Centering Black Youth Wellbeing
This virtual community of practice explores ways to center the wellbeing of Black young people and their... View more
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What is One Simple Thing you could do to center Black youth wellbeing in your work? What is One Simple Thing that your organization could do to center Black youth wellbeing?
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What is One Simple Thing you could do to center Black youth wellbeing in your work? What is One Simple Thing that your organization could do to center Black youth wellbeing?
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One thing I can do today is to continue advocating for the collection of disaggregated race based data in my organizations policing systems, mental health care systems and in our education system.
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This a big one on my list too, and really trying to find resources about the collection part of the process. Our org is about to re-enroll over 9,000 new and returning members after covid restrictions lift and it’s an opportunity we could use to do this work, so I’m working on that process.
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As a current student I do not work with Black Youth, as I am not currently working in the field. I took this course to try and expand my knowledge before entering. Upon reading the other answers and completing the lectures, there seems to be an emphasis on how to foster safe space and recognize personal bias that would alter ones way with working with a Black youth.
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One simple thing I can do is provide an inclusive and safe space for Black youth to be able to use their voices without anyone overpowering. As an organization, we can revise policies so they are up-to-date in terms of racism and discrimination (and what it looks like) and also providing opportunities for Black youth to participate with the community.
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Hi Abinana, totally spot on. One thing we can provide Black youth the safe space and inclusiviness because without giving them the opportunity to express themselves and story, so that we are not erasing their voice and lived expereince.
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I agree with you as well Abinna. At the organization I work for, we are currently working on ways to engage our youth and I think providing space for Black youth to have their voices heard is crucial. I like that module 2 emphasized this since there’s many organizations that do not take an ABR approach when organizing initiatives for youth.
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I also agree with the other responses in terms of including the Black communities (including youth) in the conversation as well. Providing the space for the Black community to share their voice is extremely important to create change.
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I recently finished watching the second module which focused on “Engaging with Research About Black Youth”. I learned from the research that black youth experience extensive wait times to accessing mental health services, generally almost double the wait times than their white counterparts. A statistic that I found alarming, while not surprising given the ways in which anti-black racism policies and practices are institutionalized. One thing that I can do to center Black youth wellbeing in my work is that I can listen to the experiences of anti-black racism, violence, and trauma that Black youth express and validate their feelings and experiences. I can ensure that when connecting youth to counselling services, that I make every conscious effort to connect Black youth to services within reasonable timeframes and continue to advocate for Black youth to receive appropriate care.
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As a white career development professional, the simplest thing I can do is ask black youth I work with about their lived experiences and how they would like me to support them.
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I think a key thing focused on in the lectures and that I have heard repeatedly in my community is to make it a priority within ones organization to employ Black individuals within your organization. Additionally inviting Black youth into the circle to share their experience and needs openly and to make an active and long standing effort to enact the changes necessary to make their needs a reality. As much as allyship is important I think it is critical to understand that we can never fully comprehend another persons reality and will never have a better idea of what a marginalized group or individual will need/want better than they will.
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2/2 of my response: My organization would benefit from building partnerships with Black communities to attain a better understanding of the needs within the community I work in.
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As a Child and Youth Councellor it is important for us to first focus on Leveraging Space for our youth. I would focus on building a trusting relationship and walk at their pace so that they can feel safe. “Hanging in” as opposed to “hanging out” is important as it will allow you to get to know their interests, hobbies, goals and allow them to be part of their treatment plan. Promoting self advocacy for my clients is important for it will validate their feelings and emotions and thus allowing us to work in a partnership to formulate a treatment plan that will allow them to have a buy in.
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One simple thing that I could do to center Black youth wellbeing at my school would be to start a Black Youth Voices Matter @ * * SS group. My first step will be to invite the Black “elders” in the school to be a part of the creation/facilitation process, if they are able and interested.
I have many ideas but I think that I will take a step back and follow the Ten Good Practices for Supporting Black Youth Mental Health starting with Listen, Listen and Listen! My hope is that this will be a “By Students, For Students” initiative.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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Thanks for sharing your plan for a Black Youth Voices Matter group, Harold. Such a good idea! Yes, getting youth involved from the beginning of the planning and listening to them is key to success. If you are interested, you can ask YouthREX to pull together an evidence brief on best practices on setting up youth groups for BIPOC youth. Preparing customized evidence briefs is one of the cool services that YouthREX offers Ontario’s youth sector. You can schedule a 1-on-1 call with the Knowledge Mobilization team: https://youthrex.com/get-in-touch/. Hope you will stay involved in this CoP and share lessons from developing the Black Youth Voices group – both things that worked and things that did not work that well. Good luck!
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An evidence brief on best practices for setting up or engaging youth groups for BIPOC youth would be a valuable addition to the eXchange. Including a section on engaging BIPOC youth in virtual groups during COVID-19 would be helpful too.
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Yes! An Evidence Brief is in development, and we will share a link here when it has been added to the Knowledge Hub. 🙂
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You can read our newest Evidence Brief, Three Strategies & Seven Practices for Delivering Effective Group Programming for Black Youth, on our Knowledge Hub.
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Rather than advocating for Black youth, leveraging my access and relationships to support their own advocacy for their needs.
For example – yesterday a group of Black youth I’m in relationship with came in to our facility to check if their membership was active (it wasn’t) – upon hearing this at the desk, they said thanks and left. My initial response after hearing this happened was “how do we get them reactivated asap” and then I remember – urgency and paternalism are tools of white supremacy! Chill! So I will be pursing a conversation with the kids to explore their options of engagement with our programs, to ensure they have the knowledge about what they CAN do, helping them identify what pathway they want (if any), and then supporting them in ways they articulate to meet that goal. “Move at the speed of trust” as adrienne maree brown says!
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This is a GREAT point! I was thinking the same thing (within a different context) earlier in my lecture actually. At school, earlier this year, one of my students experienced a racist comment from another student. I called their parents and explained how seriously we took it and how it would not be tolerated and how we would like to deal with the issue. I was essentially informing this Black youth’s parents. What I didn’t take into account is their lived experience with racism, nor how they would have liked the situation handled. Obviously, they can’t ultimately decide the final consequence that the other student faced (neither can I, for what it’s worth – that’s an administration thing), but I could have asked for their thoughts or opinions and their feelings around the issue and then advocated for them/presented them to my superior. This is what I will do when and if there is another incident of this nature.
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“Move at the speed of trust”… so much wisdom in this advice! Thanks for sharing, Kristina.
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Rather than *just* advocating FOR Black youth I should say…
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That’s a great question. I will definitely be incorporating that into my session with young people.
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One simple thing I have implemented in my program with Black youth and wellbeing is validating feelings. I can’t assume that I know what that individual is dealing with from one day to the next-from home, school to community. I know I may not be able to change that experience but I can approach that individual with an empathetic ear, validate their feelings and ask them what do they need from me today?
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Validation, active listening, empathy are all great ways to build relationships. When someone feels heard it can go a long way!
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That is so true because sometimes people just want to vent. They don’t necessarily need any advice, they just need an empathetic, non judgmental listening ear. Often times we know what we need/have to do but we just need our side and our voice to be heard. Right or wrong the person had a process and rational behind the thinking/behaviours.
Awesome Alicia!👏🏽
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love this! Asking folks what they need / what they are looking for rather than jumping to advice has been so useful in my relationships, personal or professional.
“Are you asking for advice or do you just need me to listen?” is the question I’ve tried to make a habit of asking whenever someone is sharing they’ve had a bad day or they’re upset.
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“Are you asking for advice or do you just need me to listen?” is such a great question! I have been guilty a few times of diving too quickly to a solution mindset when someone might just need to talk and be listened to. Thank you.
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I agree! I’ve added that question to my notes for future discussions. Thanks!
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Ensuring we have hair and skin-appropriate products. People’s first impression of us are superficial ones, and people draw conclusions about who we are as people based on what we look like. Ensuring black youth have hair products (including picks) and skin care products that work effectively. This will hopefully allow them to feel better about themselves in general, but also allow them present better when going to school job interviews, housing viewings, etc.
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This is great. I know some people may see this as superficial but it is definitely a confidence boost! I can’t think of anyone who did not feel invincible when they believed they looked their best. I would love to connect my clients with the right products and services to make sure they are feeling their best.
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I believe that one simple thing I can continue to do as an educator is to include literature and resources from BIPOC individuals and give opportunities for my students to learn about Black history not only in February but throughout the year. I have also focused on increasing my own knowledge on this topic through various professional development opportunities so that I can become more informed on this topic and find creative and engaging ideas to educate youth of all backgrounds on the historical and current issues related to equity.
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Yes!! Totally agree, we need to challenge anti-Black racism and support Black youth wellbeing year-round, not just during February.
One thing I’ve been wondering about is making a long-term plan for anti-racism work. Many of us (myself included) get enraged about racism and anti-Black racism when a racist attack occurs and it goes viral / makes the news. In turn, folks tend to donate to organizations, legal funds, attend actions, etc but these actions can lose momentum within weeks or even days.
How can we sustain this work and specifically continually lift up social movements and organizations leading the fight against racism & anti-Black racism? Has anyone else created a long-term plan? Was it helpful?
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Some ways to have long-term action in our lives is to participate in groups like Standing Up for Racial Justice throughout the year(s), as well as create monthly giving plans to donate to ongoing work. In Module 3, long-term accountability strategies are shared which can be used by organizations or individuals, which consists of setting goals, and having someone or a community or people to hold each other accountable and check in on how those goals have progressed.
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Make space for Black youth to share their authentic voice, not censure them through a Eurocentric lens and commit to take action with what we hear from them. In my organization (an Ontario school board) – ensure an asset lens is applied to Black youth engaging in educational spaces, prioritize the work that needs to be done by non-Black educators and educational staff – reflect on bias and assumptions held first and foremost, strive not be silent or complicit in anti-Black racist practices. All educators must intentionally work to dismantle policies that underserve (harm) Black youth. More than one I know, but could go on, and on🙂
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Yes, thank you, Sharon! I think making this space includes recognizing the various ways in which Black youth are already engaging and leading. I’m thinking of the work of Shawn Ginwright, who presented at our Teach-In in February, and who writes about how youth are using their individual and collective voice to organize and to heal.
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As a teacher I think that it is important to create a classroom that is culturally responsive. In order to make my classroom environments accepting I make sure to have books, toys, and materials that reflect diversity. I think that it is important for all students, and in particular Black students, to see themselves reflected in the classroom and the lessons. I make sure to have books that have Black children and families portrayed in a positive way. It is important that Black people are not only portrayed as people of the past, in history books. We need to highlight Black success and teach students about examples of Black success so that young children can realize their full potential.
I think that it is necessary to address the social and systemic barriers that Black students face on a daily basis. The mental health of Black youth is linked to the barriers they face and students often have to make a choice between surviving and learning. By showing students that you recognize these barriers and are actively working to break them down you encourage students to feel safe and accepted in the classroom. By considering Maslow’s hierarchy of needs I find it crucial to ensure that students’ physiological and safety needs are met before they can focus on learning.
I also think that it is important to consider the ‘hidden curriculum’ that exists in the Ontario curriculum. We, as teachers, are responsible for challenging the curriculum and making sure that the curriculum does not continue to be racist and oppressive. To do this I review the curriculum and ensure that it does not reflect a whitewashed perspective. By including references to Black culture and Black success we can work towards making lessons that are culturally responsive.
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Well said!
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One simple thing I could do to centre Black youth wellbeing is to actively listen and foster a safe space for Black youth to share their experiences.
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While this sounds like a simple thing to say, I do believe this is the bare minimum that we should do, in order to keep empowering those black youth who are seeking services and encourage those who want to but haven’t yet.
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In my interactions with youth, the one simple thing I taught them was never bow their head in shame based on what they feel someone is thinking about you. Hold your head up high when you enter the Centre. Say Good morning. Be present, feel valued, you belong here just the way you are.
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As an undergraduate social work student who is going for placement this September, one thing I want to focus on for Black youth is I want to provide a safe space for them to express his or her feeling and thinking. I found it is very crucial to have engagement with clients without having any assumptions made from the case notes.
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I agree!. The point you made about engaging with the clients instead of having assumptions about them prior, in my opinion is very crucial and is something I too recently began to practice within my own work. I’ve learnt that it’s better to get the clients experiences and perspective directly from them because, especially black youth, these systems (child welfare, educational, and the healthcare system) don’t always represent them in a positive light. This then leads the people working with them to have those documented assumptions.
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Personally, I am a student in social work and I have volunteered with organizations that are blacked owned/created and I see and hear what individuals have told me and I want to do the best to support black communities by listening, by going to courses like these, speaking out against racism while I am in my day-to-day life. I felt empowered when I went o my first protest this year and I want to better prepare youth for Canada’s history and how we can learn from colonization and whats means is needed for equity and equality to be represented for all diverse backgrounds. I think also we need to be self-aware of makeup companies, hair companies, these are things that never represent Black individuals and are misrepresented in those specific areas. I think giving room to those voices who usually go noticed and making sure to be aware of privilege and how the use of privilege can be shared among others.
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creating an advisory committee that is made up of and run/led by black youth from the community to ensure that the programs & services offered, are taking a more balanced/holistic approach for the community.
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That’s a great point. My organization just started a similar committee, but we should definitly now work towards inculding black youths from our community or even within our organization to help build on these changes, to ensure that they actually reflect the issues black youth face.
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Something that I’ve noticed in professional spaces and personally while growing up as a Black female, is that the voices of Black people were not often included in the discussion about what Black young people need. If Black youth were included in the discussion, their voices weren’t seriously considered. It is hard to come up with programming that benefits or aims to improve outcomes for Black youth if Black youth voices aren’t heard.
I think that this is partially why many Black youths don’t feel comfortable utilizing services that are geared towards their demographic. Many approaches that some organizations use do not resonate with the experiences of Black youth. Additionally, some of these programs don’t consider the historical factors that are deeply embedded in the Black youth experience today. It is only recently that many companies and organizations have begun to adopt a framework that is mindful of the impacts of systemic racism, oppression, and ABR.In the work that I do, I advocate for Black youth voices by speaking on their behalf and translating their thoughts and ideas to community spaces and forms. I think one way that I can enhance this work is by coaching and educating Black youth on how to advocate for themselves. Personally, I came from a family that was uncomfortable with and fearful of speaking out about some inequities that Black people experiences. Because of this sheltered approach, it took me a long time to truly understand what was going on around me and what I could to challenge these injustices. I think that through educating Black youth about how to use their voices in impactful ways, we can empower them to be confident leaders.
Of course, in educating Black youth about the different ways they can use their voices, we definitely need to construct safe spaces for them to use their voices. Again, because many forums geared towards Black youth aren’t operated by Black people, it steers Black youth away from using these resources, because they feel like they won’t be understood. The tables and spaces intended to help Black youth should be operated by people that look like them. Additionally, they need to be consulted when created these spaces if we want to ensure that we optimize the outcomes and opportunities available to them.
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This whole thread is really helpful – thanks for starting this conversation! I love the link between supporting the voice AND preparing space for that voice. So critical. We’ve been doing that background work of making sure our internal processes and spaces are safer when Black youth participate.
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I agree with you Jasmyne. As a youth worker that’s something I have learned through trail and error that not including black youth in this conversation will not create a space or program that will benefit them in the way they need.
As for my organization, I think it would also be important to highlight the significance of following the directives of black community members in creating safe spaces for them.
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So true, Jasmyne! Thank you. Making sure we center Black youth voice and leadership in the programs that are set up to serve them is legit important. YouthREX highlighted this as part of our Doing Right Together for Black Youth report in 2018. We created a fact sheet that summarized five ways to engage Black youth to hear their voices and learn from their experiences:
01. Nothing About Black Youth Without Black Youth
02. Communicate WITH Youth, Not AT Youth
03. Reduce Barriers & Provide Accessible Information
04. Create Opportunities for Storytelling & Representation
05. Prioritize Black Youth Voices and Develop Black Youth Partnerships
The factsheet is here: https://youthrex.com/factsheet/working-together-to-do-right-for-black-youth/
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Thank you for drawing my attention to this sheet! It will be shared with my team.
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Thanks for sharing this factsheet, Uzo!
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I am not a clinician and don’t work directly with Black youth. I’m a communicator and a big thing that has stayed with me in this training is how we favour Eurocentric definitions of success, experience, family, etc. I am going to focus on making sure I am not promoting those assumptions and definitions in my writing and images. I am also committing to leaving space for other voices and committing to listening. I considered myself socially aware but this training has peeled back a lot of assumptions I didn’t know I had, like an onion. Thank you so much for this and for giving me a lot to think about and to challenge.
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Very well said! Leaving space for other voices and being attentive and letting them know they are heard and understood. I too considered myself as socially aware, but in the moment it is easy to forget this practice. Which is why being attentive and observant is so important to notice these situations. Thank you for sharing!
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Absolutely, allyship is critical! This reminds me of a factsheet we developed a couple of years ago, which lays out four practices for effective allyship: (1) listen more than you speak, (2) be receptive to feedback and criticism, (3) commit to ongoing learning, and (4) help amplify voices. Simple, but powerful. ✨
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Great observation, Jane! Yes, good allyship intentionally makes space for those that live the issues to have a voice. We all could do a better job of this. Thanks for the reminder 👍🏽
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