Shirley Douglas - Activism

Activism

Douglas moved to Los Angeles, California in 1967 after marrying actor Donald Sutherland. She became involved in the American Civil Rights Movement, the campaign against the Vietnam War, and later on behalf of immigrants and women. She helped establish the fundraising group "Friends of the Black Panthers." In 1969, Douglas was arrested in Los Angeles for conspiracy to possess unregistered explosives, after she allegedly attempted to purchase hand grenades for the Black Panthers. She claimed that the FBI was trying to frame her and spent five days in jail. Subsequently, the U.S. government denied her a work permit based on this incident. Douglas, now divorced from Sutherland, was forced to leave the U.S. in 1977. She and her three children moved to Toronto.

As the daughter of Tommy Douglas, who brought medicare to Canada, she has also been one of Canada's most prominent activists in favour of the publicly-funded health care system over privatized care. In the Canadian federal election, 2006, Douglas campaigned on behalf of the federal New Democratic Party. She supported Brian Topp for that party's leadership in 2012.