black youth resilience project - east metro youth...

Backgrounder

REVIVE2018

Black Youth Resilience Project

1 | Black Youth Resilience Project: Backgrounder

AboutBlack Youth Resilience ProjectThe Black Youth Resilience Project (BYRP) is a three-year, community-based youth research project led by REVIVE, with partnership support from East Metro Youth Services, the Toronto lead agency for children and youth mental health. The BYRP is funded by Ontario Trillium Foundation through the Youth Opportunities Fund.

With a focus on Toronto, the goal of the BYRP is to learn from Black youth and other key stakeholders to develop new service models that more effectively serve Black youth who face multiple barriers, while increasing their community engagement and leadership skills. The key deliverable of this project will be a service delivery framework that is intended to assist the youth service sector in improving service delivery to Black youth facing multiple barriers.

REVIVEREVIVE works at the intersection of design, data, strategy, and engagement to lead systems change and build resilient communities.

Contact Us: Email: [email protected] Twitter:@reviveTO_ Website: revivestrategies.ca

For information about the BYRP: [email protected] 416-438-3697 (ext. 21118)


BYRP

Glossary of Key Terms and Reading NotesAccess to servicesUsing a systems view, ‘access to services’ refers to barriers and opportunities that impact the usage of community or public services. This concept incorporates factors that influence the historical, economic, social, and cultural context in which services are delivered, as well as the policy and program design underpinning services.

Access to services also refers to the immediate service delivery environment, such as location and availability, the competencies and function of frontline staff, the service experience fostered by an organization to support service retention and the overall profile of service delivery organizations.

Community Knowledge KeepersCommunity knowledge keepers are members of a community that provide informal (and sometimes formal) supports to youth who face multiple barriers. This group often has unique knowledge about the local dynamics of communities and an important perspective on the issues impacting Black youth who face multiple barriers.

Culturally-driven In the context of enhancing access to services, this is an approach that places culture at the centre of service delivery to better-respond to the lived experiences of diverse subgroups within society. It is understood that experiences of culture are key considerations for service design

and enhance access to services for marginalized or underserved communities (such as Black communities).

Service delivery framework Tool to be developed by the BYRP and used by the youth service sector to better serve Black youth who face multiple barriers. The framework will be research-informed (through primary and secondary data) and developed through youth leadership.

The service delivery framework will benefit the youth service sector as it will improve capacity to effectively respond to and serve the needs of Black youth who face significant barriers to accessing local services. The service delivery framework will equip agencies with tools necessary to close gaps in youth engagement and service standards - allowing them to more effectively meet and respond to the needs of Black youth who face multiple barriers.

Youth who face multiple barriersIn the context of this project, youth who face multiple barriers can be described as people aged 15-29 years who have had experiences with: poverty, violence, barriers to adequate housing, criminal justice systems and incarceration, sex trade, child welfare systems, addictions and/or mental health challenges, and barriers to employment, training and education.


BYRP

Overview and Purpose of the Black Youth Resilience Project

The Black Youth Resilience Project (BYRP) was developed in response to social and economic challenges experienced by Black youth who face multiple barriers, which has been exacerbated by systemic anti-Black racism, limited access to services, and a lack of local leadership opportunities.

In recognition of these issues, the BYRP was designed as a space where Black youth co-lead the development of community-informed, strategic actions for improving access to services in the youth services sector, while increasing their community engagement and leadership skills.

The BYRP aims to build on the inherent resilience of Black youth and provide opportunities for Black youth to contribute to systems-level discussions through meaningful engagement and leadership roles. Through exposure to research practices, service delivery planning, policy discussions, and community leaders, the BYRP will help to

create the space necessary for Black youth to drive solutions-based responses to issues facing their peers and Black communities in Toronto.

Purpose of the BYRPUsing a co-development approach, the BYRP will engage Black youth as leaders in a community-based research project that aims to achieve the following:

• Improve their civic and broader engagement with their communities• Improve the youth-serving sector’s delivery of services to Black youth facing multiple barriers through the development of a BYRP-informed service delivery framework (SDF); and• Ultimately, help build the resilience of Black youth in the face of social and economic barriers.


BYRP

Black youth, their families, and broader communities have a resounding resilience. This is reflected in the communities that have been built upon rich cultural heritages, cultural expressions, adaptability and creativity. The BYRP’s approach is built upon this understanding and is led and designed by youth to address systemic issues in Toronto’s youth services sector.

We recognize that Black youth are disproportionately impacted by systemic barriers that challenge their health and well-being, particularly anti-Black racism; are exposed to high rates of crime, other forms of violence and mental health challenges within their communities; and have limited access to supportive and culturally-driven social services. Also, it is well-known that youth-serving organizations in Toronto face a daunting reality of operating in a challenging funding environment, low prioritization of improving service access for Black youth, and a service landscape that in many cases, does not support culturally-driven service delivery for Black communities.

Context and Background

A range of government-led initiatives have been created to address these issues. However, youth-serving organizations are challenged to effectively engage Black youth who face multiple barriers, particularly those who have had experiences with poverty, violence, barriers to adequate housing, criminal justice systems and incarceration, sex trade, child welfare systems, addictions and/or mental health challenges, and barriers to employment, training and education. Further, it is likely that many youth-serving organizations are not fully equipped to meet the unique and time-sensitive needs

of this equity-seeking group, which creates significant gaps in service impact and threatens organizational mandates in the sector.

An important step towards developing sustainable solutions to the intersecting challenges facing Black youth and the need to improve access to services is the recognition that these issues exist and should be priorities for government and the youth-serving sector. Black youth must be leaders in developing these solutions and it is in this context that the BYRP has emerged.



BYRP5 | Black Youth Resilience Project: Backgrounder

Systemic Anti-Black RacismAnti-Black racism is a systemic, pervasive issue that has a detrimental impact on the lives of Black community members, particularly youth, in Toronto.The legacy of anti-Black racism is reflected in the social, economic, and political marginalization of Black people in Toronto and poor outcomes across education, employment, the criminal justice system, the child welfare system, and poverty1. The City of Toronto defines anti-Black racism as “Policies and practices embedded in Canadian institutions that reflect and reinforce beliefs, attitudes, prejudice, stereotyping and/or discrimination that is directed at people of African descent and is rooted in their unique history and experience of enslavement and colonization here in Canada.”2 Anti-Black racism is so deeply entrenched in Canadian institutions, policies, and practices that it is normalized or rendered invisible for the larger White society3 and results in racial inequities.4

The impact of anti-Black racism on Black youth in Toronto is significant. The GTA-based Black Experience Project found that Black youth between the ages of 16-24 identified racism as one of the biggest challenges facing the Black community, and this group shared that they frequently experienced day-to-day discrimination.5

Engagement sessions for the formerly named Ontario Black Youth Action Plan (recently renamed Services for Black Children, Youth and Families) also captured many of the effects of anti-Black racism, which range from personal feelings of disempowerment, isolation, internalized racism, and poor self-esteem, to negative impacts on Black families and community well-being.

Anti-Black racism or bias in the criminal justice system is especially traumatizing for Black youth in Toronto.6 For Black youth in Toronto who are at-risk of violence, crime, or victimization, anti-Black racism in community creates serious threats to mental health, opportunities for personal development, and overall well-being. The use of racial profiling to target marginalized Black youth on streets or in schools, for example, makes youth feel unsafe and fearful of being criminalized unjustly.7

Anti-Black racism takes place across several systems that Black youth interact with, which can create an overwhelming and continuing sense of being a “target” in society. When Black youth constantly feel that they are a problem or feel disrespected by people and institutions based on race,8 which can often be the case in school settings, these feelings can become a troubling, daily reality. In fact, the Black Experience Project found that eight in ten participants experienced one of several forms of daily microaggressions, such as others expecting their work to be inferior or being treated in a condescending way.9 Further, the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s recent investigation of the prevalence of racial profiling found that 72.5% of Black survey participants had previously experienced racial profiling.10 Clearly, anti-Black racism is a major issue that surrounds the work of the BYRP and will be centred as a key focus area for collective action and products designed through this project.

Systemic Issues Impacting Black Youth in Toronto

1 City of Toronto. Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism, 1. https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2017/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-109127.pdf2 Ibid.3 YouthRex. Doing Right Together for Black Youth, 6. https://exchange.youthrex.com/report/doing-right-together-%EF%BF%BC%EF%BF%BC-black-youth-what-we-learned-community-engagement-sessions-ontario4 Government of Ontario. A Better Way Forward: Ontario’s 3-Year Anti-Racism Strategic Plan, 11. https://www.ontario.ca/page/better-way-forward-ontari-os-3-year-anti-racism-strategic-plan5 The Environics Institute for Survey Research. The Black Experience Project in the GTA: Overview Report (2017). https://www.theblackexperienceproject.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Black-Experience-Project-GTA-OVERVIEW-REPORT-4.pdf6 YouthRex. Doing Right Together for Black Youth, pg. 6. https://exchange.youthrex.com/report/doing-right-together-%EF%BF%BC%EF%BF%BC-black-youth-what-we-learned-community-engagement-sessions-ontario7 Ibid.


Barriers to Accessing ServicesAnti-Black racism also works with other social and economic factors to limit access to services for Black youth in Toronto. The intersectionality of Black identity, youth, and involvement in violence or crime creates even greater barriers to accessing services, compounding the issues in a way that can leave many Black youth feeling isolated, disconnected from community, and vulnerable to a range of risk factors.

Poverty is another barrier affecting Black youth in Toronto and can contribute to the social isolation and limited access to services faced by Black families and communities.11 A recent report on child and family poverty in Toronto found that rates of poverty for children in Black families are almost three times higher than children in non-racialized families, and high rates of poverty for racialized children persist for generations.12 Toronto also has the highest rate of child poverty among large Canadian cities; parts of the city with higher proportions of racialized children have child low-income rates above 50%.13 Factors such as concentrated poverty, poor community design and space for community building, and an overall lack of positive economic opportunities all contribute to isolation, discouragement, and increased risk of youth involvement in violence.14

The Toronto Youth Equity Strategy (TYES) recognizes this multi-faceted vulnerability with the understanding that “Youth who are most vulnerable to involvement in serious violence and crime do not have equitable access to the comprehensive supports they need to change their lives for the better.”15 The TYES highlights the complexity of vulnerability facing some youth in Toronto, as well as the ways in which positive and negative ‘sparks’ can increase or decrease resiliency and systemic barriers for youth who are disconnected.16

According to the TYES, some of the major barriers to accessing services for youth in Toronto include the following:17

• Youth, including those most vulnerable to involvement in serious violence and crime, and the people and programs who serve them, are not always aware of existing City services;

• The youth services sector in the City of Toronto is a constantly changing and complicated network; services are often delivered in a fragmented way;

• Without significant culture shift, systemic racism and other forms of discrimination will continue to limit opportunities for youth most vulnerable to involvement in serious violence and crime;

• There are insufficient programs for youth most vulnerable to involvement in serious violence and crime which build positive socialization life skills;and

• Services for youth most vulnrable to involvement in serious violence and crime do not sufficiently involve families, peers, and supportive allies.

Improving access to services for Black youth, especially those who are most vulnerable to involvement in crime and violence, will be a key area of focus for the BYRP. Our aim, guided by the leadership of Black youth, is to reduce and eliminate systemic barriers to accessing services and contribute to the development of more supportive local service-focused systems.

8 Ibid.9 The Environics Institute for Survey Research. The Black Experience Project in the GTA: Overview Report (2017). https://www.theblackexperienceproject.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Black-Experience-Project-GTA-OVER-VIEW-REPORT-4.pdf 10 Ontario Human Rights Commission. Under Suspicion: Re-search and consultation report on racial profiling in Ontario (2017). http://www.ohrc.on.ca/sites/default/files/Under%20suspicion_research%20and%20consultation%20report%20on%20racial%20profiling%20in%20Ontario_2017.pdf 11 Government of Ontario. Hon. Roy McMurray and Dr. Alvin Curling. The Review of the Roots of Youth Violence, Vol 1: Findings, Analysis and Conclusions. http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/english/documents/youthandthelaw/root-sofyouthviolence-vol1.pd 12 Michael Polyani, Beth Wilson, Jessica Mustachi, Manolli Ekra, and michael kerr. Unequal City: The Hidden Divide Among Toronto’s Children and Youth (2017 Toronto Child and Family Poverty Report Card). https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/socialplanningtoronto/pages/1779/attach-ments/original/1522073852/CAST-2017-report-v13-web.pdf?1522073852

Lack of Local Leadership Opportunities

The BYRP will create a leadership space for Black youth to drive community-based change and build skills that will support economic empowerment and transitions into adulthood. This is an important priority for the BYRP in recognition of the intersections of anti-Black racism, inequitable access to services, and the resulting limited leadership opportunities for Black communities in Toronto, especially youth who face multiple barriers.

One of the key findings from the 2017 engagement sessions for Services for Black Children, Youth and Families (formerly named the Ontario Black Youth Action Plan) was that participants believe there is a lack of Black representation in leadership roles in Ontario, a consequence of systemic racism in education and the labour market.18 The impact of this lack of Black representation in leadership has serious implications for Black youth and their opportunities for healthy development. This can manifest in several ways, but particularly in terms of decision-making in institutions and organizations that does not consider the interests of Black communities, and challenges in finding Black mentors and role models that can function as protective factors in the face of vulnerability.

The BYRP is informed by, and aims to build on the range of policy responses that have been developed to support Black youth in Toronto. Several initiatives have been developed at the local, provincial, federal, and international levels that provide promising strategic direction and guidance in support of the BYRP’s goals.

At the local level, the City of Toronto is now implementing the TYES, which was developed with the input of a panel of community volunteers representing neighbourhoods across Toronto and a working group of staff from across the municipal government.19 The TYES presents 28 recommendations and accompanying actions to address the root causes of youth violence and improve City services. The City of Toronto also developed the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism, a five-year plan with implementation scheduled to begin in 2018. The Action Plan is driven by four priorities, including creating culture change at the City, investing in Black children and youth, connecting Black Torontonians to civic decision-making, and improving customer service.

The BYRP also operates in the context of the provincial government’s Services for Black Children, Youth and Families policy initiative, which aims to improve access to services. This initiative plans to:

• Invest in culturally-focused parenting initiatives and mentorship programs;

• Support young people’s wellness with programming that takes preventative measures;

• Support access to higher education and skills development;

• Invest in community outreach and promote anti-violence; and

• Support communities to work together collectively.


Policy Responses to Issues Impacting Black Youth

13 Ibid.14 Government of Ontario. Hon. Roy McMurray and Dr. Alvin Curl-ing. The Review of the Roots of Youth Violence (Vol 1: Findings, Analysis and Conclusions). http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/english/documents/youthandthelaw/rootsofyouthviolence-vol1.pdf15 City of Toronto. Toronto Youth Equity Strategy, 5 https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/9062-Attach-ment-1-TYES-Creative-Report.pdf16 Ibid, 1517 Ibid, 2218 YouthRex. Doing Right Together for Black Youth. https://exchange.youthrex.com/report/doing-right-together-%EF%BF%B-C%EF%BF%BC-black-youth-what-we-learned-community-engage-ment-sessions-ontario19 City of Toronto. Toronto Youth Equity Strategy. https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/9062-Attach-ment-1-TYES-Creative-Report.pdf

Additionally, the provincial Anti-Racism Strategic Plan and Stepping Up Framework provide important context and strategic direction for the BYRP, particularly around anti-racism as a centred approach and a focus on key themes such as health and wellness; civic engagement and youth leadership; and coordinated and youth-friendly communities.

In the federal context, we have recently seen the government’s announcement of a $9 million fund to help Black youth overcome barriers and participate fully and equally in Canadian society.20

This funding will support projects that help combat discrimination; promote Black history, culture, and identity; develop leadership skills; and encourage local community involvement.21 The funding is a part of Canada’s recognition of the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent, an initiative that will run from 2015 to 2024 and will provide a framework to work together with people of African descent22 to implement several activities.23 In proclaiming this Decade, the international community recognized that people of African descent represent a distinct group whose human rights must be promoted and protected.24

How the BYRP Will Support Community Engagement and Leadership amongst Black Youth

The BYRP will build on Black equity-focused initiatives at local, provincial, national, and international levels to support the community engagement and leadership of Black youth in Toronto. Given the range of initiatives underway and potential for strategic alignment, we now have a critical window of opportunity to leverage leadership and skills development initiatives that support the engagement of Black youth in their communities. We have an opportunity to connect youth with the policy community and non-profit sector, amplifying Black youth’s voice and knowledge about how we can collectively move forward with systems change that improves access to services and responds to the needs of community members.

The BYRP will benefit Black youth, their communities, and the sector through building community capacity; creating opportunities for positive mentorship, relationship-building, and networking; and supporting broader systemic change.

More specifically, the BYRP will engage a ‘Youth Working Group’ (YWG) based in Toronto, who will work alongside REVIVE to co-lead the project. The main deliverable of the project will be a service delivery framework, informed by BYRP research findings, that amplifies the voices of Black youth facing multiple barriers to answer the question of how Toronto’s youth


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20 “9M federal fund to help black youth overcome unique challenges.” The Canadian Press, June 29, 2018. https://ipoli-tics.ca/2018/06/29/9m-federal-fund-to-help-black-youth-overcome-unique-challenges/ 21 Ibid. 22 Ibid. 23 United Nations. “International Decade for People of African Descent,” http://www.un.org/en/events/africandescent-decade/index.shtml 24 United Nations, “International Decade for People of African Descent,” http://www.un.org/en/events/africandescent-decade/index.shtml


BYRP9 | Black Youth Resilience Project: Backgrounder

services sector can improve their service delivery to Black youth and improve access to key social services. In addition, the BYRP will also bring together a group of community leaders and knowledge keepers as advisors to provide guidance as the project is implemented, and to improve the network of supports available to youth involved in the project.

Led by REVIVE and the YWG, the BYRP will primarily engage Black youth facing multiple barriers as research participants to explore their experiences with local programming and services available in the City. The BYRP will also seek the voices of public sector stakeholders and local organizations to get a broader understanding of service delivery challenges and opportunities.

With partnership support from East Metro Youth Services, the project will work towards the Youth Opportunities Fund Granting Framework’s priority outcome, “Youth are engaged in their communities.” In the short-term, the YWG will increase their knowledge about available local service organizations

within their communities and develop a range of positive, professional relationships, further supporting their healthy development and personal growth. Over the medium-term, it is expected that the YWG will apply their developing skills, growing knowledge and personal capacity in their role as project co-leaders. As the YWG improves connections with community service organizations and works with REVIVE to develop the service delivery framework, we expect that they will build pre-employment skills, such as problem-solving, time management, organization, and planning. Also, the YWG will have increased access to career advice and information through relationships built with the BYRP staff and affiliates, in addition to the network of supports linked to this project.

Further, the service delivery framework will benefit the youth service sector as it will improve capacity to effectively respond to and serve the needs of Black youth facing multiple barriers. The service delivery framework will equip agencies with tools

necessary to close gaps in youth engagement and service standards - allowing them to more effectively meet and respond to the needs of Black youth.

Ultimately, the BYRP aims to support positive systems change that responds to the voices of Black communities in Toronto. The project seeks to highlight issues impacting Black youth who face multiple barriers, and create space for youth leadership to drive systems change. Learning directly from Black youth facing multiple barriers about the challenges they face when accessing services and potential solutions will close a crucial service delivery feedback gap in the way that programs are designed and delivered in Toronto. Our aspiration is to build pathways for current and future knowledge translation between youth, community organizations, and the policy community, adding to the long-term impact of the project.

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