On June 1, 2024, we marked the 97th birthday of Dame Lois Browne-Evans. We mark this day not just because she is a former leader of the Progressive Labour Party but because she is an enduring symbol of perseverance, heroism and progressive change.

Her leadership not only helped the PLP survive during its many years as the opposition party but positively transformed Bermuda for the Black community, the Portuguese community, our working class and our poor.

Dame Lois emerged from a Bermuda marred by racial and gender inequity. Despite this, her determination drove her to become the first woman barrister in Bermuda, setting the stage for her lifelong battle against injustice.

Known for her defence of those who had been marginalised and disenfranchised by systemic inequities, Dame Lois swiftly became known as one of the island's most brilliant legal minds.

In 1963, Lois Browne-Evans entered the political arena, as a candidate for the PLP in Devonshire North, the area she would successfully represent for 40 years, even when political turmoil saw the PLP reduced to just one seat.

As the PLP leader from 1968 to 1972 and then from 1976 to 1985, she championed women’s rights, improved working conditions and labour laws, and oversaw the end of colonial rule in Bermuda and an end to racial inequality. She also made history by becoming the first woman to lead a political party in Bermuda as well as the first woman to serve as Opposition leader in the British Commonwealth.

Stepping down as leader in 1985, she remained a faithful party champion and diligent constituency MP until after 33 years as the Opposition, the PLP finally defeated the United Bermuda Party in the 1998 General Election.

With the dawning of a new government, she became Bermuda's first politically appointed attorney-general, breaking another barrier and becoming the first woman in Bermuda to hold this position. In the role of Minister of Legislative Affairs and Attorney-General, Dame Lois Browne-Evans worked tirelessly to reform Bermuda’s legal systems into one with greater fairness and equity.

In 1999, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for her services to politics and public life.

Dame Lois Browne-Evans’s legacy is not merely one of breaking barriers but of building bridges. She bridged the gap between race, gender and social class, advocating for a Bermuda where justice and equality were not just ideals but realities. Her life's work inspired countless individuals to pursue their dreams, challenge injustices and contribute to a more equitable society.

Dame Lois passed away on May 29, 2007, but her legacy endures. She left an indelible mark on Bermuda’s legal and political landscape, and her contributions continue to inspire future generations. In her honour, the PLP government established the Dame Lois Browne-Evans Court Building. This fitting tribute ensures that her spirit of justice and equality lives on in the very institutions she helped to lead and transform.

In 2008, she was recognised as a Bermuda National Hero.

As we reflect on the life and legacy of Dame Lois Browne-Evans, we celebrate her extraordinary courage, intellect, vision and compassion. Her journey from a young girl in Pembroke born in a segregated society to a National Hero of her island of birth is a testament to her indomitable spirit and unwavering commitment to justice.

We pray that Dame Lois Browne-Evans will be remembered for ever as a beacon of hope, a champion of equality, and a true pioneer in the fight for a more just and equitable Bermuda.

• Dawn Simmons is the chairwoman of the Progressive Labour Party