“Some people have said it has been groundbreaking, but for me, I believe I have been grounded in my pursuit to justice, and [my] pursuit to creating equality and equal opportunities for everyone.” — Mayor Lilian Seenoi Barr

Lilian Seenoi Barr, the Kenya-born Mayor of Derry City and Strabane, located in Northern Ireland, recognizes that her journey — full of great challenges as well as history making accomplishments — is an inspiration to many, including those just beginning their own journeys. It’s a responsibility she gladly accepts and one she takes with her daily, as she firmly believes in the unique potential of others.

“That is what I want to do in my position now, inspire more of our own community to believe that they can occupy those places of influence, that they can also be decision makers,” said Seenoi Barr. “That’s a weight I carry every day — to ensure that I succeed in any mission that I do; not just to prove to myself that I can do it, but also to others who may be doubting themselves that you can also do it. Because I did it.” 

What she did was become the first Black person to be elected to public office in Northern Ireland, elected to the Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Foyleside ward in 2023, before being named mayor in April of 2024. The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council is an honorary role, with the recipient chosen by other members of the council to serve for a one-year term. The mayor acts as the council chairperson and the city’s “first citizen.”   

However, her path to leadership started long before her immigration to the country she now proudly calls home. In fact, her devotion to activism, advocacy, and public service began when she was a young girl in Kenya, inspired by her own family. “I’m a Maasai woman and had an amazing upbringing, a great family,” Seenoi Barr explained. “Everything I do has always been driven by purpose and the people.” 

Seenoi Barr was given the opportunity to be educated by parents who valued education as “a way to change and transform your life and also your society.” Experiencing the traditions within the Maasai culture — including young children, particularly young girls, not having the privilege of an education, in addition to the possibility of forced marriage and female genital mutilation — she felt a responsibility, even then, to fight for her community and girls who looked like her. “I felt that sense of responsibility to fight for the Maasai girl child, and that is where my activism began,” she said. 

That activism continued as Barr became a prominent force in the fight for gender rights among Maasai women, eventually forced to flee with her son for their safety due to that extensive work. She then moved to Northern Ireland, proclaiming herself “an immigrant, a refugee,” finding common ground in the challenges she faced at home with those of her new community. “Those challenges that I was facing, and other people from my community or the refugee community, really ignited the same fire I had in Kenya to continue fighting for their rights and their voice to be heard.”  

In addition to her current role, Seenoi Bar founded and is chief executive officer of the North West Migrants Forum, where, according to her biography on DerryStrabane.com, she advocates for the “rights and integration of migrants and minoritised minorities,” developing programming to address issues like racial discrimination, social inclusion, and community cohesion. When asked to name an accomplishment she is most proud of, the mayor emphasized helping young people prepare themselves for leadership positions through a mentoring program she initiated, as well as her ability to build relationships to benefit her community. “One of the things that I am so proud of is being able to forge relationships, especially international relationships, with our city and district,” she said. 

An Honored Recipient of an Honorary Degree from Howard 

“Being awarded an honorary degree for the work that I have done all my life, without needing any acclamations for it, it’s just a great honor,” said Seenoi Barr, who will be presented with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree during the Howard’s 2025 Commencement ceremony. “I am humbled; I feel so blessed to have been recognized.” In terms of her profession, the political leader finds the honor validating and proof that she’s on the right path. “It just confirms that everything I’m doing is right; that there are people within the whole world who recognize social justice is a must. That we absolutely have to continue fighting for the rights of our people, and to come from an institution that social justice is embedded in every corner of its work — it’s a great honor.” 

Barr will be among four other distinguished professionals receiving honorary degrees from the institution during the commencement ceremony May 10, including acclaimed artist and Commencement orator LeVar Burton; Emery Neal Brown, Ph.D.; American poet Natasha Trethewey; and the Honorable Barbara Lee, whom Seenoi Barr is looking forward to meeting again, along with all of her “new Howard University family.”  “I’m really looking forward to meeting all the honorees,” she said. “I was so pleased to see Barbara Lee being honored,” she continued. “If I can do half of the things that Barbara Lee has done, I will be one of the proudest Black women in the world. She is such an inspiration.” 

If you have gone to Howard University, that’s already an amazing achievement.

Resilience and a Message for HU Students

Inspirational in her own right, when it comes to facing challenges and adversity, as well as showing up as a leader others can look up to, Seenoi Barr leans into what she calls an “unwavering spirit” of resilience which carries her through times of uncertainty. “It is resilience that has been more than a trait for me, it has been that way of life,” she said of her journey from refugee to mayor of Derry. This is a message she hopes to impart on those currently forging their own path, like the graduating class of 2025. 

“If you have gone to Howard University, that’s already an amazing achievement. To be able to grow, you have surrounded yourself with amazing people who have nurtured you and supported you — continue doing that, continue holding on to that, but also hold on to hope.” She also stressed the importance believing that you belong in the spaces you occupy, and to therefore enter them bravely and with the conviction to make change happen. 

“We need to be brave. We need to believe in ourselves that we can occupy those spaces, that we are good enough,” she continued. “We can do it, but also, we deserve to have positions of influence to deliver for our communities.”