By: Nala Simone Toussaint, (Consultant| Activist | Organizer | Influencer | Healer)

How are you making history?
With a background in grassroots activism and community building, I work with organizations to spark impactful change through policy, activism, and education. Through shared humanity, I challenge notions of inclusivity and diversity to expand gender, racial, and economic equity at the corporate and executive levels. I work with women across the spectrum of identities and social and economic realities to support their health goals and well-being. 

I am the founder of Reuniting of African Descendants (R.O.A.D.), which is a grassroots initiative invested in shaping the equitable personal and collective development and achievement of African descendants. Each year, R.O.A.D. seeks to mobilize at least 10 individuals to work collaboratively to transform queer and trans communities in Africa through cultural exchange. R.O.A.D. approaches this cultural exchange and community-building work by cultivating a cross-continental and inter-generational travel experience that focuses on healing, apothecary teaching, and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Who is a woman of color who’s inspired you and why?
The woman of color who inspires me is my grandmother Barbara Patricia Francis. She is a Jamaican-born woman who left her country to assure the following generations of her legacy would have greater access to resources and get close to an equitable experience in life. My grandmother reminds me of the power of intention and action. She has shown me the harvest that can blossom through persistence and dedication. She inspires me because she teaches me the power of love. She is an example of radical inclusiveness. She teaches me the meaning of family and the loving sacrifice that was made to bear fruitful harvest, not just for her but for other generations to come. She is the prayer warrior that covers the world.

In October 2019, Nala Simone Toussaint served on a panel during a Capitol Hill briefing called Our Ground, Our Voices: Toward Economic Justice for Young Women of Color. Watch the full event and discussion here. What have you been up to since the Our Ground, Our Voices briefing ? What did participating in the panel mean to you?

Since the briefing, I have deepened my coaching and development work for spiritually-evolving people. I have been cultivating workshops on spiritual development, evolving identity, community, and connection through an intersectional lens. Participating in the panel was very important because it meant that my voice and I had a seat at the table in a world that often tells me that I don’t get to live. The panel was a reminder that women, particularly women who are practicing radical inclusiveness, will come together to transform the world. It was a reminder that we as women are enough to create abundance and dismantle scarcity within our government’s structure and policies. 

Follow on Twitter: @nalasimonet, IG: @nalasimonet, website: www.nalatoussaint.com