Campaigner/Staff Lawyer
Simone Akyianu
Pronouns: she/her—they/them
— Simone is a Black-African mother and settler on the unceded territories of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. Simone is acutely aware that her own family’s journey from Ghana to these lands has been mediated by histories of colonial land theft, poverty, housing insecurity, as well as, anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism. This journey has further inspired Simone to resist the structural violence and legacies of colonialism in solidarity with Indigenous, and other historically marginalized communities.
Inspired by her mother and Ghanaian roots, Simone decided to leverage her McGill Law degree in service of social, economic and racial justice. Simone was Legal Counsel at the Canadian Human Rights Commission, where she advised on systemic housing issues, and supported Black and Indigenous prisoners in their human rights complaints relating to systemic racial discrimination.
Simone’s advocacy is informed by a deep passion and belief in challenging the law’s pervasiveness as a tool of racial, gender and class-based oppression. With this passion, Simone has enriched the life of McGill’s Faculty of Law as Managing Editor of the McGill Law Journal and has volunteered with Black-led organizations to amplify the voices of Black, Indigenous, and queer communities.
Alongside her community work, Simone raises a brilliant and talented daughter. In their spare time, you can find Simone making macaroni pie, rock climbing or listening to music with her kid.