I think the most important thing we can do is to remember the stats and make sure to center the voices of black youth and families in order to build a culturally competent practice – the point that really stuck with me was the importance of cultural competence as opposed to simply having a clinician or worker who is of the same race.

I think there’s several factors that play into anti-black racism in Ontario – the idea of Canada being a multicultural “utopia” plays up that anti-black racism doesn’t happen here, so it’s often less publicized and less likely to be called out, and without acknowledging our history and present reality of anti-black racism, it just keeps…

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