St. John’s teen says community, activism helped her find her voice 

Thirteen-year-old Nyala Adam enjoys many of the same activities as others her age, like playing sports and reading. But her interests and activities aren’t all purely for leisure. The St. John’s youth has become an active member of the local Black community and spends time doing advocacy work.

In 2021, at nine, Adam attended the annual summertime Cultural Inclusion Camp in St. John’s, organized by Black Lives Matter NL co-founder and anti-racism advocate Raven Khadeja. “I don’t think I would be where I am at all without Raven, as a mentor, as a friend, and having someone there as a guide,” Adam says.

For Adam, activism has been more than a way to help others—it has helped her find her voice while standing up for what’s right. “It definitely makes me feel really empowered,” she explains. “[It has] made me more prone to use my voice, even in things as simple as speaking in class.”

Outside the classroom, Adam has spoken several times in front of her school, hosted and attended panels, joined her school’s student council as an inclusion coordinator, and hosted an event for the 2023 Little Mermaid motion picture, in which Ariel was played by Black American actress Halle Bailey.

Adam’s parents have supported her all along, she says. Her mother, Laura Gaulton, says she and Nyala’s father, Adam Adam, who is originally from Sudan, are always checking in on her, making sure she’s comfortable when attending or hosting events. 

As a white mother of a Black child, Gaulton says she’s had to learn many things, such as how to take care of Adam’s hair and skin, as well as understanding the importance of her daughter connecting with others in the local Black community. These experiences have helped Adam support others, even in her family. “Earlier, she didn’t have someone to guide her through the challenges of being Black, and now she can be that person for her little sister.”

Adam would like to see more opportunities for youth educational initiatives and community engagement. She says it’s important for young people to know there are ways to become involved in social justice, advocacy and community-building. “There is this misconception that because you’re young you can’t stand up for what’s right, or have a voice,” she says. “It’s definitely given me my voice.”

Like many racialized youth in the province, Adam has experienced racism first hand. The path to racial justice, she says, is education. She would like to see schools in the province teach more about Black history, for example, and anti-racism. “I would like to see more stuff in the curriculum, teaching people what is offensive [and] derogatory,” she says.

So, what does the future hold for Adam? She’s interested in attending law school and becoming a lawyer. She also hopes to mentor youth interested in activism, as Anderson has done for her.

Click here to read Nyala Adam’s Feb. 9, 2026 speech from the Black History Month flag-raising at St. John’s City Hall.

Good afternoon. My name is Nyala Adam, and I’m in Grade 8 at Leary’s Brook Junior High. Today, I’d love to talk to you about my family, my experiences, and the progress I’ve seen right here in Newfoundland.

Black History Month is often about the past, but it’s also about the present. It’s about the stories that are still being written. Mine is one of them. Twenty-three years ago, my dad moved to St. John’s, Newfoundland all by himself as a landed immigrant from Sudan. At that time, he was one of very few young Black men living here. He worked incredibly hard. He took English as a Second Language, completed his high school equivalency, and trained as an automotive technician, all while working part time just to survive.

In his early days here, he met some wonderful people and worked as a transition worker at the [Association for New Canadians]. He quickly fell in love with Newfoundland. Oddly enough, he even loves the snow.

Over the years, my dad has worked on major projects across the province, including Bull Arm, Voisey’s Bay and Argentia. Sometimes he was the only person of colour on those job sites. His story reminds me that Black history isn’t just something that happened somewhere else, it’s happening right here, in our province.

When I started school, my experience was not always easy. I had kids tell me they weren’t allowed to play with me because I was Black. I’ve been called derogatory names. I’ve had strangers touch my hair and point out my differences, as if I didn’t notice them myself.

Those moments hurt and they stay with you. But over time, I’ve also seen people grow and change.

For the first time, I play on a soccer team with other Black girls. I play volleyball with Black girls. I no longer feel like I stand out just because of my skin. I feel like I belong.

I was also cast in a feature film filmed right here in St. John’s, where I acted alongside another beautiful Black woman who I now consider a friend. Seeing someone who looks like me on screen and being that person for someone else showed me something so important: representation matters.

When you see yourself reflected in sports, movies, classrooms, and leadership, you start to believe that you truly belong there. That belief can change everything.

Black History Month celebrates leaders like Viola Desmond and Jean Augustine, but it also celebrates everyday people like Laurabel Mba, parents, workers, students, and kids who show strength just by being themselves in spaces where they were once unseen.

Celebrating Black History Month in St. John’s, Newfoundland sometimes feels surreal. But it also fills me with pride.

I am proud of my dad.
I am proud of how far our community has come.
And most of all, I am proud to say: I am Black. I am beautiful. And I belong here.

Thank you.