Not all community advocates wear capes — but many wear multiple hats. Take it from Angela Rainey, juggling a full-time job as the executive assistant to the vice president of marketing and communications at Texas Wesleyan while also helping the East Fort Worth community thrive takes strength — all while wearing a smile that never seems to fade. 

Angela's phone rings often, whether it’s answering questions to help organize events like the Eats for SouthEast Farmers Market or cheering on a friend, and Angela’s joyous voice always brings a sense of calm despite the constant demands of her day-to-day life.  

“Sometimes I say I don’t know if I’m coming or going, but I’ll meet myself one way or another,” she laughed.  

Angela is the President of the League of Women Voters for Tarrant County, is the current sitting second vice president over programming, planning and development for Delta Sigma Theta’s Fort Worth Alumnae Chapter, is a board director for the board of trustees at the Jubilee Theatre and is one of the health care ambassadors for the Braver Together organization. She also is the chair of Texas Wesleyan’s Diversity and Inclusion Council. 

Needless to say, she’s making a huge impact at Texas Wesleyan and within our local community.  

Angela grew up in the Morningside area, just minutes southwest of Texas Wesleyan. She went to Morningside Middle School, where she learned from O.D. Wyatt High School mentors and her teachers about the importance of getting involved in the community. She then paid it forward in high school by reversing roles and becoming the mentor. 

Angela graduated from Texas Wesleyan with a degree in finance, but chuckled as she noted that the degree was more for her parents.  

“It’s really about connecting to what you love,” she said. “So, if you find yourself doing [a job] the rest of your life that is the love of your life, you will never feel like you’re working.”  

After raising her children, Angela dove deeper into helping her community. She’s inspired by people like Fort Worth Councilman and TXWES board member, Chris Nettles, Monica Garrett, a school principal in Fort Worth ISD, and Loraine Miller, a Fort Worth native who was the first black woman to serve as clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and the first woman to lead the nation's oldest and largest civil rights group when she became the president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). 

“We all know contributions of notable figures such as Martin Luther King and Barack Obama,” she said. “But there are so many day-to-day people that are still fighting causes for us here in our local Fort Worth community.” 

Even though humble in her own contributions, Angela is also among those making a difference every day in our neighborhood. With her passion for politics, Angela loves helping register people to vote and helping the community get the correct resources to be informed voters.  

“You can be registered to vote all day long, but if you’re never mobilized to show up and engage, and come up and vote as an informed voter, then you may not have your interest or your needs met in your communities,” she said. “You have more power than you know.”  

She also believes in the power of investing in children, as she lovingly calls “my little people – my kids.” She ensures local daycares have the resources to feed and educate kids while also checking in on parents — giving them the things they need to succeed and grow.  

“It starts out with voting, but it’s more relational,” she said. “Making sure we understand each other. At the end of the day, we’re all human trying to get what we need. We need to connect and try to see beyond the differences and just listen to each other's stories.”  

Angela encourages everyone to get involved in the community and make the changes they’d like to see, even if it’s just showing up to cheer others on.  

“There is a place for you to help. You see a problem, you’re probably the answer to that problem in some capacity,” she said. “You have more power than you even realize — you don’t have to be quiet in situations. You are the solution to the problem.”  

You can even get started right here on campus – no matter if you’re a student, faculty or staff member. Join the Diversity and Inclusion Council, take a shift at the on-campus food pantry or join a group or organization that gets involved in our community.  

“You don't have to be famous to make a difference,” she said. “You just got to be committed.”  

And that’s exactly what Angela is — committed to helping make an impact in any way she can in our community. No cape needed.