[1] She worked as an assistant to New Democratic Party MP Pauline Jewett of New Westminster—Coquitlam,[2] as well as BC NDP member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Maillardville-Coquitlam John Cashore.

[5] As an MP, one of her most notable achievements was proposing a private member's bill in 1991 that made December 6, the anniversary of the 1989 Montreal Massacre, a permanent day of remembrance and action on violence against women.

[5] On April 5, 2006, during the first question period of the 39th Parliament Black asked Gordon O'Connor, then Minister of National Defence, to renegotiate the prisoner transfer agreement with the Afghan government.

In the 2008 election, she defeated Conservative candidate Yonah Martin to retain her seat,[9] and kept her post as the NDP's defence critic.

[10] She stated she would remain in federal office long enough to draft a private member's bill restricting the use of civilian armoured vehicles, a significant issue in a city dealing with gang violence.

[14] Black said after the nomination: "I've done a lot of tough things in my life - I've travelled to Afghanistan...The challenge is to prove to British Columbians that we're working together.