Robert Seymour Wright is a queer, African Nova Scotian Social Worker and Sociologist whose 35-year career has spanned the fields of education, child welfare, forensic mental health, trauma, sexual violence, and cultural competence. He recently completed terms of service as the founding Executive Director of both the Peoples’ Counselling Clinic (Nov. 2017 – March 2024) and the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute (Fall 2021 – March 2024) and currently continues at the Peoples’ Counselling Clinic as Director Emeritus, Consultant and Therapist. Robert’s identity and work are grounded in his integrated and activist spirituality.

Robert has served in developmentally critical and notable positions throughout his career. He was the first Race Relations Coordinator for the Dartmouth District School Board, the Executive Director of Family and Children’s Services of Cumberland County and the Executive Director of the Child and Youth Strategy of Nova Scotia. He was an early practitioner of what has come to be known as Equity, Diversity and Inclusion work and he pioneered the introduction of Impact of Race and Culture Assessments (IRCAs): A specialized, forensic, clinical presentence report for people of African descent. This latter work has received national attention. In August of 2021 the Government of Canada funded to expand the implementation of IRCAs nationally.