By Micha Green,
AFRO D.C. and Digital Editor,
mgreen@afro.com
Actress, entrepreneur, mother, producer and designer Angela Simmons has spent much of her life in the limelight and being followed by cameras, but in her Aspire TV show Just Angela the daughter of rap royalty works to show us intimate aspects of her personal life journey and discuss serious subjects important to the Black community.
Just Angela gives me a platform that I get to talk to you guys like you’re my homie, my next door neighbor, it really sits me down where I can do interview style and really show you what’s going on, real time, what’s going on in my life,” Simmons said on AFRO Live. “When I moved, I was filming, so you guys got to see me move in my house and the many activities that I indulged in, which goes from fitness, I’m a vegan, so how to eat good vegan cuisine, good eats, fitness, pole class.”
“It’s so much this season, Black maternal mortality stuff, which I’m speaking with my son’s godfather on, because, you may or may not know, but Charles Johnson, he lost his wife to C-section at Cedar Sinai in L.A. so that was my son’s godfather, my son’s father’s best friend,” Simmons added about Johnson, who is the son of court television’s Judge Glenda Hackett. “That really hit home for me. I took a step back and really looked at everything different when it comes to birthing a child, and how much awareness we need to bring to our community about that, talking about doulas, talking about having midwives and the right birth for you.”
“But, there are a lot of great things,” Simmons continued about the new season. “Talking about manifestation, meditation, how to attract what you want. It’s a little bit of everything. I always like to look at my ‘Just Angela’ like a big pot of gumbo. So it’s just mixed with all types of great stuff.”
The multi-hyphenated star and mother said “Just Angela,” gives audiences a closer look at all that she does to remain busy, stay creative and give back to her community.
“[Just Angela is] really like my raw truth and who I am anyway. So it’s really just letting you all into this world of mine. It’s like anything I involve myself in, I probably was doing it already, but now I’ve got a camera and a platform to show you exactly what I’m working on, and maybe if you’re interested, you can get involved,” she said.
Simmons explained that she has continued to grow into her work as an artist and entrepreneur during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Top of pandemic really just put the battery in my back to do more creatively, and really that time waits for no one. Just going after everything I ever wanted to do and living in that. I feel like it’s about living in your moment and doing what works for you. Not what works for everyone else, but what works for you. I’m not waiting for the applause of others, I’m doing it because it makes me happy and I feel that everyone should live like that. It’s really important to really be in your moment,” she said.
“Just putting my best foot forward and doing what makes me happy. That’s the goal,” Simmons added.
As Simmons continues to set and achieve goals, she said she has some advice for others.
“You have to really sit down and see what it is that’s going to make you happy. You may think it’s the car, the house, the move, it’s this, or that that’ll make you happy. Or it may not even be that, it really can be internal,” she said. “For me, I like to sit and write stuff down, not on my phone. I need to physically see, what it is I want. Am I working towards it, am I working backwards, like what is it I need to get what’s actually going to bring me my happiest peace, my happiest moments, my joy?”
As someone who wears a lot of hats in various fields, she said that part of finding happiness is not getting stagnant.
“You’d be shocked how many people don’t know what actually makes them happy, because people run just like robots everyday. You’ve got to break it up, change it up, even if it’s just taking a different route, or a walk in the park. You’ve got to do things differently to get different results. You can’t just do the same routine. So even myself, when I have routines, I’m like, ‘I’ve got to break that up. It’s getting too familiar,’” she said. “Figure out what makes you happy first and then ask yourself are you actually taking the steps to do it?”
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