DeRico Symonds

DeRico Symonds is an 8th-generation African Nova Scotian from Halifax NS, and currently serves as the Director of Engagement and Justice Initiatives with the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute. He holds an undergraduate degree in Child and Youth Studies and an Afrocentric Master of Education in Counselling from Acadia University. DeRico is also a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) and has been an Impact of Race and Culture Assessor (IRCA) and peer reviewer for approximately five years.

Throughout his career, DeRico has dedicated himself exclusively to community and social justice work. His previous roles include Manager of the Youth Advocate Program, a community-based crime prevention initiative; Black Student Support Coordinator at Mount Saint Vincent University; and frontline support with Phoenix Youth Programs, assisting individuals navigating addictions, mental health challenges, and homelessness. He went on to become the first Director of Opportunity & Belonging at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD), served as a Senior Policy Analyst, and later as Executive Advisor to the Deputy Minister in the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism, Government of Nova Scotia.

DeRico is the founder and president of Ignite Consulting, where he and his team have led community engagement on critical issues impacting both local and national Black communities. He has facilitated numerous workshops and presentations on topics including, but not limited to, anti-Black racism, leadership, and accountability. DeRico is a consistent advocate for issues affecting the Black communities locally in NS, and nationally in the country.

In addition to this work, DeRico serves on several committees and advisory bodies, including the two Nova Scotia Death in Custody Review Committees, Brothers Helping Brothers, the Nova Scotia Restorative Justice Governance and Management Committee, the Nova Scotia SIRT Community Liaison Committee, the Colchester African Nova Scotian Justice Society, and the RCMP Sankofa Committee, chaired by the Commanding Officer for Nova Scotia. He also serves as an advisor to the Centre for Environmental Justice in Shelburne, NS, and the MacPhee Centre for Creative Learning in Halifax.

DeRico served as Co-Chair of the National Black Canadian Summit held in Halifax in 2022, where he also contributed to the Halifax Declaration. He has represented African Nova Scotian and Black Canadian communities internationally, attending the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent in both Dakar, Senegal, and New York City.

In recognition of his leadership and community impact, DeRico has received several awards, including 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 Rights Award from the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission.