[Brianna]

I think that advocating for Black youth should be done because there are a lot of youths’ who don’t have access to mental health services and using your voice to support those who can’t for themselves can not only show Black youth that they are not alone with their battles but also help create a positive change in their lives.

[Briar Rose]

In my role, I run groups and workshops for LGBTQIA youth and children and their parents. One thing I can do is to make sure that our program outreach materials, as well as our content, incorporates the specific needs and contexts of Black families, rather than assuming that family needs are “universal.” This will require engaging with queer and trans Black consultants and knowledge keepers in meaningful partnership so that the work has integrity and nuance. It may also be important to have some groups that are specifically for Black families only.

One thing my organization can do is to maintain strong disaggregated data collection and analysis practices so that we know clearly where Black folks are accessing our services and where there are barriers. I would want to insist that my organization make this data transparent to stakeholders, to keep us accountable.

[Tim]

One simple thing I could do. I think I will continue to learn as part of the YouthRex community and will find ways to write about and share what I am learning with my colleagues at work. I will promote the YouthRex learning platform to others. I will continue to learn and to deal with my own Cognitive Dissonance as I learn more about my own White Privilege.

[Danielle]

Things I can do:
Continue to share my lived experience and advocate for change. Continue to identify small actions and policy/process changes that support inclusion, diversity, evidence and justice in decision-making. Incorporate the literature and evidence briefs shared by YouthRex into my work.

Things my organization can do:

Amplify the voices of researchers who shared their work in Module 3 and apply findings to programming, practices, and processes. Share this course and encourage participation. Continue with state strategic directions and be guided by community-created frameworks and action plan.

[Melissa]

I agree with all of this Danielle.

A big part of my anti-racist journey is unlearning. That not only entails accepting where I have faulted, or allowed my ignorance to guide my choices, but also creating a space in my life to learn from Blacks folks – even if it is hard for me to hear. It is not always easy to hear about my own white privlege and how it can be a detriment to others. My simple way to thing to do to centre Black youth well-being is to learn, unlearn, and act on those experiences. Call out what I see (or what I don’t see).

[Emily]

Melissa, your comment about “unlearning” resonates with me. This course has helped me to recognize my privilege in ways that I had not thought of before. I try to be mindful of it and to listen to the voices of others, but there are many areas of my life where I have taken that privilege for granted without ever intending to do harm. But intentions are not always enough. What is “one simple thing” that I can do to centre Black youth well-being? I can focus on learning about the lived experiences of others; I can actively seek out Black voices to inform my work; I can work to use my voice (and my privilege) to advocate for change. I can continue to listen and learn, and to do that I need to continue to “unlearn” lifelong lessons of privilege.

[Holly]

One simple thing that I will focus on implementing to improve outcomes for Black youth is continued advocacy. Black youth need continued advocacy and access to resources that are aligned with their needs. Black youth who have experienced marginalization and disenfranchisement require this support and I will be intentional about this focus.

[Elizabeth]

Unpacking our biases and assumptions is important when working with Black youth, this way we are openminded and non-judgemental in order to identify the needs and how we can best provide resources and advocates for our Black clients. Also, avoiding stereotyping Black youth and recognize individual.Unpacking our biases and assumptions is important when working with Black youth, this way we are openminded and non-judgemental in order to identify the needs and how we can best provide resources and advocates for our Black clients. Also, avoiding stereotyping Black youth and recognize individual.

[Charissa]

For non-Black folks, it’s important to translate our knowledge into action. One of the things I am constantly working on is intervening on an interpersonal level when instances of anti-Blackness happen (between colleagues or with clients). This can look like correcting language, stereotypes, or assumptions, as well as being aware of non-verbal anti-Black behaviours that non-Black folks engage in (ex: continually cutting someone off/speaking over them/dismissing ideas, having less patience with Black folks, etc). Being able to identify and speak up in the moment in a way that doesn’t escalate things or put the Black individual’s safety at risk, is really important.

[Danielle]

This is really good work! Thanks for doing this. 💪🏾

[Adam]

Consider my clients’ experiences more specifically in the context of Black history and how anti-black racism might have influenced their current challenges. Ask questions about this directly.

[Danielle]

Yes the concept of ‘Broaching’ I found as a very succinct way to refer to cultural competence. Good self-assessment questions included in Module 3.4.

[Tiffany]

Allow the youth to explain their story. Listen to the voices that should be heard. Once we sit back, listen and recognize what the needs are for the young black person we are able to start supporting better and more efficiently. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to clarify information shared, knowledge is power the more we gather the better we can be advocates for youth.

[Sarah]

Listen. Recognize and appreciate the enormous skill, wisdom, resourcefulness, knowledge and resistance that Black youth share with me.

[Sarah]

My organization can listen and respond with humility, action and resources to the Black staff who are generously providing feedback on their experiences and sharing their ideas for how to make the organization a safe and empowering place for Black staff and young people.

[mandaxrosa]

This!

[Michelle]

Knowledge is power. If I learn that children identify as black/bi-racial and they feel they are being targeted at school, I consult with supports within my team (child welfare) as we are collecting data to see what steps need to be taken at the school levels to ensure that all children feel safe at their schools. It’s disheartening at times when families don’t want to get involved in advocating for themselves if they are feeling targeted as they feel that they will be more so if they speak up.

[Elizabeth]

Hi Michelle.

I could not agree more with your words regarding staying knowledgeable about Black youth. Without access to important information, we are prone to making mistakes. We are not experts in anything, rather we are lifelong learners. Staying informed is how we play a part in centering the wellbeing of Black youth and is how we assure them that their voices matter. Doing so enables us to incorporate specific needs such as culture relevance, advocacy and leads to having respectful and honest conversations. It is vital to recognize that Black youth have a different perspective on how they experience the multiple layers of systemic barriers. Knowledge allows us to support Black youths. Without it, we would struggle to relate to them, and therefore, could not understand their unique perspectives.

[Yasmein]

Ask questions that address the well-being of the Black youth wellbeing and provide the resources.

[Allison]

I think the best way I can centre the well-being of black youth in my workspace is to listen to their concerns, needs and voice attentively. To bring value to what they are saying. To advocate for them, and to speak up on their behalf putting myself out there to protect and make our schools a safer place. I can get involved more in my community, and express the need for societal change in white spaces to advocate for black voices. I can continue to put myself on the front lines while continuing my learning journey to push along the changes necessary to make my community and work space a safer place for children, youth and people of colour. I can find ways to check in regularly with people of colour that are in my life. I can be a safe place for people of colour. I can make it known that I am still learning, and I am open to any criticisms to help further my awareness of my own blind spots, biasness, and racist habits. In the end, I understand that this is a life-time commitment, and I will never stop trying, learning, and pushing for a fair and just society.

[Opal Adriana]

I am so happy to enter this space, I truly believe that centering Black youth wellbeing and overall youth wellbeing in our frame works is crucial because youth is that seed that will work and receive the society we built today. Also empowering black youth through the wellbeing framework will support vulnerable groups such as lgbtq+, migrants, others. One simple thing that my organization could do is to give to our youth clients the resources for them to study, analyze and elaborate their own actions plans.

[Jacqueline]

Becoming aware of and sharing information about support services designed specifically for Black Youth. And not just informing youth of their options but also sharing them with my peers (I’m a student).

Something else is being responsive and challenging racism in any way it presents and doing so quickly. I most often encounter this as challenging language and micro-agressions. This also comes hand in hand with my own willingness to listen and learn for the rest of my life and career.

[Tana]

The first thing I could think of with the Black youth that I do work with is providing them with additional supports. I am finding that the other clients I work with are so well connected with family and other agencies. My plan is to connect the Black youth with supportive activities and communities in the area to ensure that they are receiving every opportunity available to them. Often times, opportunities go unused because they were not shown to be available, or they were not thought of. As a case manager, my ultimate goal is to ensure that my clients are taking advantage of every opportunity available.

[Jasmine]

It is relatively easy to learn the theory, much harder to put it into practice due to several factors, many of which revolve around a certain level of unwillingness to act. That being said, perhaps instead of insisting over and over again that part of the problem is a lack of action, we should begin having concrete steps for how action will take place including timelines. By breaking big changes into incremental, smaller changes; organizations may be less resistant to implementing ABR policies/actions.

[Elizabeth]

I agree with this Jasmine. Incorporating our learning into small meaningful changes is a good way to get things moving in organizations that seem unable to move forward on ABR policies and practices. I find the more the small changes are implemented the less daunting the larger changes seem to be. One simple way that I will center Black youth wellbeing is to continuously view our practices and policies through an intersectional lens and encouraging our organization to do the same. Additionally, seeking feedback from Black youth and their families to see how they want to engage in our services and ways that we can reduce barriers to service.

[Danica]

As a school principal, I work closely with many families to support their kids. Dr. Carol Wade’s presentation in Module 3 resonated with me, especially when she discussed the importance of moving away from a eurocentric definition of family, to make room for a more fluid, “village” definition of family. Identifying and working with the caring adults in the extended “family” network may sometimes be a much more effective means of supporting certain kids. This must be done while respecting the student and parent’s right to confidentiality and the parent’s ultimate decision-making power. However, by working together to include other important caring adults, we may have more impact on the child’s well-being. I will also be reminding myself and our staff that we must always maintain a non-judgemental approach when a parent does not respond to our concerns as we would expect. So many factors may influence their response (language, previous experience with the education system, financial concerns, etc.), and it should not be taken as a lack of interest or concern for their child’s education or well-being.

[Aldith]

I work in mental health and our program/organization does a great job of including various non-blood relatives under the banner of “family” if that’s what makes sense for youth. Where we’re not so good is integrating family into the care provision …beyond offering separate supports and pulling them in to provide collateral information.

[Trai Patrick]

One thing that comes to mind for me is educating my co-workers who are not black and letting them know why it is so important for us to make sure our black youth are equipped with the tools they need to succeed. I’ve worked with black youth and their families. I think the biases part is very important. As staff, we need to reflect on how our biases can affect our approach to black youth. I think it is important to acknowledge that our biases can turn into harsh judgements. The module mentions the concept of how people carry themselves and can be judged for that without the person who is judging knowing the full details of what is happening. The stereotypes of black women and black fathers being absent. Until you build a rapport with someone to understand what is happening, it’s not fair to judge. I think young people sometimes sense the judgement of staff and that closes them up to wanting to share or seek help. Where I was previously working, I felt like the organization did a good job at making black youth’s well-being a priority. I think they could do better by supplying more funding to allow staff to do more with youth who attend our programs. I think that would allow black youth to experience things outside of their norm.

[Meighan]

One simple thing my agency could do, and is effort of doing, is more training. We also have a Black African Carribean Canadian team that advocates for the youth and their community.

[Tracey-Ann]

One thing that I will continually do to maintain focus on implementing and improve outcomes for Black youth is ADVOCACY. Marginalized youth not only lacks resources but too often they have no one to speak on their behalf resulting in further marginalization and dehumanizing experiences.

[Justin]

One simple thing we could do to center Black youth wellbeing in our work and organization is to provide them with access to mentorship, resources, and guidance that can help them reach their goals.

[Ann]

What I have been doing and will continue to do in my organization is engaging in conversations that focuses and highlights on Black Excellence.

[Mark Roberts –]

I think that connecting with black youth is a good starting point, this will also mean that their needs are being met as opposed to formulating ideas on what we think is needed.

[Shobha]

Organizationally, we are connecting with black youth locally to identify what we can do as a library to support their wellbeing. Personally, as a someone who identifies as South Asian, Prof. Vidya Shah’s presentation has challenged me to reflect on honorary whiteness and racial hierarchy. All this to say, a lot of unlearning and learning ahead.

[Anastasia]

I really appreciated Dr. Wade’s presentation on critical self-reflection especially the focus on the action portion of ongoing reflection. That is something I am going to be mindful of as I move forward with serving Black youth. Not just making time for reflection and examining my practice but also identifying what repairs, learnings and changes I need to make in response to those inevitable missteps.

[J]

Doing a “diversity audit” of the books I share with students has been incredibly important in my own practice. For a year I tracked the types of books I was sharing with students. I tracked the racial background and gender of the authors, illustrators, main characters, representation within the story, antagonists, protagonists, etc. By the end I had a clear picture of any inherent biases I had when selecting books. Having that data has allowed me to more critically examine what I am selecting and be more proactive in my selections.

[Danielle]

Really exciting to see comments on diversity audits of books shared with students! So important across K to 12 and post-secondary.

Thanks!

[Kate]

We have been doing the same thing in our library and in our classrooms to ensure that all students can see themselves reflected and celebrated in the resources we use to support their learning. One recent initiative has been to ensure that black authors are represented in all genres within our resources, fiction/non-fiction.

[Michaelene]

So many great points have been made! Reviewing/auditing the books in my office has definitely been eye opening for me. It’s what I don’t see there that stands out. The literature is clear that the things that don’t get said or shared or displayed (having a presence) has a power unto itself. This is a work in progress for me.

[Maxime]

I work as a mental health and attendance counselor for my local public schoolboard. I think it’s crucial to educate our staff regarding microagressions and the many forms it can take. I would also love to see the establishment of a Black youth led group in our schools to ensure that their voices are heard and their needs are met.

[Nicole]

I completely agree with this too. I also work in a school setting and I think there is always a need for more education. I too think it is incredibly important continue to work towards empowering youth voices. I know that our board has done some focus groups to better understand how the board can support and empower voices further. There is a continued need to make this a focus and remember that everyone’s experience is different.

Someone below commented on the need to listen, listen and listen more and truly HEAR what is being stated. It resonates with me.

[Mary]

This is so true! The education is so important. And also the understanding that a student’s response to a racial issue is not a mental health problem.

One of the things that I always make sure I am doing is bringing the youth’s voice in. Not what I think it is the problem, but what they are saying is the problem.

[Michaelene]

Hi Maxime — being educated about microaggressions is critical and while I consider myself to be an aware person and an ally, I can fall into those subtle microaggressions too if I don’t stay very present.

[Carmel]

I really like the idea of ‘staying present’. In the sense that this is ongoing and continuous work, and does not stop with one workshop or certificate. The notion of staying present is also quite powerful as Black youth are surrounded by microagressions 24/7, they don’t get to ‘turn off’ their blackness, and as a white practitioner, I have the responsibility to be present/aware 24/7 as well.

[Lu]

As an educator I agree with your comment about the importance/ need to invite Black youth and families to provide feedback on how we can improve things.I think this is critical. In addition to feed back one thing that I believe needs to be addressed is the representation in school staff. We need more Black educators.

A program was started in the last few years funded by the Ministry of Ed. , graduation coaches for Black students and the program has been invaluable. More coaches are required that can support and listen to the needs of Black students and their families.

[Michaelene]

LuPapa — great points! Representation cannot be understated. I believe that school boards are examining their hiring practices to be more representative, and more still needs to be done to begin to see healthy and more robust change.

[Evelyn]

Showing genuine compassion, being fully present, and empowering youth to express themselves in a welcoming, non-judgmental and safe space. One consistent and caring adult who doesn’t ever give up on them but instead continues to be there for them, to cheer them on and to be a listening ear. A safe space that is client-centered where youth have a voice and where they feel they are truly heard and seen through empathy and understanding of their world view and their experiences of racism and other forms of oppression.