Lady of the house

Jet, Oct 27, 2003

LADY OF THE HOUSE: Baroness Valerie Amos, who made history in May as the first Black woman to serve in the British Cabinet (JET, June 2), made history again this year with her recent appointment as the first Black woman to head the House of Lords, the highest chamber in the British parliament. Born in Guyana, Amos, 49, studied in England at the Universities of Warwick, Birmingham and East Anglia.

She became the first Black woman elected a life peer of the House of Lords in 1997 and was named secretary of state for international development this past May. The House of Lords traditionally has been composed of upper-class elite appointed by birthright. However, since the 1990s, the government under Prime Minister Tony Blair has been reforming the House of Lords to remove this privilege and Amos' appointment is another step in the transformation. Amos replaces the late Lord Williams of Mostyn. Her duties will include overseeing the organization of government business in the House and advising it on matters of procedure and breaches of order.