Member Yaw
MemberForum Replies Created
-
As a teacher I think that it is important to create a classroom that is culturally responsive. In order to make my classroom environments accepting I make sure to have books, toys, and materials that reflect diversity. I think that it is important for all students, and in particular Black students, to see themselves reflected in the classroom and the lessons. I make sure to have books that have Black children and families portrayed in a positive way. It is important that Black people are not only portrayed as people of the past, in history books. We need to highlight Black success and teach students about examples of Black success so that young children can realize their full potential.
I think that it is necessary to address the social and systemic barriers that Black students face on a daily basis. The mental health of Black youth is linked to the barriers they face and students often have to make a choice between surviving and learning. By showing students that you recognize these barriers and are actively working to break them down you encourage students to feel safe and accepted in the classroom. By considering Maslow’s hierarchy of needs I find it crucial to ensure that students’ physiological and safety needs are met before they can focus on learning.
I also think that it is important to consider the ‘hidden curriculum’ that exists in the Ontario curriculum. We, as teachers, are responsible for challenging the curriculum and making sure that the curriculum does not continue to be racist and oppressive. To do this I review the curriculum and ensure that it does not reflect a whitewashed perspective. By including references to Black culture and Black success we can work towards making lessons that are culturally responsive.
-
Great playlist. I’m listening to it now. My favourite is Rise Up. Such emotion in Andra Day’s voice!
-
One simple thing I could do to centre Black youth wellbeing is to actively listen and foster a safe space for Black youth to share their experiences.
-
Too many fav songs to choose one 🤩
My first is an oldie but goodie: Changes by 2Pac. Also Rise Up by Andra Day.
Love Case by Teni and Loading by Olamide too! Of course I must rep Nigeria 🇳🇬
-
Thank you! 👏 I especially love Jamila Woods.
-
I believe that allowing black youth and their families to participate in the full research process that involves quantitative and lived experience is essential in sharing the authenticity of their narratives. Non traditional methods to how service is delivered to youth when it comes to accessing mental health services, e.g. finding out what concerns youth have; doing art meaningful to youth; doing an activity that the youth has interest in and is not easily accessible usually to the youth and making sure youth have opportunity in meaningful paid leadership roles are strategies I believe will be helpful.
-
We got a lot of compliments on the Centering Black Youth Wellbeing music playlists and I thought I’d share it with the group. To open the playlist, please click on the link below!
English: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QKHn3rMIdM8zZAS8bVny9?si=1e08c61f6cc94912
French: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5nEkXe0T6s14p4JNY0WPv2?si=86d7ee7b4f3c49fe&nd=1
What is your favourite song on the playlist? Feel free to share yours in the comments! Mine is 20 10 20 by Burna Boy!
-
I think we need to also ask what ‘evidence’ we legitimize, and whose experiences, whose voices, are not only included or reflected in research, but guide the development of research, all of which will impact the findings and the narratives that are surfaced and shared. Centering youth voice is critical, as is connecting research findings to priorities, actions, and strategies that connect directly to our youth work practice. ‘Mobilizing’ knowledge in these ways can perhaps be a strategy to challenge or resist.
The questions that we explore in our Evidence Briefs – short reviews of evidence-informed practices that can support the design, development, and evaluation of youth programs – do not always tackle systems-level change, but they do always consider the impacts of systemic oppression and injustice.
Given the question posed above, I’ll share here an Evidence Brief on The Impacts of Overpolicing on Black Youth, which includes five practices to support Black youth. How can YouthREX better support your work in accessing research and evidence to highlight and challenge the impacts of ABR on youth, families, and communities?
-
In reflection on this weeks’ module I appreciate the research that is being conducted into anti-Black racism, obtaining both anecdotal and measurable data about people’s experience in and within the structures that they face on a daily basis. Research is fundamental to better understanding the direct and longer term impact on individuals in our community. For example, we know that suicide rates in youth is the second leading cause of death in Canada, however there is limited to no data on suicide rates in Black children and youth. We know that people from some communities, ie Indigenous, LGBTQ2S, etc are at greater risk, however we rely on data from the US to better understand the impact on Black children/youth.
-
That’s a great point, Anca. Race-based data is critical if we are to develop programming that better serves Black youth.
-
-
After learning from the lectures, what I find scary is that often we conceptualize racism as an individual act and fail to recognize how deeply rooted it has been not only on an individual level, but also historically, institutionally, educationally and systemically. It’s difficult to change what we don’t recognize.
-
💯Truth!
-
-
Some strategies I’m using to draw on research in this area are:
– take a ‘day in the life’ of view of Black youth experience in our org, listening to their experience in combination with the research (thank you Knowledge Hub!) from when they walk in the door (do they see Black staff or peers? What micro-aggressions are common at our front desk and how can we change that? etc) to when they’re in activities (i.e. are Black youth funneled toward stereotypical activities like basketball rather than offered the spectrum of available options?) to how we support them long term (are we aware of the specific referrals and assets our communities offer of Black youth so we can make meaningful ‘warm hand offs’ etc). My mind works well when I approach system thinking in a chronological method, so this way I can try to cover the many ways we interact with Black youth and we can use research to improve our practice at each site of interaction.
– having research handy so when it’s time to develop new programs, review existing services, attend meetings, etc I can be prepared to challenge anti-Black racism and move us to transformation
– continue our team’s “Article Club” where prior to one meeting per month, a group member shares a research article related to our practice. The group then reads it and at the next meeting we all discuss what we learn and what we’ll implement from that learning. To ensure we’re highlighting and challenging anti-Black racism we’ll ensure that we do measure what topics we’re reading about to make sure the wellbeing of Black youth remains central.
– specifically addressing this concept of ‘Multicultural Racism’ as described by Dr. Davis, which I immediately recognized as present in our ‘mainstream’ white organizations in our community. Having this language and description really hit the nail on the head and will be a great way to respond when racist comments (often read as “promoting Canadian norms”) come up.
-
Thank you for sharing, Kristina! It’s so interesting to hear about the different ways folks are integrating research into their work. I love the idea of thinking chronologically, and considering all the different sites of interaction.
-
-
Planned Parenthood is looking for new board members!
Ideal candidates will have a commitment to equity, youth-positivity, sex-positivity and pro-choice philosophy in their work or life and any the following qualifications:
- Governance experience (policy board experience)
- Collaborative governance in health systems
- Anti-Oppression and Anti-Racism Work
Priority will be given to candidates who have affiliation with and/or familiarity of any of the following communities and issues:
- Youth (age 18-29) communities and issues
- Black Indigenous People of Colour (BIPOC) communities and issues
Deadline: March 19, 2021
-
ABR still exists in Ontario because of policies such as the Multiculturalism Act. The Multicultural Act highlights and celebrates inclusion and acceptance, not racism. But the reality is that these policies that helped form our identity as a province, work to make ABR invisible and hides the real nature of racism in our Province.
-
Stella’s Place is recruiting for the 2021 Young Adult Council. Here’s the application form.
Stella’s Place is the place for young adults (age 16-29) with mental health needs in the Greater Toronto Area. We provide free, comprehensive mental health services in a positive, peer engaging, non-residential community setting. These include clinical treatment services, group therapies, peer support and navigation, creative arts, fitness and wellness, as well as our online peer support app, Bean Bag Chat.
Are you a young adult (16 to 29 years old) with lived experience of mental health challenges and/or substance misuse? Are you personally invested in supporting the mission and vision of Stella’s Place by offering a young adult perspective on Stella’s Place programs to ensure they are built and evaluated with, for and by young adults? Check out the role description for more information.
This is a one-year volunteer role (April 2021- February 2022). The Council consists of 12 members. A monthly $50.00 honorarium is offered to Council members.
Would you like some support completing the application form? Please contact Catherine at cdyer@stellasplace.ca.
-
Thanks for spelling out the three understandings of ABR in the research Kathe. So much to think about!
-
The research also helps in providing the best practices that would meet the Black youth’s needs. If the systemic level is not inclusive, it would be difficult in providing a safe space for Black youth. The research is the first step to creating positive change within the system and its policies.
-
I think the cognitive dissonance that is mentioned in one of the lectures plays a big role here in Ontario/Canada, in that, because we are “nice” and multicultural as Canadians, we “cannot” be racists. Yet, we fail to acknowledge how racism can be manifested and represented in ways beyond what most recognize.
-
Unfortunately I have to agree that to a great degree our own racism in Ontario/Canada has been overshadowed, in a negative way, by the same among our neighbours to the south. Statements like “it’s not as bad here” get translated into “it doesn’t exist here”.
-
I have been struggling with how to answer this question as well. Reading your reflections on your upbringing, and the struggles faced in confronting white supremacy and racisim with friends and family struck a chord with me and helped me properly frame what I was feeling as I learn through these modules.
There is a massive disconnect between individuals who percieve themselves to be “not racist” but continue to utilize their privilege and whiteness to prosper, while failing to grasp the systemic nature of the problems facing BIPOC communitites. We all have to work together to solve these issues and break down barriers.
-
Thank you for sharing these reflections, Mike. Engaging from a place of learning is important, and I agree that this learning – and unlearning – is something we must recommit to every day.
-
Hi Haley! Thank you for sharing this outline. I’ve certainly experienced what you describe in different educational and professional spaces. Do you know if there is a publicly-available resource on Angela Connors’s work that we might be able to share on our Knowledge Hub?
-
It is not possible to properly heal if the cause of the illness is ignored.
Racist ideas are widely held, whether or not we are upfront with how these ideas impact our own perceptions and treatment of ourselves and others.
I agree Camille, admitting that there is a problem is certainly a start.
-
Yes! I believe those of us in the so-called ‘helping’ professions – including (and especially!) social work, which has perpetuated oppression and injustice, and the white savior complex – need to interrogate the power and privilege in our roles and in our work (as Lisa and Cyril also point out in their comments above).
-
I agree…programs are rarely as effective / comfortable / successful if there is not active participant voice involved in the creation / development
-
Agreed… mainstream media is a HUGE (re)generator of racist ideas.
-
Absolutely! In the words of Aaron Neville – “Tell it like it is.” 🎼
I wonder though… once the truth is publicly acknowledged, do the contradictions and cognitive dissonance continue (albeit with more strategic language and token gestures of doing good)? 🤔
In addition to knowing the truth… what are the consequences/responsibilities/opportunities of reconciliation grounded in justice?
Would we sacrifice our careers, our benevolent vision of self and the comfortable self-assumption that we are empowering the oppressed rather than being a part of greater repression?
If acknowledging the truth puts people on the line, what does it look like when they have to walk on that (politically correct) tight rope?
Power influencers require pressure to be accountable to others and since we all exercise varying degrees of power, I like to reflect on the things that motivate me to do better for others, even when it might be at a personal/professional cost. I think an ultimate truth/reality is recognizing that the liberation of the “other” is fundamental our own liberation.
-
Thank you for sharing your experiences, Zarina. I agree that there is a lot of work that needs to be done in the education system to confront anti-Black racism. Research has shown, again and again, that Black students are disproportionately suspended, expelled, and streamed into lower-level classes… and that the impacts of these disparities continue to be felt long after they leave the school system.
I would encourage folks who are interested in learning more about the barriers that Black youth face in Ontario’s education system to check out the Pathways to Education report Mistrust and Low Expectations: Educational Disadvantage and Black Youth in Ontario.
I was encouraged by the announcement that Ontario will end streaming in high school, but, as Amin Ali writes in this blogpost, we need to recognize that de-streaming is not a “magic bullet in-and-of-itself,” and that it needs to be combined with funding, equity reforms, and accountability. It is, at the very least, a step in the right direction.
