logo
livingroom

decorative bar

biographies


corner Last update of this page: May 20th 2003 corner
Linda Bellos
(1950 - living) U.K.

Linda Bellos

Activist, politician

separator

Born in London, her parents were both manual workers living in Brixton, south London. Her mother was white Jewish, and her father was Nigerian. Linda Bellos was brought up in Brixton and attended secondary school there. In 1970, she married and gave birth to two children. But in 1980 she came out as a lesbian, left her husband, and divorced him later in 1983.

In 1981 she became the first Black woman and the first Black lesbian to join the Spare Rib collective. In 1982 she was one of the organisers of the Women against Violence conference. In 1983-84 she was also one of the organisers of the Black feminist conference We Are Here. From 1984 to 1986 she worked at the Greater London Council Women's Unit. (The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986.) In 1984 she became vice-chair of the Labour Party Black Sections. In 1985 she was an organiser for the first Black lesbian conference in Britain, Zami 1.

Also in 1985 she became a councillor in the London Borough of Lambeth. From 1986 to 1988 she was leader of Lambeth Council. Her time as leader was during a period of divisions and strife within the Labour Party, and fuelled by a hostile press. She resigned as leader on 21st. April 1988 after disputes within the Labour Party over the setting of the Council budget. She then worked in local government and later worked as a freelance management consultant and writer.

On 9th. December 2002 Stephen Bourne and Linda Bellos were among the first voluntary community advisors to receive commendations from the Metropolitan Police. At Southwark Town Hall Chief Superintendent Rod Jarman, the Borough Commander for the London Borough of Southwark, presented them with Metropolitan Police Volunteer Awards "in recognition of outstanding contribution in supporting the local community".

separator

Her work include:

  • A Vision Back and Forth (1955)

Source: The Knitting Circle, U.K. - http://www.sbu.ac.uk/stafflag/people.html

Click on the letter A to go back to the list of names

corner © Matt & Andrej Koymasky, 1997 - 2008 corner