Simone Samuels joins Civic Action as the inaugural Director of Inclusion. She brings with her almost a decade of experience working with youth and marginalized communities. Before joining Civic Action, Simone was the Director of Outreach at the Ontario Justice Education Network a non-profit that delivers public legal education to vulnerable young people.
To learn more about Simone, read her spotlight below, check out her bio on our team page, and connect with her on LinkedIn.
My full name is…
Simone Moneek Samuels. My Mom wanted to be “different” with her spelling of “Monique”, so she decided to spell it phonetically. *Sigh* Jamaican parents…
I was born in …
Toronto. Scarborough to be specific, and Agincourt to be exact. #scarberia #scarlem #scompton
I currently live in …
The heart of North York! It’s an area that’s near and dear to me. My parents used to work here when I was growing up and my best friend from elementary school lives a 10-minute walk away – it’s so cool to be living here now. The area has changed so much since the 90s…
Diverse leadership is important because…
I once heard someone say that if a group of men come together and decide on a course of action that will have an effect on both men and women, they will likely come to the wrong decision. To come to the right decision about things that affect a multiplicity of people, you need a multiplicity of perspectives. Diverse leadership is important because the people making the decisions should be reflective of the people who will be affected by the decisions made. “Nothing about us, without us is for us.”
Civic engagement is important because ….
We can’t just complain about what is going wrong or what we don’t like and sit back and live our quiet lives of desperation, nor can we delegate responsibility for our cities to our elected officials. We need to be involved. All hands on deck. That’s how we create a city worth living, working, and growing in.
The issues in our region that keep me up at night are…
How on earth will I ever afford to buy property in the city I love? Rent is so expensive, housing even more so. Buying property is a key wealth-building strategy, something that racialized communities have not been empowered to do. I could try buying elsewhere in the GTHA, but then I’ll have to consider commuting – something for which I have a very low tolerance.
This leads me to transit. I’m happy to see investments in building new subway lines and LRTs, but many areas of Toronto still remain so disconnected. I honestly wonder if I can continue to afford to live here, and whether I want to or will have to rent for the rest of my life.
It’s the plight of the Millennial – you finish university during an economic crisis and so you stay in school and you accrue thousands of dollars in student debt. When you finally get a good job, you still need a partner and/or your parents to maybe afford a home in the city in which you were raised. And I know I’m not the only one. When I see the prevalence of people begging for money or food on the street, and when I see people sleeping in subway stations in North York (which used to only happen downtown), I know that many of my fellow Torontonians are struggling with the housing situation in this city. The situation is untenable. Something’s gotta give.
One thing I do to ensure I continue to grow and develop as a leader is…
From listening to podcast to surfing on Instagram – I read a lot and I take in a lot of content. I accept mentorship, even if it is passive. In fact, some of my greatest mentors don’t even know me, but I know them because I consume their books and anything they have written about a particular subject. I try to remain humble, and I remind myself that I don’t know everything and that everyone has something that they can teach me.
One characteristic every leader should possess (and why) is …
Humility and honesty. Be willing to be wrong. Be willing to admit mistakes. Be willing to be vulnerable. Be willing to be honest. Be willing to be authentic. That’s what’s helps people latch onto your vision and work with you to see it to fruition.
If you want to get more engaged in your city or community you should ….
Goodness – the opportunities are endless!
Back in the day, the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of Toronto (or the former City of Scarborough) would send around these catalogues of programs and volunteer activities. Your local public library would have a bulletin board of posts on how to get involved.
In this digital, mid-pandemic world, it’s a little less straight forward. I would check out the websites of your local library, community centre and school. I would also Google, “how to get more engaged in [insert your community here].” You’d be surprised at what the internet will tell you.
To me, an inclusive city/region/GTHA looks like…
One where everyone feels like they belong, regardless of how they look, whom they love, how old they are, how much money they make, how much ability they have. An inclusive region is one in which people can thrive, grow, and reach their fullest potential.
One of my favourite places in the GTHA to visit/go is ….
I used to be a summer camp counsellor in Markham (York Region) so that had me going to a variety of parks. There are so many beautiful parks in Markham. I don’t remember the names of all of them, but Milliken Mills park holds special memories for me. When I was a kid, we’d go there to watch fireworks.
I also love being able to see the trees change colour in the Don Valley Parkways while riding the subway overhead (near Broadview station). I’ve never been to High Park – it’s on my to-go list.
I absolutely LOVE the landscaping at my alma mater Glendon College! So picturesque.
I’ve gone hiking near Hamilton Mountain and in the Dundas, Ontario area. Very pretty views.
A hobby/talent of mine that people may not know about …
Uhhh…. I can cook?
If I could have dinner with anyone, living or deceased, I would choose X because ….
Oh. That’s easy. Michelle Obama. Hands down. Ever watch someone from afar and think, “I really want to be their friend”? Michelle Obama is that person for me. There’s so many now that I really think of it. Stevie Mackey. Stevie Wonder. Oprah. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Meghan Markle. It’s a long list. But one of the biggest lessons from 2020 is that anything can happen.
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