[Camilla Persaud –]

Using research findings year after year only highlights the increase in the impact of racism on Black youth and their families. How much research will it take for others to realize this is not a problem of the past or a problem that does not exist in our society, BUT a problem that has been snowballing – growing over hundreds of years that is still not receiving the necessary solutions. The research only screams louder and louder that Black lives are being lost and neglected in our society. If an entire community is hurting what are we going to do to help? Again, similar to why anti-Black racism is still a problem in Ontario – it has been a learned norm to “hate”. Taught in our school books, in our Eurocentric models of policy and systems – the research only supports that fact that the systems and barriers in our society need to be changed.

[Cyril]

Thanks Alexandra,

I had to return to the lecture (timestamp 21:41) before sharing my opinion.

I believe that “Mental Health” as used in this context is not prescribing any particular “identity” but bringing up a complex continuum that is impacted by social location and labelling.

From my understanding, this is not to suggest that these labels are valid/distinctive, but to problematize how people may be labelled “well” and “unwell” and how these projected/assumed identities may impact someone’s life experiences. So it may be a shifting “identify” of sorts, but I would agree that context is important to consider (and perhaps it juxtaposes with some of the other identities listed which are perhaps far more socially segmented).

If someone is publicly labelled with a mental health “condition” (without getting into medical models) it may impact the way they are treated – in my opinion, this is what the speaker is alluding to. What I like about your question is that it steps beyond this deduction and invites us to reflect on the relative nature of these social constructs – which all carry great social consequence.

There is a level of care (and courage) needed when naming and identifying social labels and stigma. I don’t have a conclusive answer here, but I appreciate the dynamic conversations for personal reflection that will hopefully bolster social justice.

[Madison]

I am a biracial black woman, and I grew up in rural Ontario. I believe that anti-black racism is still a problem in this province today because a lot of it is implicit or ignorant racism. For example, my siblings and I in elementary school being referred to as “the brown kids”, or my English teacher in high school asking my class if anyone was black, and my friend singling me out in front of everyone. Being asked why I’m not trying out for the basketball team. Being a “lightskin” and experiencing colourism, being not black enough or white enough to really fit anywhere. These few examples of microaggressions made me feel isolated, different, an “other”. Looking back, there were limited, if any, resources for me as a young black youth. I had to do my own research on racism in Ontario, because the falsehood of Canada being a “nice” country is damaging to so many marginalized minorities, not just the black community.

[Cyril]

Thanks for sharing these insights.

Conversations about colourism need to be a part of these dialogues and in discussions with young people. Here is a video produced by a colleague, Nayani Thiyagarajah, over 10 years ago on Shadeism: https://vimeo.com/16210769

Video Description: “Shadeism (2010) is an introduction to the issue of shadeism, the discrimination based on skin tone within different communities. This documentary short looks specifically at how it affects people within the African, Caribbean, and South Asian diasporas. Through the eyes and words of give young womxn and one little girl, the film takes us into the thoughts and experiences of each. Overall, this short explores where shadeism comes from, how it directly affects us as womxn of colour, and ultimately, begins to explore how we can move forward through dialogue and discussion.”

[Madison]

Thank you for sharing this video, Cyril!

[Ms. Laura]

One thing that I am currently working on with my students is creating a Black Student Union. Where I live (and in the high school I teach), there is a very small percentage of black students. In previous conversations with my Black students, they have told me how they don’t feel like a priority within the Board or connected to their school. By formally bringing our Black students together with the Union, it not only creates an opportunity for them to lend their voices and stories, but it creates a space for them within their school where they are represented. Also, also allows our Board to work with these students when it comes to policies that impact them.

[Karen]

I feel it is important to validate Black youth experiences. Often in my work Black youth voices and experiences are disregarded or misconstrued as disrespect when they are in many case attempting to advocate for themselves. I think the education system in general could work harder to provide necessary training around ABR and its negative implications for student wellbeing. I think we need to also be willing to call out those who refuse time and again to be called in to ABR work.

[Claire]

Will definitely listen to these in my own time! Thank you for sharing ☺

[Joan]

Thanks !

[derrick]

Two things come to mind form the first week of modules. 1) As a white person, being active in solidarity and engaging in anti-racism work. Not sitting back, but taking an active role in creating anti-racist and anti-oppressive spaces and relations. And 2) Making space for Black joy and Black beauty. I do a lot of facilitation in the community and have taken this prompt offered in the lectures to reflect on how I can more often make space for Black joy and Black beauty, as well as that sort of space and representation for all racialized persons and identities.

[Farah Slimati –]

Listening with Empathy. Seek to Understand by showing curiosity instead of judging. These are the first steps build trusting relationships with our black youth.

[Farah Slimati –]

Spoken Words by Asante gave me goose bumps. Very Powerful! I did more research on him and I really admire his advocacy for mental health. This is an area where there is evident injustices and disparities. A lot of work needs to be done.

[Kathe]

Absolutely, Farah.

If you didn’t come across this in your research, you may be interested in a conversation that Asante participated in last year — Opening Up: Creating Healing Spaces for Young Black Men. This webinar also featured a powerful short film by Eben Odonkor.

[Yasmine]

ABR is still a problem in Ontario because we have clung to the myth of being “universal peacekeepers” and the “better” version of the USA. Our multicultural mosaic trope has us believe that we have overcome racial inequality but in reality, we use this mosaic to cover longstanding histories of ABR in Canada (i.e. KKK formations) and erasure of Black Canadian presence and accomplishments. In Ontario we have areas that are racially diverse, which can create competitions and conflict between POCs. As we learned in the Brown Complicity module, model minority myths can cause ABR and the resurgence of whiteness to even come from other racialized groups. In the areas of Ontario where there is less racial diversity, we still see ignorance de to lack of exposure and Black erasure of those lands (i.e. the history of Black settlement in Oakville has been erased and Oakville has been considered a “white city” despite Black existence for generations).

[Monique]

I totally agree with you, Yasmine. I keep going back to when I was in school and we learned about the Underground Railroad like a big symbol of our national pride, but there was no mention about slavery and the racism in Canada, and how Black people were treated when they came to the country (and the fact that it was so bad they left). Or that we were never taught the contributions of Black Canadians to Canadian history. I grew up in Southwestern Ontario, and never learned about the Black settlements and communities that lived there. I am white and we never talked about race when I was growing up, so I had to do my own learning to get comfortable with saying things out loud – even saying the word Black, because somehow I thought that pointing it out was rude? So if people can’t talk about race, or don’t feel equipped to have the conversation, it makes it even harder to have the real conversations about structural racism, or that the country was founded on principles of white supremacy and continues to create disparities for Black folks today.

[YouthREX- Kamau]

I believe the point being made here is so important. Ontario’s diversity has too often been used as a barometer to signify the overcoming of racism when that isn’t the case. That along with the comparisons to the more anti-oppressive practices of the United States has been used to mislead people about anti-black racism in Canada.

[Ms. Laura]

I believe ABR is a reality in Ontario because those who are in positions of power allow it to be. When non-Black citizens are benefiting from this gross inequity, why would they want to eradicate it? And, if we have leaders (some in the highest positions of authority in our country) who are promoting ABR or denying that it exists, some of our highly susceptible or impressionable citizens will believe them blindly. Thus, the cycle continues and models to our citizens that this is “how it is” or how “this is how it was always done.”

[Kathe]

I’m so excited to share the recordings from our Teach-In on January 31st!

You can watch part 1 and part 2, featuring presentations and spoken word performances, as well as access all related resources. 🖥 📣 📚 ❤

Also, be sure to check out the awesome visual notes created during each of the keynotes by Jean Rhodes and Larissa Crawford! 🖍

Do you have resources to share on critical youth mentorship? Let us know — we’d love to add more to our Featured Collection. 😎

[Farah Slimati –]

As an educator, I have been affirming my students’ identities and empowering them to be proud of who they are and of their heritage. Black students bring joy to our learning space. They have a lot to offer. Focusing on their strengths and setting high expectations for them foster their sense of belonging. Bringing in members of the community and including literature that reflects their identity makes them feel acknowledged.

[Rashyka]

In previous years, I used to volunteer a lot with youth. One of the biggest issues I’ve encountered is low self esteem from many Black youth, It isn’t easy being confident when some teachers pick on you, call you names or make you feel like you don’t belong. As I continue to work with Black youth now, I try to encourage them and uplift them in ways they might not get at school or at home.

[Angeli]

I think the big problem is that people support what is going on at the time in the media and then once something else comes up they support that and then the next and the next. People dont always take the time to educate themselves on what is going on, why it is going on and how they can help. They see something to support and go with it and then onto the next, not realizing if they believe in changing something they can learn and support that consistently

[Angeli]

We want to make sure that our youth are feeling supported. That they have a brave space to go to, that there is an EDI statement, response etc. I think its important to have programs for Black Youth that encourage them to get involved and feel connected and supported

[YouthREX- Kamau]

Thank you for sharing this! This is a great way for people to connect.

Trauma-Informed Youth Work Workshop: https://learn.youthrex.com/courses/Workshop-trauma-informed-youth-work

[Joe]

I work in Project Management, so I’ll take this question from a project-based view:

One of the things that stuck with me from the RBD lecture was the importance of engaging with the larger community (not just the members of the organization itself) when implementing a project to collect RBD.

One of the biggest problems projects run into, in my experience, is not properly engaging partners and stakeholders (whether that means that partners/stakeholders weren’t engaged at all, weren’t engaged at the right time, or weren’t engaged in a way that met their requirements/interests). On a personal and organizational note, I think this calls for a serious and ongoing consideration of who our partners and stakeholders are (often using project organizational charts and stakeholder registers) so that partners and stakeholders are engaged meaningfully – not just “on the fly”. Giving serious thought to who our partners/stakeholders are and gaining input from the partners/stakeholders on what their interests are, how they like to be engaged, when they should be engaged, etc. is key.

[Camilla Persaud –]

I believe anti-Black racism is still a problem in Ontario because of the amount of people who are benefiting from it. Until we can actually instil change and break down the existing systems built on racism, society will not fight against it because it has learned to reap the rewards of oppressing others. When one speaks up, they are viewed as being radical or rebellious or not a part of the “team”, they face so many repercussions for challenging the “norms” that these institutions have created. As long as Ontario upholds these systems and policies in place, the society will hold these beliefs to be true. In the meantime, there are people out there who are fighting for change and challenging these systems – who are doing great work to be heard and seen yet there are too many people who are “silenced and neutral” so the numbers aren’t there to overthrow the systems in place.

[Cyril]

Hmm… well said. When institutions (and individuals) do more work to say the right things rather than change/address wrongful actions/ideologies, it reinforces systemic oppression and attempts to mask accountability.

More work is needed to confront anti-Black practices and ideologies in earnest so that more people can feel invested in total human liberation and reject investments/benefits from the dehumanization of “othered” people.

[Karen]

I think the assumption that Black people are able to withstand more comes from both within and outside of Black culture. First, the deliberate efforts to represent Black people in ways that authenticate their brutality and exclusion, solidifies the myth that we can handle more burden. So when we reach out for help, our cries are ignored. Second, Blacks are often taught in-home that in order to be strong we need to handle our struggles on our own. The stigma attached to any health concern, silences us which of course we know leads to increased illness within the community. Many Black families also rely heavily on religion as a way to cope with their problems (for many this is a protective factor against mental illness). Finally, many Black families experience feelings of mistrust toward services because of historical trauma and further marginalization within healthcare. Recently a colleague told me of an experience with a surgeon prior to her operation. She was handled abruptly, and made to feel like she was unintelligent. She expressed that especially because she was Black and Francophone she felt the necessity to talk about her credentials as the only way to gain respect and leave the hospital with a little of her humanity. Imagine what her experience would have been if on top of being Black she was not educated. When I reflect on this experience I’m reminded of how the Black experience and access to care differ depending on how our various identities intersect.

[Cyril]

Thanks for sharing your insights and concrete ways to close some of these gaps.

I wonder what accountability measures could be put in place to improve relationships between families and schools – especially families who regularly face systemic discrimination and may not have much social capital?

[Claudia]

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.

[Amani]

Anti-Black racism is a still a problem because we’re living on the foundations of Anti-Black Racism. As Professor Michelle Johnson explained in 1.2, the history of black people within Canada has been erased. The writing of history is a political act, what we produce has a reason, and when we are able to understand that everything has a reason why it’s been produced (and in this case to erase black presence.) We then can see how this has had an effect on the education system, health care system and judicial system.

We still see how the roots of the ideologies made to oppress Black people have been ingrained in Canadian culture but also have evolved to develop new systems of oppression. For example: social media messaging, advertising, and in my opinion even the things taught during black history month being an incomplete history that focuses only on recent Black history and mostly black trauma.

It’s still a problem because the foundations of the systems of Canada have been made to work against the progress of the ABR framework and needs to be reformed from the root to develop positive change systemically.

This isn’t to say that ABR framework doesn’t work, since it does address the personal and Interpersonal anti-black racism that is within communities and organizations.