Anti-Black Racism

Anti-Black racism in the early years: the experiences of Black families and early childhood educators in Nova Scotia

July 1, 2023

Introduction: Anti-Black racism is a social determinant of health that has significantly impacted Black children and families. Limited research has examined anti-Black racism during the early years—a critical period of development. In this study, we sought to understand the manifestations of anti-Black racism in early childhood and explore its impact on Black children and families.…
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Many households but never a home: stories of resistance from Black youth navigating placement instability in Ontario’s child welfare system

July 1, 2023

The child welfare system has a responsibility for maintaining young people's safety and permanency when they are taken from their guardians. Many young people living in out-of-home care (OOHC) experience placement instability, which can negatively impact their development. The overrepresentation of Black families in the child welfare system has also been a longstanding issue across…
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Organizational and Practitioner Challenges to Black Youth Accessing Mental Health Care in Canada: Problems and Solutions

July 1, 2023

This article aims to elucidate the barriers to mental health care for Black youth by providing the perspectives of youth, caregivers, and service providers. Given the significance of service provision, analysis is focused on accessing the mental health care system at the organizational and practitioner levels. The present study explored the barriers and facilitators to…
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The absence of language: A critical race discourse analysis of Ontario’s child welfare legislation and the impacts on Black families

July 1, 2023

Background: The research pertaining to racial disparities for Black families in child welfare is relatively limited in Canada. Recent research reveals that the overrepresentation of Black families in Canadian child welfare systems typically begins at the reporting or investigation stage and continues throughout the child welfare service and decision-making continuum. This research is occurring against…
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“It’s not a system that’s built for me”: Black youths’ unbelonging in Ontario schools

July 1, 2023

Through exploration of Black Caribbean youths' feelings of unbelonging and exclusion in Ontario schools, this paper argues that how Whiteness is systemically engrained in the education system negatively affects the learning experiences of Black youth due to predetermined measures of belonging. The present article draws on data from 32 qualitative interviews and four focus groups…
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“I don’t have the energy”: Racial stress, young Black motherhood, and Canadian social policies.

July 1, 2023

Significant socio-economic, health, and mental health disparities due to highly entrenched and systemic antiBlack racism in Canadian institutions, policies, and practices are now well documented in research and policy reports. Yet, few in-depth studies have addressed the mental health impacts of anti-Black racism on Canadian populations. This article is rooted in a community-based, qualitative research…
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Racism as a vehicle for the overrepresentation of Black youth in child protection services in Ontario, Canada: Caseworkers’ and community facilitators’ perspectives

July 1, 2023

Background: Recent studies have confirmed the overrepresentation of Black youth in child protection services (CPS) in Ontario, Canada. Anti-Black racism has been raised as an issue contributing to the overrepresentation. Based on Critical Race Theory (CRT) and the social-ecological model, this article examines how different levels of racism influence the overrepresentation of Black youth in…
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Decolonizing research with Black youths

March 14, 2023

Black youths experience poor mental health especially due to anti-Black racism. Research related to Black youths have been conducted on Black youths with little or no participation or engagement rather than with Black youths. This paper presents information from a dialogue on decolonizing nursing research. I draw on interviews and conversation cafes with around 120…
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Factors that contribute to the mental health of Black youth

October 24, 2022

Background: Black people are a growing population in Canada, but limited data are available on the factors that contribute to the mental health of Black youth in Canada. We sought to explore the factors that contribute to the mental health of Black youth in Alberta, Canada. Methods: Using a youth-led participatory action research approach and…
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“We Were in White Homes as Black Children:” Caribbean Youth’s Stories of Out-of-home Care in Ontario, Canada

July 1, 2021

This article reports on narrative interviews conducted as part of the Rights for Children and Youth Partnership Project exploring the experiences of 25 Black Caribbean youth (ages 16–26) who have navigated the child protection system in Ontario, Canada. An introduction to transracial fostering in Ontario is provided, and participants' reflections on the significance of caregivers'…
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