Lilian Seenoi-Barr, a councillor of Derry and Strabane District Council, is set to become Northern Ireland’s first black mayor. However, this achievement didn’t come without challenges. Seenoi-Barr received death threats after being selected by the SDLP to take up the position, and a man was arrested in relation to these. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is treating it as a racially-motivated hate crime.
Despite this, Seenoi-Barr, who is originally from Kenya, says that she won’t let this stop her from taking up the role and serving her community. She stated that the majority of people in the area support her and that the people of Derry have taken her “into their hearts.”
Seenoi-Barr explained that she has experienced racism since moving to this country and putting herself forward to represent her community. She said that the death threats have affected her family more than herself, but she remains focused on working towards a more inclusive and progressive society.
Several Stormont politicians, including SDLP leader Colum Eastwood, have condemned the abuse received by Seenoi-Barr. Eastwood stressed the importance of standing united against racism and being careful about the language used in political discourse.
The SDLP is set to change how it appoints “civil leadership” positions after two councillors resigned over the selection process. Seenoi-Barr, who has been a councillor since 2021, retained her seat in last year’s local elections
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