New initiative launched to empower Black youth in Edmonton

In celebration of empowerment and leadership, a student-led initiative at the University of Alberta is helping to address a disparity in mentorship opportunities available to Black youth.

The Black Youth for Social Innovation program, also known as BYSI, was startedto promote the professional development of Black youth by providing them with paidwork-integrated learning experiences and mentorship in their fields of interest.

"BYSI is serving a critical role in creating a space of belonging," saidSeon Yuzyk, a facilitator with the program."Equity, diversityand inclusivity are great, but it's meaningless if youth don't feel welcome in those spaces."

Yuzykhighlighted that when institutions were being built, Indigenous, Black, and racialized people were notat the executive table.This is changing, he said, throughinitiatives likeBYSI.

The program is made up of 10students, along with their mentorsand it continues to grow.

The program's inaugural Midpoint Symposium,anevent to celebrate the innovation and leadership of Black youth in the community, was heldon July 22.

The event, held at the Timms Centre for the Arts, brought together mentors, mentees, educatorsand community leaders, to showcase their collaborative efforts. Young leaders who are making significant change in Edmonton were recognized at the event.

The mentees outlined four objectives to advance BYSI, starting with buildinga strong brand to effectively engage with Black communities, allowing them to foster greater community involvement and engage with a broader range of identities.

The second objectiveis to instill Black youth with practical leadership skills and competencies critical to advance the Black community.Thirdly, to ensure the sustainability of the program's financial and human resources. And finally, theyaim to lead systematic change to build a pluralistic society.The program also aims to addresslong-standing and emerging challenges through research and leadership.

The young innovators, working within the fields of social sciences and humanities, shared their journeys and success stories since starting the program.

"As a Black woman navigating spaces, it's become my first instinct to hide certain aspects of myself," saidVeren Abeghe, a final year business technology managementstudent and mentee."But two weeks in, I found that this is a safe space that welcomed all kinds of perspectives."

In addition to celebrating individual achievements, the event also showcased the collective efforts between mentees and community leaders, including projects likeGreener as We Grow, which aims to plant more trees in Edmonton. The projectallows BYSI students to engage with other Edmontonians to discover where more shade is needed in thecity. They also work with the Food Security Project, exploring the involvement and challenges of underrepresentation of African immigrants in food security policy and discussions.

At the event, Black youth wereencouraged to embrace their identities, explore their potential and become future leaders in their respective fields.

"Black youth needs, perspectivesand experiences are so dynamic and always changing," Yuzyksaid."I would love to see BYSI continue to be like a tree, grow, and die when it needs to when Black students feel that they belong here and on other campuses across Canada."

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community check outBeing Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of.You can read more stories here.