Virtual Café by YouthREX | Shannon | Activity

Shannon replied to the discussion Let’s dream and envision programs and services where Black youth are not experiencing anti-Black racism. How might we move beyond identifying the service needs and gaps Black youth face, to pro-actively designing pathways to inclusion in the youth sector? in the forum Centering Black Youth Wellbeing

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 16:15:48 -0400

Reply to Let’s dream and envision programs and services where Black youth are not experiencing anti-Black racism. How might we move beyond identifying the service needs and gaps Black youth face, to pro-actively designing pathways to inclusion in the youth sector?

I really love the idea of dreaming you have expressed here, Tobin! I think society and mainstream media has situated Black youth within such a deficit-based, damaged-centred framework, to use Eve Tuck’s idea in Suspending Damage, that we often forget that it IS possible to think about things differently and in turn, do things differently.

The…

Shannon replied to the discussion What is One Simple Thing you could do to center Black youth wellbeing in your work? What is One Simple Thing that your organization could do to center Black youth wellbeing? in the forum Centering Black Youth Wellbeing

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 20:04:59 -0400

Reply to What is One Simple Thing you could do to center Black youth wellbeing in your work? What is One Simple Thing that your organization could do to center Black youth wellbeing?

Shalaine, this is such a simple but effective thing that anyone can do. I love it. I am also intrigued by the use of pseudonyms in research because of the power that giving and having a name holds. I will be careful to think about this in my future work.

Shannon replied to the discussion What is One Simple Thing you could do to center Black youth wellbeing in your work? What is One Simple Thing that your organization could do to center Black youth wellbeing? in the forum Centering Black Youth Wellbeing

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 20:02:00 -0400

Reply to What is One Simple Thing you could do to center Black youth wellbeing in your work? What is One Simple Thing that your organization could do to center Black youth wellbeing?

I totally agree, Erika. Lumping all Black youth into one category is really irresponsible and misrepresentative. Disaggregating data would definitely help with this. As a researcher, I also think of the power that comes from having youth participate in the research not solely as objects of study, but as active proponents in the work.

Shannon replied to the discussion How might we draw on research findings to highlight and challenge the impact of anti-Black racism on youth and their families? in the forum Centering Black Youth Wellbeing

Mon, 04 Jul 2022 17:42:53 -0400

Reply to How might we draw on research findings to highlight and challenge the impact of anti-Black racism on youth and their families?

I definitely agree. I also think there must be a deliberate effort on the behalf of researchers to conduct research in decolonized ways that allow Black communities to access the research. I feel like often, research on racialized folk, though possibly well-intentioned, is often extractive. That is, it is done to get funding, finish…

Shannon posted an update in the group Centering Black Youth Wellbeing: When asked why ABR is still a prevalent issue in Canada, […]

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 04:17:49 -0400

When asked why ABR is still a prevalent issue in Canada, a few things come to mind for me. The first is that a great deal of society is still unaware of the actual history and treatment of Black folk in Canada and the same can be said for that of Indigenous peoples. I feel from conversations I have had with people of colour, that the… Read more

Shannon replied to the discussion Why is anti-Black racism still a problem in Ontario? in the forum Centering Black Youth Wellbeing

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 01:52:42 -0400

Reply to Why is anti-Black racism still a problem in Ontario?

I feel you on this. It is always, “Canada isn’t like the States” or “We do things better here”. I think part of doing away with this “shock” you’ve described is quite literally allowing ourselves to become comfortable with the uncomfortable truth that Canada isn’t all we see in the media, or better off because we are simply not like the…