Member Nicole
MemberForum Replies Created
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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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This weeks module was really great ,I found it to be incredibly informative and real. One thing that really resonated with me was to actively listen and believe Black youth. We can not combat anti-blackness in Ontario without first acknowledging and believing Black experiences.
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From personal experience and research, I believe that anti-Black racism is still a problem in Ontario because our nation systemically believes that racism here is “non-existent” and that Canada is a welcoming “melting pot” of culture. This nation’s belief that Canada accepting of multiculturalism has ingrained itself into the policies that operate our province.
Historically, our nation has always denied its strong legacy of colonialism, oppression, and marginalization of BIPOC communities. Why Canada remains willfully blind to this history is something that I’ve always about especially since when speaking about racism, it is often referred to as an American issue, not a Canadian one.
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Great point! Because we scapegoat here in Canada with zero accountability with several turkeys that have Talking heads. The Blame game / “peace keeping” I suppose is the very mosaic that makes “Canada” a indigenous name but the colonizers claim!
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Because policymakers are doing very little to dismantle it, people still operate under the notion that it does not exist and refuse to address or call it what it is when it takes place.
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Volunteer Opportunity:
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Trust needs to be established first since the Modules and research has shown that service sectors has done more harm than good. This can be done through strength-based approaches and intersectional advocacy strategies.
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This is continued from my last post on this page.
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Even just this question feels revolutionary – to think of that future and the youth who exist in it is so beautiful. For me it conjures reminders of being trauma informed but healing CENTERED.
Some of the ideas that really stuck with me from this module include not relying just on inclusive ‘mainstream’ programs but creating race-based experiences that allow for the development of a strong ethnic-racial identity (https://youthrex.com/evidence-brief/eight-good-practices-for-organizations-serving-black-youth-their-families/)
Also engaging multi-generational family members (lesson 3.3) – I think I’ve really been downplaying the role of family in my practice, with the goal of centering the autonomy and inherent rights of the youth as an individual (honestly mostly in response to white helicopter parents). This has been a form of anti-Black racism because I haven’t been honouring the structures of Black families and the role of our youth’s community. This is a big shift for me that I know will help me support pro-actively the success of Black youth!
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Absolutely, Kristina! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Another resource that came to mind outlines 10 strategies for engaging in political consciousness-raising with Black youth, including connecting the personal to the political, emphasizing and celebrating Black excellence, and promoting engagement through healing-centred organizing.
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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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Rather than *just* advocating FOR Black youth I should say…
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Thank you for the playlist! So many great songs to choose from! Right now, it’s Rise Up by Andra Day for me. It reminds me that no matter how tired I am, I can keep going.
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I like One Day by John Lennon and Common. I like this playlist.
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Hello Everyone,
As a late responder to the group catching up and figuring out the navigation through this system I’d like to firstly respond “YES”!!!
I myself am an Afro Indigenous Adult born to this country whose constant denial and erasure of my history has made me “an Angry, Insobordinate Loud Black Woman“. I am so tired of also justifying myself or the racism that myself, ancestors and now child sufferer in a deep seeded way to other members of my Diaspora. Whiteness and Ignorance always defeat any real unity amongst us as even a community. Some black people dont identify “as Black” making this a more complex issue to further dissect or even advocate for based on mere appearance.
It is my full fledged suggestion that in order to eleviate this Ignorance for all we MUST attack and change our Colonial Written laws. If the Laws that oversea us are RACIST we will never defeat its context.
I’ll leave the satement here boldly for further discussion…
Best Regard,
Alexis
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Greetings Alexis – Yes, Boldness is necessary to promote change.
As I reflect on your statement, I think about the many laws that were founded to protect the property and entitlement of a few instead of justice for the people… and “justice” seems to only be blind towards the trespassers who have access and privilege (with the exception of making examples of people who fall out of line).
Systemic (intentional and ongoing coordination based on resourced special interests) injustice is protected by colonial culture… the old narrative that the power brokers are “civilized, polite and doing everything for the greater good” and those who are under that power are either “noble” (obedient) or “savages” (disruptive) who endanger everyone if not controlled. It is a contradictory idea that is present in formal institutions and our daily interactions in this dehumanizing culture.
Even to suggest that organized repression should be attacked can create anxiety for many people – but not fear of the great harm caused by this repression, but fear of the protesters and advocates of justice. For instance, many Black women who are consistently innovating, organizing and building a better world are underestimated, devalued and sabotaged routinely… even for advocating for justice for children in a school setting… but the school system is given time and resources and Black parents are left with the weight of battling not only that school but all the institutions and cultural judgments surrounding it. Therefore, someone who is (in essence) only Defending their rights is in turn Attacked by this system of culture and institutions (and pre-judiced individuals) and framed to be the aggressor.
It is bold to take a stance against insidious issues because there are real consequences for those who stand.
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And Bam sir there you have it! I appreciate the elaborative context in which you presented it! My statement was that of a first hand experience stemming from birth til this day! My wishes are that we unify to actually demand these changes now so that we can truly discuss change and what “changes” affect our lives in a positive way. It is at this point that the denial of these complexed barriers , denials and further denial of existence to Afro indigenous peoples that stands before them in human flesh.
If I a young adult mother can feel this imagine all the youth I’ve worked with, encountered or even passed by … how must they feel with all this burden on them … so vulnerable, innocent yet packaged and prejudged. I was one of those adults who wasn’t taught the system rather to be a free thinker. It has gotten me labeled , dismissed from jobs like garbage, I’ve had program ideas and documentary film ideas stolen from me by some of this cities most respected yet I remain the problem? These narratives must change …
My son is gifted… I sent him to French immersion for his first 4 years which actually was detrimental to him. Let me explain , here in Canada the French immersion system although public it is still separate. He had a Parisienne teacher who was not only stern but downright racist. It ruined his experience leading him to start “misbehaving” to a level they called George Hull, we went through that and George Hull said my son was completely fine but suffering grief (from loss) and quite frankly stressed. Now we go through Middle School non immersion and he’s getting A’s , teachers giving rave reviews then his father dies of a heart attach at 35 … here we go again not only is this his loss it’s a loss to a piece of my unsettled healing as well. So we scaffold all these recollections and as mother and son are expected to wear masks to show sanity to the world when we are literally dying inside. Highschool hits the behaviors become more amplified and expulsion because of attendance happens they send him to a remedial school he’s bored with and completes tasks in seconds with high honor. The school is much further and more difficult for him to get too abd no transportation provided another burden on a single parent mother making ends meat. It’s these stories we keep in and they never get heard or spoken off… It was also not to long ago I was racially profiled with my son while leaving a funeral for a family member -only to be targeted 8 guns to my face and my son being thrown to the floor like a rag doll with a knee very close to the neck apologizing to me for something he never did! This is bold and blatant systemic racism hidden by “Canada the great” !!!
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I have been pondering this question a lot and I am really struggling to answer it, and I think I am struggling to answer it because I work with young adults (16-24yo) and as much as I, and many of my colleagues, have made serious attempts to unpack and unlearn ARB, I am not sure how, without transformative changes, we develop pathways to inclusion in the youth sector. I have a lot of thoughts swimming through my brain by I’m finding it challenging to put them into the words so please bare with me.
I think with systems and institutions built on white supremacy without dismantling those systems, its hard for me to dream and envision this world.
So as I think about some systems that impact youths wellbeing, I started thinking about the systems that they possible interact with through their lives …
1. When black women are pregnant (particularly if they are poor, use drugs or do sex work), they are over surveilled by the state which can and does lead to CAS / family service involvement, and we know based on statistics that black children are disproportionately apprehended and removed from their homes and placed in care. Black women are also more likely to die from complications during childbirth then their white peers because they are not taken seriously. Both the health care system and family services can and do lead to family breakdowns.
2. When children begin school, for black children the school to prison pipeline is real. What are often deemed behavioural / challenging issues that result in disciplinary actions, and DD and LDs are overlooked and go undiagnosed. These beliefs, that they are “bad” can become internalized. Additionally, school records follow children, and teachers / school administrators have pre-conceived notions about who that child is.
3. Black children who end up in the youth courts are sentenced more harshly than their white peers. Black children / youth are also over surveilled, leading them to be stopped by police more often, being known to the police in their neighbourhoods, etc. This can and does impact them when they turn 18yo and become apart of the adult legal system – and similarly we know that black adults are stopped, arrested, incarcerated at higher rates then white adults.
4. Black families who live in poverty or are working-poor, may struggle with food and housing security (also resulting in possible interactions with family services and/or the legal systems), this may lead them to shelter systems. It is often more difficult being racialized to find housing, in addition to the discrimination of being poor, potentially on social assistance, not having a home or landlord reference / credit rating, etc.
5. ARB is an ongoing trauma black people experience, and there is very limited black-specific (and affordable) services to support black individuals / families with their mental health. Again, this can lead to family breakdowns, having interactions with the legal system.
SOOO if we do not dismantle white supremacy (and all the systems that work to uphold it, like family services, education and health care and legal systems, etc), and we are having to work within the confines of it, then I suppose this is how I imagine things …
I think the black-experience in Canada is unique and there needs to be more services and supports available specifically for this community and they need to be accessible. That means money needs to be invested by our governments.
These services and supports need to be developed by black communities, and overseen / reported within the community – while I understand that having government funding means also reporting how that funding is used back to government bodies, having government oversight in the way that is currently is, is harmful and will continue to uphold white supremacy policies.
<font face=”inherit”>I think we need to provide collective care (ie: using our collective tax dollars to fund such </font>initiatives<font face=”inherit”>) while </font>also<font face=”inherit”> trusting each other and communities to do what is best for them.</font>
<font face=”inherit”>Any ways, I’m not sure if this really answers the question at hand, but basically, I think decolonization, and </font>dismantling<font face=”inherit”> white supremacy, </font>patriarchy<font face=”inherit”> and capitalism will go a long way in ensuring their are pathways to inclusion within the youth sector. </font>
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I very much agree that while a lot of us are challenging and making attempts at dismantling ABR on an individual, and/or at best organizational level, the mission of achieving a true racism-free service sector would not be complete without the cooperation of fighting this battle on an institutional and systemic level.
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Understanding Domestic Sex Trafficking for Youth Work
Register online for this workshop presented by YouthREX and SafeGuards, and facilitated by Karly Church. March 23, 2021, 1:00 – 4:00 PM EST.
Learning Objectives:
- Define domestic sex trafficking
- Examine the stages of commercial sexual exploitation
- Identify risk and vulnerability factors as well as sex trafficking warning signs/indicators for young people
- Understanding best practices for intervention and engagement with survivors
Please click this link for more information and registration details! Be sure to check out the Relevant Resource list before or after the workshop!
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In this week’s module, listening and involving youth is encouraged in creating changes to policies, programs, and intervention/framework. By having youth’s voices heard and acknowledged, we would be able to create an inclusive environment or space. Before involving youths, it is also important to understand one’s own biases, assumptions and social location as well. What may be considered inclusive to one person may not be the case for everyone else. By having additional voices and working with youth, the space would be more welcoming and inclusive. By actively engaging, it also builds trust which would be beneficial in supporting the youth as well.
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Also, this module contained a lot of research about the Black communities experience in various service sectors. By referring to research and other strength-based approaches like the “Intersectional and Advocacy Strategies” will help with creating the changes needed in service sectors.
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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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Well said!
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I’m definitely picking up on the theme from multiple responses here about including the frontline workers and youth in creating a true inclusion. This echoes really well with many ideas presented in this module, particularly “listening”, “empowerment” and “advocacy”. While everyone, black or not, can bring something to the table, it can definitely be considered “tone-deaf” when the stories and input from the black communities are not being heard in the process of dismantling systemic anti-black racism.
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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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Thank you for sharing, Kathleen!
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Such an important discussion! 👏
