Angela A. Wilson believes strongly in the lyrics of her
paternal grandmother’s favorite song, “if I can help somebody as I travel along,
then my living shall not be in vain.”
Influenced by a host of strong Black women, since a very young child, Angela has sought to live her life based on biblical principles of honesty, integrity, compassion, and justice, to name a few. “My heroine taught me my most memorable lessons. She taught me to live a principled life, to value myself, and to share my gifts and talents through service to others; I call her mom.”
As a lifetime resident of High Point, NC, Angela’s life has been dedicated to the service of others in her family, community, and state. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Development and Family Studies, and later enrolled in the Birth-Kindergarten Interdisciplinary Studies in Education and Development Master’s program there. Angela has provided leadership in her community by serving on civic and advisory boards for the City of High Point, Guilford Technical Community College, Communities in Schools, Greater High Point Food Alliance, and Providence Church. Additionally, she serves as an Education Specialist for PBSNC, and a Legacy Leader with NCaeyc.
In the spring of 1999, she and her family established the Ark of Safety Preschool, Inc., which later became High Point, North Carolina’s first Five Star childcare facility. She served as Owner/Director of the preschool, prior to being employed by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, her current employer. The preschool was much more than a learning environment for young children, it was also a meeting place for the City of High Point “Five Points Community Pride” Neighborhood Association, a distribution site for the Bread of Life Food Ministry, a beacon of light in a “highly impacted” neighborhood, and most importantly, a non-judgmental place where children and their families could feel welcome and safe. For nearly 25 years, she and her family have continued to operate the Bread of Life Food Ministry that feeds from 35-50 households each month.
Angela enjoys light construction work and operating power tools. In the summer of 2019, she flipped her first house, and is looking forward to the next major project. In the meantime, she is engaged in other hobbies that include sewing, vermicomposting, organic gardening, and cooking big Sunday dinners for her family.
“I want to leave this world better than I found it. I want my children, my unborn grandchildren, and all children who are marginalized or discriminated against because of their black or brown skin color, to know a world of peace, prosperity, opportunities, equity, and justice…then my living shall not be in vain.”
Angela Wilson: I was blessed from our first meeting where your passion for the field of education was displayed. From conversations, we continued our friend/professionalship with us co-presenting on the topic strategies for challenging behaviors. When the vision was given to start NCaeyc Equity Circle you were at the top of the list and have been blessed with both personal and research topics you have bring to sessions for conversation such as adultification and microaggression. You are an amazing, talented, fabulous, innovative, strong loving family-oriented Black Queen of excellence. Thanks for allowing me to have your story in the series of Black Women Educators.
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