Emery Barnes - Definition and Overview

Emery Barnes (December, 1929-July 1, 1998) was a football player and Canadian politician.

Born in Louisiana and raised in Oregon, Barnes was a defensive end for the Green Bay Packers, BC Lions and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He also received a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of British Columbia.

Barnes worked as a social worker before entering politics. First elected to the British Columbia legislature in 1972, he served the people of British Columbia until 1996. Barnes and fellow NDP MLA Rosemary Brown were the first black politicians elected to a legislative office in British Columbia.

Elected Speaker of the Legislature in 1994, he was also the first black person to hold this position in any Canadian province.