Equity and Identity in the Lives of Children and Youth LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT YouthREX’s Provincial office is located at York University. Both YouthREX and York University acknowledge their presence on the traditional territory of many Indigenous Nations. The area known as Tkaronto has been care taken by the Anishinabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Wendat, and the Métis. It is now home to many Indigenous Peoples. We acknowledge the current treaty holders and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This territory is subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement to peaceably share and care for the Great Lakes region. Source: http://aboriginal.info.yorku.ca/ What is your interest in this course/subject (equity and identity)? Outline About YouthREX 2. The Context of Anti-Black Racism 3. Key Findings from the Doing Right Together For Black Youth Report 4. Practice-able Ideas to Confront Anti-Black Racism and Embrace Equity 1. ABOUT YOUTHREX OUR VISION An Ontario where shared knowledge is transformed into positive impact for all youth. OUR MISSION To make research evidence and evaluation accessible and relevant to Ontario’s youth sector through knowledge exchange, capacity building, and evaluation leadership. Our Work KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE • Knowledge Hub • Webinars • Good Youth Work Practices • Evidence Briefs • Community Board • Rex Blog LEARN BY YOUTHREX • Certificates • Workshops (online/in-person) • Virtual Community of Practice YOUTH PROGRAM SUPPORTS • Intentional Program Design • Program Evaluation • Free Customized Evaluation Supports • Fee-for-Service Full Service Evaluation • What is Anti-Black Racism? Anti-Black Racism • What are the impacts of Anti-Black Racism for Black youth and their families? • What does Anti-Black Racism look like in school settings? Anti-Black Racism • Anti-black racism is real and leads to “a lack of • equitable access, opportunities, and outcomes for black people” (Dei & Calliste, 2000) It manifests in Canadian systems, institutions and the public’s beliefs. A Better Way Forward: Ontario’s 3-Year Anti-Racism Strategic Plan Anti-Black Racism Black youth in Ontario experience disproportionately negative outcomes, including unemployment, violence, and systemic lack of opportunity. • Black youth make up 41% of the youth in the care of the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto (Toronto Star, 2014) – five times their representation in the overall population (Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, 2015) • Black boys in Ontario are admitted to prisons at a rate that is four times higher than their White counterparts (Toronto Star, 2013), and are stopped by police 2.5 times more than White males of the same age (Toronto Star, 2010) • Although Black youth only account for 12% of students in Toronto public schools, they represent more than 31% of all suspensions (Toronto Star, 2013) • Black youth across the province are unemployed at nearly two times the provincial rate (Government of Ontario). What is Intersectionality? Intersectionality A lens to theorize and practice equity for Black Youth • A framework developed and furthered by Black Feminist theorists, such as Kimberlé Crenshaw and the Combahee River Collective. • Intersectionality invites us to consider how Black youths’ experiences are multilayered and nuanced • Class, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and other social identities all bring different intersections for Black youth and cannot be separated from one another. Black Feminism (Patricia Hill Collins) • Oppression is often experienced as a multi-layered matrix. • In “mainstream / traditional” feminism, racism continued to create marginality WHAT WOULD YOU IDENTIFY AS THE TOP ISSUE FACED BY BLACK YOUTH IN ONTARIO? The Ontario Black Youth Action Plan OBYAP is a strategy that aims to increase opportunities for Black children, youth, and their families by: • Investing in Black Youth in communities across Ontario. • Supporting the emergence of new Black youth voices across sectors . • Reducing disparities for Black youth and families. Doing Right Together for Black Youth Report Background • Based on input from members of Black Communities across Ontario for the OBYAP • The report identifies top issues impacting Black youth as well as their families and communities Top 10 Issues 01. Widespread Anti-Black Racism • Anti-Black racism runs through all of Ontario’s institutions and systems. • Anti-Black racism interlocks with other structures of oppression as the intersectionalities of black youth shape their unique experiences. • The cumulative impacts of anti-Black racism include disempowerment, isolation, internalized racism, and poor self-esteem Top 10 Issues 02. Black Excellence Not Recognized • Canadian society does not recognize the achievements, successes, contributions, hopes, and dreams of Ontario’s Black communities • There are significant knowledge gaps in Ontario’s institutions, including the education, police, and child welfare systems Top 10 Issues 03. Lack of Black Representation in Leadership Roles • The lack of representation of Black people within leadership roles is a consequence of systemic racism. • Black people are absent from the decision-making processes of various systems. • There is a need for strong representation and meaningful involvement of Black youth. Top 10 Issues 04. Anti-Black Racism in the Educational System • Schools are sites of contention for Ontario’s Black communities. • The curriculum and lesson plans devalue Black identities, cultures, and histories. • The educational system engages in race-based streaming practices. • There is a need to expand Black youth’s notions of what is possible in their education and careers. Top 10 Issues 05. Anti-Black Racism in the Child Welfare System • The overrepresentation of Black children and youth in care as an important issue that impacts Black families • Protective factors are compromised when Black children and youth go into care. • It is important to involve Black communities in child welfare matters. Top 10 Issues 06. Anti-Black Racism in the Criminal Justice System • Community members highlighted racism and discrimination within the criminal justice system. • The ultimate issue within the criminal justice system is that the needs of Black youth are not being met. • Access to support services for Black youth, such as competent legal supports and diversion programs, are necessary for combating profiling and unjust sentencing. Top 10 Issues 07. Trauma of Racialized Policing • Racial profiling creates a lack of trust between Black youth and the police. • “Carding” causes Black youth to be concerned for their safety when in the presence of police officers, and to fear that they will be wrongfully targeted or apprehended • The presence of police in the school system means that schools are no longer places where youth should feel safe. Top 10 Issues 08. Poverty and Economic Barriers • Poverty is a major barrier faced by Black youth in Ontario that limits their ability to meet their basic needs • Poverty results in differential access to resources. • Black youth often experience discrimination and segregation throughout the job selection process. Top 10 Issues 09. Mental Health • Black youth affected by mental illness are stigmatized and marginalized. • Youth are often forced to deal with their mental illness on their own due to fears of being judged and penalized by the community • The criminalization of mental health in society further discourages youth struggling with mental illness to seek help Top 10 Issues 10. Wellbeing of Black Youth, Families, and Communities • Oppressive experiences faced by Black youth are not individual youth issues. • There is a great need for support and engagement of parents, caregivers, and the wider family and community. • Policymakers should expand the notion of ‘family’ to be inclusive of a variety of caring relationships within Black communities. Emancipation from Mental Slavery | Dr. Cheryl Tawede Grills Strategies to Confront Anti-Black Racism and Embrace Equity Strategies 01. Support Black youth to develop their identities without imposing and defining what it means to be Black • Embrace that identities are fluid. • Facilitate a space for Black youth to talk about identity in practical ways • Expose youth to experiences beyond that of their own to support their growth and development of identities. Strategies 02. Collect “Intersectional data”/data disaggregated by race, gender, and other social Identities • Research often reproduces deficits-based views and narratives of Black youth. This reinforces racism and stereotypes of Black youth. • Collect data from multiple sources and perspectives. • Highlight the assets and successes as well as the disparities and needs of Black youth. Strategies 03. Support Black youth to Develop and Drive Solutions – Program Development and Evaluation • Black youth, families, and communities should be actively involved in both the development and evaluation of programs and initiatives for Black youth • Involve Black youth in defining needs as well as program inputs, outputs, and outcomes Strategies 04. Support Healing for Black Youth • Anti-Black racism can have a huge impact on the mental health and wellbeing of Black youth. • Validate and believe the experiences of Black youth. • Develop relationships with Black youth. Strategies 05. Advocacy: A Skill that can be Taught to address Anti-Black Racism • Advocacy is a skill based on White Upper-Middle Class experiences that can be taught to Black youth and their communities. • Find ways to transfer knowledge to youth on systems, organizations, laws, and language • Provide support to Black youth, families, and communities in their advocacy efforts. Questions
