Member Elizabeth
MemberForum Replies Created
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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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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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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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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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That’s a great question. I will definitely be incorporating that into my session with young people.
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Young Caregivers Connect – a resource and online community for young caregivers, by young caregivers. Target audience is anyone who provides care under 25, but there is great info there for those who support young caregivers as well. Hosted by the Ontario Caregiver Organization. Check it out here: youngcaregiversconnect.ca
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Thank you for sharing, Kathleen!
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Hi everyone! I am the Program Lead at the Ontario Caregiver Organization, and want to share a resource we launched in response to Young Caregiver Day of Action which was March 16th. Young Caregivers Connect has lots of content created by and for youth, as well as an online discussion forum (moderated by staff) where young people can connect with each other. Our target audience is anyone who provides care under 25 in Ontario, but anyone can sign up. Here is the link: youngcaregiversconnect.ca
Check it out! If you work with young people or are a young person, I hope you will find this helpful. Happy to answer any questions!
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Great questions, Kathe … “return anxiety” is real, especially for youth struggling with social anxiety and now have to relearn how to relate face-to-face. I have a 19-year old that was in Grade 12 in March 2020, went on March break and has not seen anyone outside her household since then. She is finishing her first year of university and has never had any in-person interaction. I worry about how she will ease back into the world.
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I’ve been thinking again of “return anxiety”, as vaccines become available and the possibilities for a wider reopening emerge. The experiences of young people will vary, of course; some have been learning remotely for the entire year, and some have experienced many ‘returns’ to school, followed or preceded by extended lockdowns. Different youth programs have had to shift focus or change how they work with and support youth, especially with respect to program engagement and delivery. I wonder what we will need to learn, relearn, and unlearn in the months ahead.
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Emerging Youth Consultancy is hosting an online Knowledge Transfer event next Thursday to bring together youth and adult allies to explore best practices for youth engagement in a virtual environment. YouthREX is participating, and I’m really excited to learn from all of the speakers, especially after a year of pivoting most of this work to online platforms. You can join us by registering for this free event online. 😃
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In thinking about the challenges that come with the legalization of cannabis, we can also consider the legacy of criminalization.
ICYMI, YouthREX partnered with our friends at Exploring the Link and Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy on an Ask The Expert event that featured young people discussing how racism has impacted, and is continuing to impact, cannabis policy and use (including @chantalphillips!).
Check it out on our Knowledge Hub!
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Such an important discussion! 👏
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Anti-Black Racism is still a problem in Ontario because people refuse to acknowledge that our systems are rooted in white, colonial privilege and power that seek to oppress all groups that do not belong in the dominant group. We talk about change, but we need to dismantle our systems, like education, and rebuild them creating a space for people to exist and thrive without predetermination or categorization.
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Love love this playlist!! Mine are Brown Skin Girl and Alright. Always on repeat.
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Changes and Rise up are two of my faves! I found that all the songs in the playlist fit well with the main theme of each module!
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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, Jae! I agree, it is so important to be critical of the information we consume, especially now that a number of different actors have a vested interest in promoting cannabis use. Young people should be aware of the risks and benefits of cannabis use, so that they are able to make their own (informed!) decisions.
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Fascinating! Thanks, Kat
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This is a really interesting point, and may actually be supported by research! I listened to a podcast recently that discusses the idea of psychic numbing (when we feel indifferent to the suffering of large number of people). The guest, who is a psychologist, suggests that emotion (stories) may have a much bigger impact on our decision-making than seeing the numbers (statistics). The episode looks at “why 500,000 COVID-19 deaths may not feel any different” but it also touches on how stories can create windows of opportunity that spur people to act.
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Thanks, Mike. Your “inconclusive thoughts” are definitely very insightful. I agree that stories are very powerful in communicating the ‘humanness’ of how oppression is felt by others in a way that just facts and stats might not be able to do.
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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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Thank you for sharing these strategies, Alisha. They touch on so many different aspects of the work and where/how we can strive to effect change — one-on-one, at the program level, within our agencies/organizations, and within the system/sector, too. 🙂
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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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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.
