Member Kiranjyot
MemberForum Replies Created
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Really appreciate the range on this playlist. It is a great reminder of the diversity that exists among Black musicians and artists and an important teaching that a wide range of music can be featured and celebrated in youth meetings and programming spaces.
This range when shared also makes it possible for Black youth in programming spaces to bring their unique interests and talents to a group or space.
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Love this! I know a teacher who enjoys playing music within her classes and I can send this to her to use. Thanks!
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I agree a lot with the comments others have made. We must let these youth speak for themselves and advocate for themselves about these issues. It is our place to help them learn to do this in an effective way as well and even at times to provide those platforms for them to speak. Within my work as a child and youth practitioner we strive to do this a lot, and learn to hear other people out and make them feel supported through this work we do.
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I think it’s important for us to share our own stories. So you can’t ask youth to be vulnerable, or to feel safe to share their stories if the folx in leadership are tight lipped and ‘perfect’ seeming (so, having had no struggles) – I feel like this is why it’s so important for things to be peer led and for those peers to be mentored by folx from community and with lived experience. This is one way I seen stigma addressed very well in community spaces.
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Thank you for sharing this resource!
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Yes, agreed. And we need to support and advocate for Black youth in leadership places that are supported by funding that values their time and expertise.
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Thank you for sharing this. I agree and I would add – listen more carefully, more intently to really hear what Black youth are saying. I’ve also learned to listen sideways – and what I mean by that is to step back and leave space for youth testing the climate they have just stepped into. I have learned that on first, or second, or third meeting folx are not going to trust me (there is historical reason in mainstream health care for distrust). I have to earn the trust of Black youth in programming by listening and being present to all of who they are without first making assumptions about who they are.
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The class analysis is soooo vital when we look at anti-Black racism and other kinds of racism – sometimes I find there’s only focus on representation in oppressive systems. Like, more diverse CEOs isn’t going to solve the problem of income inequality! When we seek power in these oppressive systems, it’s at the expense of many others. To address racism properly we have to also address capitalism!
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Thank you for the recommendation. I attended that session and I was quite moved and inspired by the film. I also attended From Trauma Informed to Healing Centered Youthwork and I am so grateful for the work you are doing at YouthRex and the knowledge you are sharing. It is improving the way I work and how I advocate at my centre.
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totally agree Marc! Incrementalism can often turn into a bandaid solution with no follow up and further reinforce the oppressive systems – e.g. an organization has a training on ‘diversity’ in response to anti-Black racism being perpetuated, the organization doesn’t do anything further but gets a pat on the back for holding one workshop, anti-Blackness at the organization continues to harm folks.
This is why it’s so important to individuals and organizations to have a cohesive long-term plan to address anti-Black racism!
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I am curious about what kind of research can be done to help validate the experiences of the youth so that a case might be made to invest in communities differently? I also wonder if working in a college may position you uniquely to listen to the stories of Black youth there and where you might be able to support a research based process/project that is led by Black youth at your college. This piece comes back to me as I work in health promotion and feeling how intentional and heartbreaking the separation is for many youth. And I’m reflection on a mistake belief that it is necessary in order to achieve success. The cost is too high and the loss/disconnection of community and culture is too great.
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👏 Preach!
I believe that’s what makes it so easy for people now a days to completely ignore racism or believe that every human being is actually free from discrimination and prejudice. It’s the simple logical fallacy of appeal to ignorance; lack of so called “evidence” (cause they don’t want to provide any) means that it doesn’t exist. Which in reality their turning their eyes away from it.
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💯 True
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Really like your point on there being “amplifications that have occurred through online platforms, where racist vitriol finds its echo chamber to manifest through anonymized hatred”.
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YES! There needs to be a drastic change in the ways in which black individuals are portrayed in our media. Media platforms are now held to such importance in the lives of young black people. What they witness in various media platforms is how they construct their behaviour and opinions of themselves and the world around them.
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I definitely agree with you on that. I have learnt so much throughout this training and discussion with everyone than I’ve ever learnt.
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I also look at it as being over-optimist about racism as a whole. It can be very harmful and can cloud our minds towards the truth. I feel like people focus so much on the fact that racism isn’t necessarily the same as it was back in the days (slavery, cotton felids and physical mistreatment) that it then leads them to think that it may not even exist anymore because they don’t see it.
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*claps* Well said!
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Very true Patrice! Even though these policies and acts are put into place to shed light on what the population of our country looks like, at the end of the day it still ends up hiding racism with have in our country today. I feel like this act was put into place as a way to say”see this shows we care about the diversity and multiculturalism within ur societies”, without any actions.
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The ideology behind thinking that Canada is all peaches and roses has definitely always been an issue that has increased the levels of ignorance towards the discrimination and racism towards black people.
I agree Julie, Canadians are so busy comparing themselves to the United States to make them look better that they end up neglecting what’s actually happening right here in their own country.
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That’s a great way to put it Simone. Cultural awareness has deteriorated so much throughout the years within the educational system, that it’s almost non-existent. Implementing that back into these social systems could definitely aid in giving these youth a sense of belonging. and knowledge of their real past. At the same time also educating non-black individuals on different cultures.
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Hi Rachelle,
Great insight and reflection. The modules also effectively touch on some of those topics such as white supremacy in a lot of our systems and institutions.
It’s true what you said about people in power not wanting to dismantle the current structure of this world because that would mean them having to make some changes in their own lives and share their privilege and power.
Thanks for sharing your opinion.
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This is a great point we focus on in my work! There should not be any shame or blame on those who get any type of support or have gone through certain unfortunate things. It is important to put those things aside and instead realize these people are in need of support in many ways and that if we can help we should try.
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For sure! The mental health stigma within black communities strongly need to be addressed. Black youth especially are provided little to no support in relation to their mental health because of such prejudice thoughts on black individuals and their mental health.
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I strongly agree Tarena, black representation is a key factor in even encouraging other black individuals to participate in any type of change. Black youth especially, are so afraid of being let down or ignored by those who oppressed them that it now needs to be someone who is closely apart of their community and a clear representation of themselves, so that they can have role models that look like them.
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Georgina, your comment really allowed me to throughly think about all the experience I’ve had within the mental health/social service felid. I feel like many services almost provide programs and changes towards black youth either has a ministry accomplishment or as a check box and once that box is checked, it’s as if the duty and responsibility with it, is gone. Too many times have I witnessed the creation of programs and committees end up falling apart due to the lack of follow up.
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Hi Mike, I really value your point on how black youth need to be compensated for their involvement in various services and programs, as this is one of many issues individuals within black communities face; lack of financial support. Due to the lack of income within black communities it is so common for these youth to look towards illegal and/or dangerous fast money options which then to a slippery slope of events.
there various strategies you provided are also very valuable and worthy or trying. I like how you really stressed the concept of allowing youth to share their feedback because in my opinion that is one of the tasks that easily gets slipped under the rug in these services and programs we have.
So thank you for your insight! 🙂
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Definitely! Well said Andri
The educational system in general needs a lot of work in regards to setting up black youth to actually succeed in life, once they leave. It’s sad, the suspension and drop out rates are way to high within the black community
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Diversifying our feeds is so important; thanks for the recommendation, Emily!
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This is beautiful, thank you for sharing! We (at YouthREX) recently hosted a (short) film screening and discussion centred on creating healing spaces for young Black men. It was a really engaging and inspiring event; I would recommend checking it out, if you have the time. (You can find a recording of the event and a link to the short film here.)
