Angelina Simmonds

Angelina Simmonds

Angelina is from North Preston, where she spent much of her early life as a competitive

swimmer. She has competed provincially and nationally, holding records in Nova Scotia. Her

early experiences in athletics instilled a drive to uplift others, especially girls, through

empowerment and confidence-building.

Building on her passion for empowering youth, Angelina pursued studies in Women and Gender

Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University, fueling her commitment to addressing intersectional

challenges. Angelina plays a key role to our training programs and supports client project

designs. As a Justice Navigator at the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute, she assists

individuals in navigating the justice system. Her role encompasses prevention and mitigation in

areas such as criminal law, family and child welfare, mental health, addictions, social justice

issues, and addressing factors linked to contact with the justice system. Before this, Angelina

held positions at Acadia University and Halifax Partnership, where she built relationships,

facilitated connections, and developed, implemented, and reported on evaluating recruitment

programs and initiatives.

Driven by her dedication to empowering Black women, Angelina founded Black Girls Pillow

Talk, an initiative designed to provide a supportive platform for young Black girls to connect,

learn, and thrive. Through engaging events and discussions, Angelina fosters a community

where future generations of Black female leaders can flourish and uplift one another. To learn

more about Black Girls Pillow Talk read here.

Angelina draws inspiration from the words of Audre Lorde, "it is not our differences that divide

us, it is our ability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” Emphasizing the

importance of embracing and celebrating differences as a means of unity and empowerment.