.png)
ANSJI Quarterly Update Letter, April 2025
- African Nova Scotian Justice Institute
- 12 minutes ago
- 9 min read
Welcome to ANSJI's April 2025 newsletter, which provides a glimpse into the impactful work of the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute over the past quarter.
The African Nova Scotia Justice Institute is mandated to serve as a justice-focused organization that is proactive and reactive in its response to the pervasive institutional racism experienced by Black people and African Nova Scotians in their interactions with policing, the courts, prisons, and related systems.
Our mandate is to address issues of systemic racism in the justice system that negatively impact Black and African Nova Scotians while ensuring fair, legal, and constitutional treatment of all Black and African Nova Scotians.
Visit our website at ANSJI.ca and follow us on social media by visiting linktr.ee/ANSJI for links to all of our social media accounts.
In This Issue:
Important Transition in ANSJI Leadership
It is with gratitude for her service and our warmest wishes that the Board of Directors of the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute announces the resignation of Shawna Paris-Hoyte from the role of Executive Director, a role she held while on leave from Dalhousie Legal Aid Service. Shawna has long been a leader in the African Nova Scotian community as a lawyer, social work clinical specialist and educator. We wish her all the best in all that comes next.
In order to support continuity of leadership, the Board welcomes the return of Robert Wright to serve as acting Executive Director. Robert served as the founding Executive Director of the Institute until the spring of 2024.
Job Openings with ANSJI
The African Nova Scotian Justice Institute (ANSJI) is accepting Expressions of Interest letters for two positions within the organization: Director, Forensic Assessment and Treatment Unit (FATU), & Paralegal.
The Paralegal will report to the Director of Legal Services and support the Legal Services Pillar, which includes family law, criminal law, and youth law.
The Director of the Forensic Assessment and Treatment Unit (FATU) oversees the recruitment, training, and ongoing support for professionals conducting Impact of Race and Culture Assessments (IRCAs) and the operations related to conducting IRCAs.
The Director will strategically advocate for increased access to mental health services for African Nova Scotians and Black People of African Descent navigating the justice system, such as criminal, youth justice, child welfare, and family law.
The Director will explore and develop the treatment component of the Forensic Assessment and Treatment Unit. The Director will also be engaged in developing National IRCA work at a Federal level.
To learn more and to see the full job descriptions, CLICK HERE to download full PDF versions of the listings.
If you are interested in either of these positions, please submit your expression of interest to the ANSJI Director of Operations, Sarah Upshaw, at sarah.upshaw@ansji.ca, subject line: Director-FATU, no later than Midnight on April 27th, 2025.
IRCA™ Training
The African Nova Scotian Justice Institute (ANSJI) held our latest training session for Black Canadians with Master’s degrees in mental health disciplines to become IRCA™ assessors this past January in Montreal.
Impact of Race and Culture Assessments™ (IRCAs™) are comprehensive pre-sentencing reports prepared for judges to aid in sentencing decisions for Black people convicted of a criminal offense in Canada.
In Nova Scotia, IRCAs are mandatory following a 2021 unanimous ruling by the Nova Scotia Court of Appeals.
An IRCA™ examines the impact that systemic anti-Black racism has on an individual’s life.
A callout was made last year for new IRCA™ assessors through ANSJI’s National IRCA™ Training Project.
The Project’s director, Natalie Hodgson, led the four two-day training sessions that followed through a free micro-credential course delivered in partnership with Dalhousie University School of Social Work.
January’s session in Montreal was translated into French.
Between August and November of last year, three other training sessions took place in Toronto, Edmonton, and at ANSJI’s office in Halifax.
An Africentric Approach to Restorative Justice in Nova Scotia
Several in-person community focus group sessions were held recently throughout the province as part of the ‘Africentric Approach to Restorative Justice in Nova Scotia’ research project.
Dr. Tiffany Gordon, the manager of the Data Collection and Justice System Accountability Unit at ANSJI, leads the project. The project is funded by the Law Foundation of Nova Scotia.
The ‘Africentric Approach to Restorative Justice in Nova Scotia’ research project seeks to address the overrepresentation of Black/African Nova Scotians and Black people of African descent in the criminal justice system and will study whether the current restorative justice practices in Nova Scotia meet Black communities' needs and explore the need for culturally relevant, race-conscious justice processes.
Alvero Wiggins, a project team lead for Let’s Care Collective, led the sessions and was joined by Dr. Tiffany Gordon, and DeRico Symonds, ANSJI’s Director of Community Engagement and Justice Initiatives.
SAVE THE DATE:
ANSJI’s 2nd Annual Justice Symposium
(June 13, 2025)
The African Nova Scotian Justice Institute (ANSJI) will be holding our annual Justice Symposium on June 13th, 2025 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Halifax Central Library, 5440 Spring Garden Rd.
This year’s theme will be Community Violence.
Space is limited.
Registration will be announced soon.
To stay up to date, please visit our website at ANSJI.ca and follow ANSJI on social media by going to: https://linktr.ee/ANSJI.
Nominations Open for the 2025 Wakai Glasgow Social Justice Award
Nominations are now open for the 2025 Wakai Glasgow Social Justice Award, which will be presented on June 13th, 2025, at ANSJI's 2nd annual Justice Symposium in Halifax.
The award is in memory of Wakai Glasgow, who passed away in February 2024. He was a lawyer with the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute.
As part of the criteria, nominees must clearly connect to the values Wakai Glasgow championed, including resilience, advocacy, and uplifting marginalized/underrepresented voices and communities.
Applicants must reside and work in Nova Scotia and be employed or actively volunteering in the justice or social justice sector (e.g., community work, youth services, legal profession, etc).
If selected as the winner, you must be able to attend ANSJI’s Justice Symposium on June 13th, 2025, in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The deadline for nominations is April 26th, 2025, at 5:00 pm.
For more information on the award and how to nominate someone, CLICK HERE.
The Wakai Glasgow Social Justice Award honours the life and memory of Wakai Glasgow, a former lawyer at the African Nova Scotia Justice Institute and a dedicated father, son, brother, and friend. As a member of the Justice Advocates Program, Wakai worked in human rights, addressing policing and employment law issues, and was instrumental in leading the Know Your Rights campaign and delivering public legal education to students across the province.
As an integral part of the larger legal community, Wakai also served as Staff Lawyer and Duty Counsel with Nova Scotia Legal Aid for 13 years, where he navigated complex cases and fought through an often racially discriminatory legal system. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Waterloo and a Juris Doctor degree from Dalhousie University Schulich School of Law.
Wakai had a captivating presence with an exceptional legal mind and a spirit of social justice. He made an impact through advocacy, noteworthy human rights efforts, and unwavering dedication to his community. This award will be presented annually at the ANSJI Justice Symposium to honor an individual in Nova Scotia who reflects and upholds these values.
ANSJI attends a rally against Gender-Based Violence
Members of the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute (ANSJI) recently attended 'Together We Rise' in Halifax, a community rally in solidarity with victims and survivors of gender-based violence (GBV).
The rally started outside the Halifax Regional Police headquarters on Gottingen Street. Then, gatherers marched to the provincial courthouse on Spring Garden Road and then to the Grand Parade outside of Halifax City Hall, where they listened to speeches from several guest speakers.
Among the speakers was Wyndolyn Brown, a Black woman who is the founder and CEO of Empowerment for Hope Society. This non-profit organization strives to help families break free of the cycles of violence, abuse, and trauma.
"As a survivor myself, I know the weight of fear, the pain of isolation, and the feeling of being trapped with no way out,” Brown told the crowd.
Brown said that although "domestic violence does not discriminate," it can still affect different groups of people in various ways, and honed in specifically on the Black community.
"In the African Nova Scotian community, we face unique barriers – systematic racism, generational trauma, and a lack of culturally responsive support services. These challenges make it even harder for our women and our men and our families to break free from cycles of abuse. We cannot allow this to continue," said Brown.
Following the rally, ANSJI's Manager of the Data Collection and Justice System Accountability Unit, Dr. Tiffany Gordon, spoke with ANSJI’s communications department about the rally's importance in a video posted to our social media.
“It's important because we're here, we're all affected by violence in certain ways, and some of us have experienced it, or had family members, or even if you don't know it personally, it's an issue of justice. And I work for the Justice Institute, and this is what we do," said Gordon.
"Different communities have different experiences," she said. "And violence (in Black communities) is often a response to context, and sometimes a response to trauma as well."Other guest speakers at the rally included author and advocate Lynn Gallant Blackburn, whose sister, Paula Ann Gallant, was murdered by her husband; Claudia Chender, the leader of the Nova Scotia NDP; and Liz LeClair, a volunteer for 'Can't Buy My Silence.'
After speeches at Grand Parade, gatherers marched down the street to the Nova Scotia Legislature building, where trauma therapist Kristina Fifield, who helped organize the event, delivered final remarks.
A video and write-up about the rally is available on the Updates section of our website.
Black & Indigenous High School Students Visit ANSJI During March Break
During March Break, the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society held an internship program for Black and Indigenous high school students interested in law.
The Inspiring Future Indigenous Black & Mi’kmaq Lawyers Internship Pathways (IB&MIP) emphasizes the pathway to the legal profession, including attending law school and the IB&M initiative.
In addition to field trips to the law courts and law firms throughout the week, the students also visited the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute (ANSJI), where they spoke with ANSJI Justice Navigator Angelina Simmonds, ANSJI Human Rights Lawyer Wayne Desmond, and ANSJI’s Interim Director of Legal Services, Angela Simmonds.
“It was great to host the IB&M mentorship and have the students visit,” said Angela Simmonds. “I was excited to share the possibilities of what you can accomplish with a law degree. I was inspired by curiosity, honesty, and conversation we shared.”
“It was a great experience to engage with so many enthusiastic Black and Indigenous youth,” Simmonds’ daughter Angelina added. “The questions they were asking really highlighted how important these opportunities are in order to create more representation in Law. For me, working at ANSJI it was a rewarding moment to be able to connect with the high school students about my role as a Justice Navigator and how vital it is to be a bridge for community members involved in the justice system when supporting with reintegrating into society.”
In Pictures
Take a visual journey through our recent events and activities that have brought us closer to our goal of justice and equality
![[VIDEO] DeRico Symonds on Community Engagement & Justice Initiatives at ANSJI (8 Parts)](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/617cb3_b6f74d77d79241d393c7956b3219a832~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_980,h_740,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/617cb3_b6f74d77d79241d393c7956b3219a832~mv2.png)
Yorumlar