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Episode 2: "Closed Mouths Don't Get Fed" with Nickaya Parris

Release Date: 02/23/2024

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Our guest for this month's Feature Friday is Nathan Simmons. Nathan is an actor of compelling presence and range, best known for his role as Elgin Williams on the supernatural horror-mystery series FROM. Hailing from the historical Black communities of East and North Preston in Nova Scotia, Simmons brings both authenticity and nuance to his craft. He graduated from the acting program at the Fountain School of the Arts in 2017, laying a solid foundation in theatre before making the transition to screen. Early in his career, Simmons distinguished himself in Canadian theatre,...

S2E10: "A Marble in Honey" with Nathan Simmons | PART 1

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S2E7: The Future of Black Land Ownership Starts Here | Shekara Grant & Curtis Whiley

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S2E6: “If You’re Committed to the Legislation, What Are You Doing to Get There?” | A Conversation on Environmental Racism and the Fight for Justice with Vanessa Hartley

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Our guest for this month's Feature Friday is DeRico Symonds! DeRico Symonds is a 8th generation African Nova Scotian currently employed with the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute as the Director of Engagement and Justice Initiatives. DeRico Symonds is the founder and President of Ignite Consulting, as well as a founding member of two non-profit organizations, ACCE (Arts, Culture, Community, Economics) and GC902 (Game Changers 902), a social justice advocacy group based in Halifax. DeRico has been awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Century of Service Award, the Irving & Ruth Pink...

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Feature Friday

Our guest for this month's Feature Friday, as well as first guest of season 2, is Angelina Simmonds! From North Preston, Angelina spent much of her early life as an athlete including basketball and competitive swimming. Competing provincially and nationally, and holding records in Nova Scotia. Driven to uplift women and girls through empowerment and confidence-building, Angelina founded Black Girls Pillow Talk (BGPT) in 2023 to create nurturing and encouraging spaces for young Black girls to share their lived experiences, prompt the healing of intergenerational...

More Episodes

Our guest for this month's Feature Friday episode is Nickaya Parris! Born in the North End of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and raised in the Community of Uniacke Square, Nickaya Parris is a recognized role model within the African Nova Scotian community, who she pays major homage to as they have crowned her with resiliency and plasticity while showing her the importance of self-discipline and hard work. Nickaya allows her passion for nutrition, healthcare, and underserved communities to lead her daily.

Currently working at the Population Public Health level as a Food Security Policy Analyst for the Provincial Government of NS, Nickaya is also a Registered Dietitian (RD) and holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) Degree in Nutrition and Food Science and a Certificate in Food Security from Toronto Metropolitan University and a Master's Degree in Public Health (MPH) Nutrition & Dietetics with a Clinical Nutrition Specialization from the University of Toronto, Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

It is an honor to host Nickaya as this is a full circle moment as Nickaya was the original "hostess with the mostess" for our "Feature Friday."

Show notes:

00:00 - Introducing Nickaya Parris

6:00 - Nickaya’s vocalness and how she uses her outgoing personality to her advantage

17:20 - Importance of family structure and support

23:30 - Nickaya’s different perspectives of growing up

34:24 - Interpreting culture from an ANS perspective

43:00 - Touching on historic ANS communities

55:20 - Finding self guidance from within

1:02:00 - Being a role model in the community

1:07:00 - What is Nickaya up to currently?

1:20:25 - One word check out!