Lathlin Lindsey Loiselle Maloway Marcelino Moroz Moses Moyes Naylor Oxenham Pankratz Redhead Sala Sandhu Schmidt Schott Simard Smith Wiebe
Progressive Conservative	Ewasko Balcaen Bereza Byram Cook Goertzen Guenter Hiebert Jackson Johnson Khan King Lagassé Narth Nesbitt Perchotte Piwniuk Schuler Stone Wharton Wowchuk
Liberal†	Lamoureux
Independent†	Wasyliw
† Party does not have official party status in the Legislature