Lydia Johnson

Lydia Johnson is a South African politician who represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature until 2019. She was the legislature's Speaker from 2013 to 2019 and previously served in the KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council between 2006 and 2011: she was KwaZulu-Natal's Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Public Works from 2006 to 2009 and MEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural Development from 2009 to 2011. In June 2022, she was appointed board chairperson at Ezemvelo. Quotes I remember my mother, a banking professional and political activist, talking about her time working on campaigns of “strong women” throughout the late 80s and 90s. In her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, she helped women get elected as district representatives, judges, and councilwomen. She would lament that she didn’t see the same dynamics in Georgia, and she was surprised that Georgia had so few women even running for office. Contributing to the election of women who looked like her and shared her background was some of the most meaningful work she’d done, but her daughter was growing up in a place that didn’t seem similar at all My experiences truly warranted her sentiments: even though I considered my preteen-self more politically aware than my average peer — meaning I was looking and paying attention — I still couldn’t find many examples of strong female political leaders. There was a framed photo of former Atlanta mayor, Mayor Shirley Franklin, in my church’s basement, and for most of my life, that was the pinnacle of women in politics to me. Outside of her presence, my understanding of Georgia’s political hierarchy was that it was very traditional, male, conservative, and status quo. The legacy of American politics thus far has been dictated by mostly men — a status quo culture that is reflected in our state and local governments as well. Yet, my entire adult life, albeit short, the polarized nature of U.S. politics has undoubtedly become more stark. The basic rights of Americans — life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness — are, amazingly, being reevaluated and reinterpreted as we speak. We are at the cusp of a tipping point, and, now more than ever, we should be looking for candidates and elected officials to act in our, the people’s, best interests. External links Category:Living people