Our guests for this month’s double feature is Shekara Grant and Curtis Whiley!

Shekara Grant has ancestral ties to both Cherry Brook and Weymouth Falls, two of over 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities in this province. She graduated from Dalhousie University with combined honours in Sociology and French and a Certificate in Intercultural Communications in 2019. In 2023, Shekara founded the Weymouth Falls Community Land Trust, a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a platform for a vibrant community voice that stewards the land of Weymouth Falls by intersecting opportunities for growth and development with historical preservation of its cultural identity and assets. In addition to her work with the land trust, Shekara is pursuing a Masters in Sociology where she has been able to read and write primarily about African Nova Scotian and Indigenous relationships to property, land and justice. Her thesis will take a Black sociological approach to understanding and describing African Nova Scotian cultural identity beyond race and locality.

Curtis Whiley is a sixth-generation African Nova Scotian from Upper Hammonds Plains. With over 13 years in public service, he currently serves as Director of the Land Titles Initiative. Curtis holds a Bachelor of Commerce and an MBA in Social Enterprise Leadership. As the founder of the Upper Hammonds Plains Community Land Trust, Curtis leads efforts in land stewardship, affordable housing, and economic empowerment. He sits on the boards of the Canadian Network of Community Land Trusts and the Ecology Action Centre. A passionate advocate, Curtis is committed to building equitable and innovative solutions that facilitate community-led transformation.

It was a pleasure to host this month’s Feature Friday episode with two incredible community trailblazers, Shekara and Curtis!

Show notes:

00:00 - Introduction to Shekara Grant and Curtis Whiley

9:55 - Land titles in community

18:45 - Curtis on starting a community land trust (CLT)

27:10 - Navigating communication centred around the community land trusts with community members

31:55 - The ins and outs of a community land trust

40:10 - Determining membership in a community land trust

47:15 - Looking at other CLTs in North America for inspiration

54:00 - The colonial nature of land titles

57:00 - Shekara and Curtis’ goals for their CLTs

1:16:20 - Where does funding come from?

1:26:55 - The future of CLTs

1:32:35 - One word checkout

Our guest for this months Feature Friday is Vanessa Hartley!

Vanessa Hartley is an 8th-generation Black Loyalist descendant, born and raised in Shelburne, Nova Scotia. Her work and volunteer efforts demonstrate a deep commitment to Black history, Community Engagement, and Environmental Justice within her home province.

Hartley began her career at the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre in 2019, serving as Program Coordinator and Visitor Experience Supervisor, where she developed a love for Black history and Community Engagement. After completing her education, she returned to her community to support adults with different abilities. Seeking further growth, she joined the Tri-County Regional Centre for Education (TCRCE) as a Community Outreach Coordinator, which led her to The PREP Academy as Community Engagement Lead.

Her dedication to community service has been recognized, notably in 2021 when she was awarded Provincial Volunteer of the Year, representing the Municipality of Shelburne. She chaired the South End Environmental Injustice Society (SEED) from 2019-2022, an organization recognized for its efforts in fighting environmental racism in historic African Nova Scotian communities. Hartley also volunteered for the Association of Black Social Workers (ABSW) as the Rural COVID Community Coordinator, part of the ABSW/HACC Covid response team. Additionally, she was the Community Regional Researcher with the Delmore "Buddy" Daye Learning Institute, developing research for an Afrocentric Framework for Recognition of Prior
Learning.

Furthermore, Hartley was the Project Manager for the Provincial Environmental Racism Panel and was a research assistant to Dr. Ingrid Waldron's research project, "Genes and Geography: Disparities in Cancer Incidence and Outcomes in a Black Canadian Community. She also worked as the African Nova Scotian Student Support Worker at Lockeport elementary and high school and is currently the Active Living Coordinator for the Municipality of Barrington.

Vanessa Hartley is also the co-founder and president of the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ), a community-based board established from the historical Bill C-226, aiming to redress environmental harms and injustice in her hometown of Shelburne, Nova Scotia.

It was a pleasure hosting the inspiring Vanessa Hartley on our Feature Friday this month!

Show notes:

00:00 - Introduction to Vanessa Hartley

8:20 - What is environmental racism?

13:45 - Vanessa on the research she’s doing

17:00 - The history of environmental racism in Shelburne

26:30 - Vanessa on navigating government to help the community

33:25 - Vanessa on her family history

36:55 - Who inspires Vanessa

44:15 - Vanessa on gratitude

46:35 - Vanessa on what she values most

48:14 - Vanessa’s advice

49:45 - Vanessa’s five year plan

54:35 - Vanessa’s spiritual journey

59:25 - Environmental racism in the news

1:07:32 - Vanessa on her identity

1:15:00 - One word checkout!

Our guest for this month's Feature Friday is Alfred Burgesson!

Show notes:

00:00 - Introduction to Alfred Burgesson

2:50 - From Ghana to Cape Breton to Halifax!

6:40 - Family values for Alfred

8:05 - Alfred on taking risks in life

12:30 - Alfred on finding your tribe and starting Tribe Network

21:50 - Alfred on dealing with imposter syndrome

27:20 - What does success look like at Tribe for Alfred?

34:20 - Strategic collaboration over competition

36:20 - Where does Alfred see Tribe in 10 years?

40:15 - Alfred’s experience with the ANS Lab committee

42:55 - One word checkout with Alfred!

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 award for youth development and social justice, and the Dr Burnley “Rocky” Jones Human Right award from the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission.

With an extensive career in community work in our racialized and marginalized communities, DeRico has a wealth of community engagement experience. DeRico provides counselling to marginalized youth and is called upon during incidences of gun violence in our Black communities. DeRico Symonds is also an Impact Race and Cultural Assessor (IRCA) with the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute serving Atlantic Canada.

It was a pleasure hosting the motivational and community-driven DeRico Symonds on our podcast this month!

Show notes:

00:00 - Introduction to DeRico Symonds

2:30 - DeRico on his upbringing

15:00 - How DeRico translated his experiences to where he is today

21:20 - DeRico on his experience and lessons learned at university

40:10 - DeRico’s post-university work

56:40 - DeRico on being politically informed

1:05:30 - DeRico on the work he’s currently doing

1:15:05 - DeRico on his consulting work

1:20:50 - “Always Take the Stairs”

1:28:35 - One word checkout

Our guest for this month's Feature Friday episode is Daneesha Provo!

Daneesha’s journey has been all about growth, purpose, and impact, and she is excited to see where it takes her next. Right now, Daneesha is taking some time away from basketball to focus on family, enjoy life, and really be present in this chapter.

After years of dedicating herself to the game, playing at the highest levels, traveling the world, and pushing through the ups and downs, she’s embracing a new balance. One of her biggest priorities is building her basketball academy. She’s always believed in using basketball as a tool for education and opportunity, and now she is fully committed to creating a space where young female athletes can grow, learn, and chase their dreams just like she did.

Beyond basketball, she has been tapping into other passions, including writing a children’s book, something she has wanted to do for a long time. Storytelling has always been important to her, and she is excited to bring her experiences and lessons to life in a way that inspires kids from her community and Nova Scotia.

Daneesha is also working with Tribe Network as the Community Engagement Lead, which has been an amazing experience. She gets to collaborate with incredible people, connect with her community in new ways, and help create opportunities for others. It’s been the perfect setup for her, and is loving every moment of it.

Travel is also still a big part of her life. Whether it’s for work or just exploring, she loves being able to see new places, meet new people, and gain fresh perspectives.

It was a pleasure hosting the inspirational Daneesha Provo on our podcast this month!

Show notes:

00:00 - Introduction

1:45 - Daneesha’s backstory

5:10 - Daneesha’s special relationship with her dad

8:50 - Daneesha’s experience in boarding school

16:20 - Daneesha’s advice on the lessons she’s learned on the path to success

20:30 - How do basketball skills translate to real world skills?

28:00 - Daneesha and Aaliyah’s advice for people who want to expand their identity outside basketball

33:45 - Daneesha’s experience in China

40:10 - Daneesha on start her basketball academy

43:55 - Daneesha’s children’s book

47:10 - Daneesha work with Tribe Network

51:00 - Daneesha’s advice for people who want to travel and see the world

57:00 - One word checkout!

Show notes:

Join us for this bonus episode brought to you by the Youth Climate Action Fund, where the ONE team of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) Ambassadors—Josh Paris, Sarah Yehayes, and Leah Khisa—share their experiences in raising awareness about climate change within African Nova Scotian communities in Nova Scotia. Their goal is to engage you in a dialogue around 'green jobs', a crucial step to help close the employment gap for Black individuals and African Nova Scotians aged 18 to 35 in our province.

In this episode, Rodney Small, Josh Paris, Sarah Yehayes, Leah Khisa, and co-hosts Aaliyah Aarb Smith and Trevor Silver come together to discuss their experiences and insights with the broader community. Tune in to discover the many opportunities within the green economy that often go unnoticed due to a lack of awareness regarding climate change and the importance of climate justice.

Show notes:

00:00 - Introduction to the team

0:55 - One North End and the green economy

4:30 - How ONE team members have been working with the community to encourage the green economy

9:30 - The biggest learning experiences the team has had with these green economy initiatives

11:40 - A closer look at the Next Ride tours

14:30 - Breaking down the joint regional transportation agency

20:45 - Analyzing the low-carbon community survey responses

26:05 - Discussion on the Green Schools

30:10 - The unique perspective of working on projects with the youth

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