Member Shalaine
MemberForum Replies Created
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What does it tell you about the program? For example, is there a gender imbalance in your program? What age of youth attend the program? Where are youth coming from geographically to attend your program?
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On my point of view , the society is still denying that it’s a reality, and thinking it’s just actions from individuals. This kind of position can’t open the floor to real changes and relevant actions. Also, the persons in charge of making decisions in our society need to be conscient, aware and willing to stop anti-Black racism. Recognize, acknowledge then take actions to make it works.
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Are you a 2SLGBTQ+ young person living in Canada?
The SAFER (Safer Access for Everyone in the Rainbow) Project is including 2SLGBTQ+ young people in preventing and addressing gender-based violence across Canada. Wisdom2Action is recruiting 8 people aged 16-24 with diverse lived experiences to join the Youth Advisory Committee. This is a paid opportunity. Please click here to fill out the application.
Due: August 9th, 2021
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Project Canoe and Green Thumbs, based in Toronto, are coordinating Local Explorers, a program for Black and Indigenous girls, non-binary, and 2S youth to connect with nature, and to create and heal relationships. They will have monthly in-person and virtual sessions to come together and learn, reflect, and share in positive and liberating ways. They will have overnight retreats during Winter and Spring break, as well as a canoe trip in July 2022.
There is no cost to participate, and the program will run biweekly from September 2021 to June 2022. All program information, including the application, can be found online.
Although there is no application deadline, the program does have limited spots and youth may be placed on a waiting list. If you have any questions, you can contact Segen Mehreteab, Local Explorers Program Manager, at segen@canoe.org.
Please feel free to share this opportunity with your networks and with any youth who may be interested and eligible. Thank you! 😃
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Share programs and other opportunities for young people in communities across Ontario.
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The recording of our webinar conversation is now available on our Knowledge Hub! Thank you to @kathleen and to Liam and Jillian for sharing with us. ❤
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Thank you again for hosting us Kathe, what a great experience this has been!
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ICYMI, the recording of YouthREX’s webinar with the Ontario Caregiver Organization is now available on our Knowledge Hub! Thank you to Kathleen and to Liam and Jillian for sharing with us. ❤
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The “Readiness for Evaluation Metaphor Activity” provides this example of a metaphor: “Evaluation is like a camera because it lets you take a picture of what’s going on, but it can only capture what you point it at, and only for a particular time. My concern with this evaluation is that it won’t give the whole picture”.
What is your metaphor for evaluation: “Evaluation is like a ___________ because ____________”.
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I agree with Velta comment and also share the belief that my agency would also benefit from using race based data collection in an effort to understand why black families are significantly underrepresented within our client population and what actions the agency can do to change this issue. Our agency has recently partnered with |CTYS in an effort to incorporate ABR strategies to improve and evolve the agencies mandates and practices, this work has just begun. The simple thing I can do to centre black youth wellbeing in my work is to is constant self reflection. The work of personally deconstructing how “white supremacy” has “informed”, shaped, negatively impacted and brainwashed me as a “white person|” of privilege and power is paramount. To constantly challenge my social conceptualizations and be hyper aware of how that impacts my work with black youth and there families. Self reflection and personification have been such important concepts throughout this workshop because it has to start with me for my work or I am of no use to the black kids and there families that I work with, in fact I will be contributing to there problems and not supporting them towards advocacy and as the spoken word says, I will not be able to sleep at night.
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Its always been this verbalized idea by majority I would think “white people” in an effort to express that they do not look at people in racialized ways. In doing so this “saying” or jargon is minimizing black experiences. Everyone sees colour, everyone is subject to white supremacy while living in this western country, of course how it impacts you is what is different. This concept of being blind to race is one of a privileged position of power, how “comfortable” and convenient for “white” individuals to be blind to the racism, I truly don’t think it was intended to be racist (I could be so wrong though), the opposite in fact but it truly is a reflection of white privilege. It minimizes the black experience and attempts to void the individual expressing that notion responsibility to acknowledge there own place and contributions that have negatively impacted the black community. For a Youth Worker to say they do not see colour to a young black client is disrespectful to that persons culture, ethnicity, community, personal and historical experience and most importantly there race. It is an outdated concept, as we evolve and grow it is time to acknowledge such concept for what they are, another attempt by “white people” to avoid difficult conversations. In module 3 (3.3) the strategy of Broaching is a perfect example of the opposite approach to this concept of “colour blindness”. To engage in conversations, create a safe space supported by the Counsellor to address racial dynamics and how they impact the process, the practice and the experience of the client. To go there and support/empower the client to speak about how this dynamic plays out in there relationships, there institutions and there life not avoid these conversations with the intent the experience with the Counsellor will be different.
Stacey
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Thanks for sharing this Stacey, and for your thoughtful prompting question Raven.
I usually come back to the idea of “Strategic Essentialism” whereby we can acknowledge that we are more than racializing lables, AND that racist labels have very real consequences.
So then… while we (at times) Strategically essentialize (simplify) our identities in order to address social injustice, we remain aware of the socially constructed nature of these labels/categories.
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I completely agree with your point of view on this question. I love how you emphasized on the fact that white privilege acts are strong factors in this type of thinking or question. It does allow that particular group of individuals to escape difficult, uncomfortable conversations.
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I recently finished watching this webinar and I encourage everyone to check it out. It was very insightful and the video by Soch Nwakaeza & Eben Odonkor was very impressive. I feel like it really shed light on the generalized perceptions young black men have of their lives.
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I wanted to open the floor for discussion on a question someone earlier this week asked me. We had a pretty good talk about it, so I just felt it would be nice to share with the group and see if others have any insight they would like to share regarding this particular question. 🙂
Question: Is the phrase “I don’t see colour” a positive or negative
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I have found it’s helpful in building an alliance with new youth (clients) to take an interest in any special clothing they might be wearing, hat, because sessions have been virtual this year, noticing and asking questions about art or artifacts in their surroundings (home or bedroom). I learned so much about them (places they’ve been, gifts from relatives etc…). Not only did it help break the ice, but it was sooo interesting.
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The Jamaican Canadian Association and partners are hosting a COVID-19 vaccination information and pop-up clinic for African, Black & Caribbean communities on July 3-4 at the JCA Centre at 995 Arrow Road. Ages 12+, OHIP not required.
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A piece that really stood out to me in the final lecture of Module 2 was the fact that Black Youth are regularly connected to supports through the police and often have to wait longer for resources. This caused me to reflect on my own work. Most of the younger youth I work with (0-11) are white. When I worked with teenagers the services that had a lower intensity (weekly counselling for example) were populated with white youth while the higher intensity (such as classroom programs) were more populated by black youth. This module made me realize that this was a trend and that the likely cause of this trend is that the community (schools, my services, doctors etc) may not make a point of connecting black youth to services until things reach a point that more intensive services are needed. White youth get to be helped early on when issues are easier to work through with less invasive services, while black youth are likely being ‘managed’ by punitive measures such as detentions.
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Thank you for sharing this. I would not have thought of this prior to reading your comments.
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Thanks Christine, this is an important point. Please bring this up during the next Virtual Seminar, this is a crucial observation!
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Something I just wanted to highlight from the organization that I work at. They recently conducted a one time focus group for the clients in our live in treatment center to get a clear understanding of what the actual clients would benefit from in all aspects of the organization. I felt that this was a great example of that whole concept of actively listening to youth and implmenting policies and programmings that pertain to the youth it’s directed to.
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I’m reflecting on the ways in which my workplace can better encourage people of colour to seek our treatment services. I work at a youth treatment center where we provide youth with therapeutic/basic needs. I am definitely open to suggestions others may have on how I can take part in encouraging Black youth to become more engaged in these programs.
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Self reflection is key and very important in any work being done with and for Black youth.
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Very true, yet very sad. The fact of our country being built of who is more superior than another definitely ties right into the reasons why this is a problem. For decades black people seem to have been at the bottom of every list in this country.
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Great goal Shelly 👍🏾
We can not be shy, quite or afraid of making others uncomfortable when it comes to anti black racism anymore. We need to be open to have these uncomfortable discussions, especially our educators.
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I am really impressed with your honesty Trina. I think every one of us should stop and think about our own actions!
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Wow I commend your openness and willingness to be so truthful and expressive. That was definitly an eye opening statment you made there about self reflection. It’s very true, it’s one thing to speak on racism in other parts of society, but to actually take a step back and reflect it back onto ourselves is a whole different story and different struggle for some people, which is a main factor in why change still needs to be made.
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I really appreciate this framing…the desire to seem politically correct or to appear benevolent can actually interfere with the openness required to truly be an ally. And it can create greater harm.
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That sounds like a great task to implement in your daily routines. Self reflection is key to self awareness. At this time I don’t know of any self reflective workbooks, but I will for sure look out for them and share with the group. 🙂
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Thank you for sharing. This is no game.
