Anne brought her here; the Island convinced her to stay

Deborah Langston was already an advocate for women’s rights in her native England when an iconic but fictional young woman from Prince Edward Island helped convince her to switch continents.

“We were watching Anne of Green Gables while we were still in England and my mum remarked it was my favourite show as a child,” said the 45-year-old in a lingering British accent. “We fell in love with the idea of PEI.”

It was in 2004 when Langston immigrated with her family to cozy Mount Stewart, Prince Edward Island. As a black woman who moved continents with young children, she has overcome her share of discrimination and adversity and feels more confident than ever.

Now she’s ready to give back.

 “I am the strongest I have ever been as a female,” said Langston, who was chosen through Engage PEI, to join the Advisory Council on the Status of Women.

Langston has always tried to be an advocate for women in her work and life.

"I am not afraid to speak up,” she says, “and my daughter tells me I am opinionated.”

She and her husband raised their now 17-year-old twins (a boy and a girl) and their 15-year-old daughter mostly on Prince Edward Island. After the demanding years at home with young children, Langston felt she could go back to school to fulfill her career ambition – to become a social worker.

She was hired as a youth worker in provincial group homes before her current role as a family support worker with the Mi’Kmaq Confederacy of PEI. Her colleagues describe her as a strong advocate for human rights and those who are experiencing prejudice and discrimination.

Her life experience has made her fiercely protective of the underdog. Some of that comes from her mother, who raised her on her own with her three sisters.

“My mother was a strong role model and managed to juggle being a registered nurse and singlehandedly care for us. She later went on to open a senior’s home and never let anything get in her way.

“My mother never gave us the message that we couldn’t do anything we wanted to because of our gender,” she said. “Because of that, I want to be a voice for others and a role model for my children.”

The other source of her strength comes from experiencing racism.

“I know what it’s like to be judged and discriminated against for who you innately are,” she said. “That’s why I will bring the perspective of all minorities of women to this conversation.”

Langston started learning guitar two years ago. She loves cooking from scratch and is photographer and prolific reader. She also likes working out in her home gym and cycling the trails behind her house.