Member Trina
MemberForum Replies Created
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This is such a good, thought-provoking question. Both the quantitative AND qualitative data presented in this module were powerful, and, quite frankly, eye-opening. The problem, however, lies in the fact that it might not be well-known. It would be a really good idea, I think to invest in a social media campaign of sorts with bite-sized pieces of information to share to make the data more understood on a wider level. I also think there is so much power in personal testimony and stories. People can connect and understand (as much as possible) on an emotional level with the trauma that Black youth and Black families experience on such a frequent basis. This may actually be a better driver of change than numbers on an infographic. I was very interested in the lecture about the impacts of racial discrimination on the mental health of Black youth and their families, and I was struck by the fact that most of the studies cited came from the USA. The lecturer, in fact, was very vocal about the fact that there has not been a study of this same issue completed here in Canada yet, and I think a study done in Canada would be a good place to start. The first lecture mentioned a lot about how Canada’s claim of being a diverse and multicultural society actually leads to a more insidious form of racism because many don’t believe it exists. If we could refer to data coming specifically out of Canada, I believe it would be an eye-opener for many, and no one would have the ability to deflect with comments such as “yes, but that is in the United States. We are more tolerant here.”
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What a beauty-filled inquiry. I am going to return to add to this thread. But first, I need to sit with its depths, complexity, and nuances, while gathering my experiences.
Thank you for this prompt.
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Thank you for your insightful opinion. I am particularly interested in religion and the framework it oppresses, especially gender/sexuality diversity and religion, so I became interested in your opinion. Like anything else, religion does not exist alone like an island. They are under the influence of society and the system and are not free from the interests of people and groups responsible for their religion.
There are also many cases where they are stingy in applying and interpreting their scriptures in the context of reality. For example, the Bible verse about loving your neighbour as yourself loses its power when today’s religions and religious people who deny homosexuality cite the Leviticus verse. Unfortunately, their interpretation of Leviticus contributes to strengthening the foundation of hatred towards sexual minorities.
Maybe we should learn archaeological anthropology, but I think we need to look into how people in Africa, the Americas, and Asia lived before Western imperialism and white supremacy were implanted, and we may be able to find an answer. I was thinking, why not restore and find the “indigenous spiritual traditions” mentioned in the table you presented and what we learned and apply them to the modern context?
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Education like these webinars allows community members to acquire some knowledge about the topic and reflect on their experiences.
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I love all the music that is included in the lectures, some familiar favourites and others I have not heard. I have been looking to add more Black music to our classroom playlist. Thanks!
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It’s so frustrating; my sense is that cognitive dissonance continues to be such a big and real problem – ppl just can’t get over the feeling of shame and can’t see the role they could take if the concepts were simply accepted to be real, poignant to them even if they aren’t black identifying. Dismantling won’t happen if only a small portion of the population gets it…
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I think anti-black racism is still a problem in Ontario maybe because of a lack of knowledge of the history Canada played and the impact it had on black lives. I think Canada has a persona of being polite and treating people well but Canada’s history would suggest otherwise. I found the lecture about the history of Canada to be very powerful and I think there would be value in teaching Canada’s history in schools. I think when one has a reputation to uphold it becomes easy to say it doesn’t happen in our backyard, or we (Canadian’s) are not like the States. In some ways we may be worse than the States because here it may be more underground because people are being polite and that may be way more of a challenge to change.
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Some of the most interesting research findings from Module 2 were in the second last lecture, “Pathways to Mental Health Care for Black Youth.” One of the themes that emerged throughout this module, is that research shows that Black youth want to be consulted and exercise agency in the care options that are presented to them. This insight reminded me of an article I read by Dr. Shaun Harper, where he said that it’s just as important to look for the things that help Black students succeed in higher education (such as mentorships, strong social ties to the university, academics that they are engaged in), as it is looking at things that negatively impact their journey through higher education. As I previously said, one of the recurrent themes in this module, and the research that has been presented, is that Black youth succeed when they are able to exercise agency.
To me, the question of how to use the research of this module is how to become an effective advocate and supporter for Black youth and their families as they navigate institutions. I think that this research makes a compelling argument for more diverse hiring practices at all levels within different institutions, and that institutions have to implement regular training as well as create ways to track progress and be held accountable. But I return to this piece about the necessity of ensuring that places like schools are safe for Black youth to navigate, and that part of ensuring their safety means ensuring that they and their families are able to collaborate with the people who are working with them, and that these people are trained to be self-critical and reflective of their own practices, for example recognizing when they are adultifying a Black child. To me, the social change that this research bears has to begin with the practitioner, and them developing awareness of themselves so that they can better understand and assist Black youth and their families, instead of penalizing them for the barriers that are created by anti-Black racism.
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Love this! Thanks for sharing 🙂
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I was listening to an interview with Malcolm X the other day, and I’m familiar with some of the sermons from Martin Luther King Jr. There are a variety of ways that Black leaders have approached activism and religion. I’ve had all sorts of expression of religion from Black students in my classes – Muslim, Christian, Rastafarian – but I feel society and critical theory pushing negative messaging around religion.
In listening to the first lecture in the Centering Black Youth Wellbeing course I saw this when describing White Supremacy: Christianity is associated with colonialism, clearly (religion doesn’t have a great track record here), and thus villified. But I don’t have a clear thought on how to approach this or post-colonial theory with Black Christian students.
I’m curious how you all both honour and challenge religion in your circles?
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Firstly, one simple thing I could do to center Black youth’s well-being in my work is to emphasize and hold myself accountable with critical reflexivity. I like to believe I am self-aware and address any biases I may have but as this module has taught me that is not enough. I will ensure I am consistently identifying and reflecting on any blind spots or biases and address my thought process as well as how it could be impacting my work with Black youth and their families. Furthermore, I feel this is critical to centering Black youth wellness in my work as I cannot truly and wholeheartedly provide the competent care they deserve if I am not holding myself accountable and ensuring that the care I’m providing is truly free from biases and blind spots.
Secondly, one simple thing that my organization could do to center Black youth’s well-being is to design programs and services specifically designed for Black youth. I believe these programs and services should be created in collaboration either with Black community stakeholders or Black-led agencies and organizations to ensure they are relevant and competent for black youth. Additionally, the staff hired to run or create these programs must be Black women as it ensures they are being created by those who share and understand the Black experience. As I work for a women’s centre an example of this could be a girls group for Black young women or a Black young women’s support group run by Black women.
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Rather than creating programs and services for Black youth and families in mainstream organization – support Black-led and Black-focused organizations in their work. Learn about what they do – where the collaborative opportunities are – provide referrals – engage to ensure a spectrum of services and supports are available for Black youth and families – do what Black youth and families need – and not trying to fit them into what you are offering – be flexible – listen – advocate – evolve – be respectful- learn – be humble and use your privilege to support and recognize Black brilliance.
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I think the reason why anti-Black racism is still very present in Ontario is multi-faceted. Anti-Black racism is rooted in historical, institutional, societal and systemic contexts that have, overall, done a very good job of hiding their existence. One of the most shocking realizations that I had during the first module was how little I actually knew about the historical roots of anti-Black racism in Canada in particular. I was stunned to learn that what I had thought I knew about our country (and I have studied a bit of Canadian history at an undergraduate level) was completely off. When I shared what I learned with my family, they were equally as shocked. This highlights a very real obstacle toward stopping anti-Black racism in Ontario: not enough people are aware or educated about it. This, of course, is due to the erasure of Black voice and perspective in our institutions. This should be something that is taught as part of our curriculum. We (I am speaking as a white person), need to be more aware of the little actions we take and thought processes that we have that perpetuate the problem. We need to acknowledge our guilt. We cannot move forward if not everyone understands that something is wrong.
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Has anyone developed creative ways to use and share research findings in their practice? If yes, would you be willing to share your ideas?
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I too loved the music in this course and am excited to share the diversity of the playlist in my middle-school classroom. Any chance there’s a “clean” playlist that anyone can suggest?
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This stands out so powerfully to me as I journey into Black History Month with my grade 6/7 students in a very white, very rural school. I am not much of a history buff myself, so I generally stick with history from the text book. After taking this course, I’ve realized how important it is to venture outside the text and, in this case, perhaps re-create it! This week I’ll be learning WITH and FROM my students as we set a course to change the history we understand.
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I believe that one reason anti-black racism remains an issue in Ontario is due to historical factors that continue to open doors for certain groups to benefit socially, academically, and economically on the backs of non whites. Individuals who are not directly impacted by the damage of anti- black racism often experience a greater likelihood of benefiting from economic, educational, and social privileges made available through the societal barriers enforced on black individuals. In order for change to take place, we must be willing to recognize, acknowledge, and hold accountable unequitable practices. This work is tremendously important, for all of us.
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on him not understanding it.” Upton Sinclair
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There are a variety of complex historical, systematic and social factors that contribute to anti-Black racism still being present in Ontario. The history of colonization and segregation have played a big role in the continual discrimination that is faced and is still present in everyday attitudes and structures. This can be seen through systematic bias or unequal access to education, healthcare and employment.
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I believe the challenges of lack of shelter, youth run away from their parents and human traffic have have being contributing to increase the consume of different and more dangerous drugs by youth in GTA, and the government instead to help to rehabilitate the youth offer more avenues to continue with the use of drugs.
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Anti-Black racism remains a problem in Ontario not just because the institutions that all people move through are, on a fundamental basis, anti-Black, but also, because many narratives and institutions go out of their way to hide their racism. This means that while institutions are committing very real harm against Black people, there is a simultaneous move being made to hide that this is happening. In the second lecture, “This Historical Roots of Anti-Black Racism in Canada,” Dr. Michele Antoinette Johnson pointed out that the historical presence of Black people has been erased from Canadian history, as both key historical figures such as Mathieu Da Costa, or the institution of slavery in Upper Canada and New France. These specific erasures are important to note because the former makes it seem as if Black people were not in Canada, and the latter makes it appear that Canada never participated in the institution of slavery. These erasures mean that many Canadians do not believe that anti-Black racism exists in Canada, and can’t connect certain educational outcomes for Black youth, such as the disproportionate numbers of Black youth being disciplined in schools (according to Dr. Vidya Shah, Black students represent 11% of students in the TDSB but account for 34.3 % of suspensions and expulsions in 2017-18). Because Canadians don’t know about these connections, when they see figures such as the above, they may resist or deny that anti-Black racism is negatively impacting Black students and may instead blame and punish these students for behaving like their white peers.
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Making sure that youth can make an informed decision about participating in an evaluation of a youth program involves several good practices:
– By having clear communication. Make sure that the information is clear and explain the purpose of the evaluation.
– Informed consent from both youth and legal guardians. Ensure that participants understand that their participation is voluntary.
– Feedback and follow up. like offering them the opportunity to provide suggestions or improvements.
Challenges respecting ethical principles such as confidentiality and anonymity in evaluations that include youth can include:
– Participant safety. It’s important to have protocols in place to address any potential risks to participants’ safety and well-being.
– Anonymity
Privacy and confidentiality. Assure participants that their responses will be kept confidential and that their identities will not be linked to their individual responses
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For youth programs, measuring outcomes can be challenging due to factors such as participant mobility, changing life circumstances, and the time and resources required to conduct follow up evaluations. To address this challenge, youth programs can consider implementing strategies such as tracking participants over time through follow-up surveys or interviews.
By overcoming these challenges, youth programs can better understand and communicate the long-term impact of their work on participants.
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I think that evaluation can support youth programs by highlighting the voices and experiences of program participants. like sharing stories and testimonials from program participants to showcase the impact of the program in a meaningful and relatable way.
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After completing this module and taking some time to reflect on this question I believe that there are various ways we can pro-actively design pathways to inclusion in the youth sector. A few of these ways include the involvement and input of black youth in the development of programs and services, cultural competency training, and organizational accountability. Firstly, the active involvement of the black youth that would be participating in the youth sector is crucial as we would be ensuring that their unique lived experiences and barriers are taken into consideration when creating programs and services, ensuring the most culturally relevant and effective programming possible. Additionally, the collaboration with black youth would aid in assisting the trust and bond building needed for successful programs and services to take place. Secondly, every organization that works with black youth should be mandatorily required to complete cultural competency training to ensure they understand the historical and social context that racism and discrimination have on black youth and families. Also, cultural competency training would benefit anyone working with black youth as they would be able to provide a more inclusive, welcoming, and safe space for black youth. Lastly, accountability within each organization would be crucial to make sure that the programs and services being offered to black youth are truly anti-oppressive and anti-racist and are actually benefiting and positively impacting black youth. This can be done by self-reflection, group reflection, consulting with black youth, and consulting with black-led organizations.
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This was all new information for me as well. It was a highlight of this course for me. It’s been really nice to also share this information with my close circle and spark discussions about this
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Thank you for sharing this. Music is a powerful tool that can be used for healing and connection!
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There are a variety of ways in which research and data can address and challenge anti-Black racism among youth and their families. Firstly, by compiling and simplifying data and research into easily understandable content for people; we can amplify Black voices and concerns more quickly and efficiently to a broader audience. For example, a research study on the adultification of Black youth, presented as a short video or informational poster, could be shared widely through public platforms like social media or public transportation posters. Once these findings reach the public, it becomes easier for those who are uninformed to begin understanding and educating themselves on dismantling anti-Black racism. However, these media pieces should be created based on existing data and personal stories, rather than exploiting the trauma and discrimination faced by Black people for educational purposes; creating educational materials should not come at the expense of Black people’s well-being. Additionally, as mentioned by others, utilizing empathy and compassion through human connection, such as interviews, spoken word, and personal experiences, can mobilize larger groups of people to demand systemic and political change. There is already a tremendous amount of data on anti-Black racism in Canada and its effects on youth and their families; we know it is detrimental to their well-being, and further research will continue to confirm these results. What is crucial now is using this data to ignite outrage within communities that may be ignorant to or ignoring anti-Black racism in Canada and encouraging them to use their privilege to amplify Black voices and bring about real change. Additionally, research and data should be examined by all youth-serving organizations to identify if intra-organizational anti-Black racism is occurring within their circles and how their work might contribute to the anti-Black racism faced by Black youth.
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Teaching true history to the younger generation is essential because history plays a vital role in forming their identity. I can’t forget the shock when I visited the National Museum in Ottawa ten years ago and stopped by an exhibition explaining Canada’s history. The history of Canada, which began in prehistoric times, felt as if it was empty before the arrival of Europeans. Since the indigenous parts of Canadian history were exhibited separately, it didn’t seem easy to understand it properly unless the two were understood comprehensively. In addition, it was challenging to find the Black contribution to Canada’s history. (It was ten years ago, so I’m unsure how things have changed. Hope things have been changed!)
I’m not only saying I want to see Black history in museums. We need to teach and inform this fact through textbooks to children at their schools, people to people on the streets, and newcomers in the process of immigration. Otherwise, changing the existing notion is impossible.
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Anti-Black racism is still a problem in Ontario as well as Canada for a variety of reasons including the historical context in which Black people existed in Canada, the lack of black voices in large political and influential systems, socioeconomic disparities, the silence and compliance of anti-black racism at the hands of white privilege and it’s privilege holders, and implicit biases. Courses and education on anti-black racism such as courses like these are crucial in addressing and holding those in power accountable for the way in which the systems they have created and stand by have never worked in the favour of black people. Listening to black voices and creating change would be the bare minimum in creating change toward the eradication of anti-black racism and systems in Ontario. We know that Canada’s claim of being an anti-racist multicultural safe haven is absurdly untrue and continues to be a way in which those benefiting from white privilege can refute claims of anti-black racism throughout the country. Until policies, practices, and legislation are addressed and changed anti-black racism will remain prevalent in Canadian society.
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This is a wonderful response Mike. You have captured my thoughts and feelings exactly. I found myself getting very frustrated speaking with friends and family about what I am learning in this course, as I noticed that they would immediately revert to a position of defensiveness. I shared some of the history with them from Module 1 about how many of the Loyalists who came to Canada with a promise of land and a better life eventually left because they encountered discrimination and broken promises instead, and my family was shocked (as shocked as I was to learn this). There is a lot of learning and unlearning that we need to do as white people in this country, and I agree that personal stories that we can connect to emotionally are the way to start.