Laura Mae Lindo

Born in Canada, Lindo's parents immigrated to the country from Jamaica.[2] Her mother Osra Lindo graduated from York University with a bachelor's degree in gender and women's studies at the age of 79.[3][4] She is the niece of former Ontario MPP and Speaker Alvin Curling.[4] Raised in Scarborough, Lindo has lived in Kitchener since 2014.[5]

Lindo graduated from 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.[6] Her Master of Education degree, completed at York, examined Ontario's high school philosophy program.[6] Lindo also holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in education.[5] 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.[7]

Lindo is Kitchener's first Black MPP.[2] She currently serves 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.[8] 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.[9] Prior to her election, she worked as Director of Diversity and Equity at Wilfrid Laurier University.[5][2] 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".[10][11]

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.[12]

In January 2023, Lindo announced that she would be stepping down that July to join the University of Waterloo's philosophy department.[12]

• 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.