Toronto Black Youth Collective
Our mandate is to increase the capacity of Black youth in the Greater Toronto Area and, where opportunity allows, provincially and nationally. Collective members will develop and implement youth engagement strategies relevant to the various complex needs of our community.
Our guiding principles are as follows:
- We recognize that racism and oppression is a reality in Canada that manifests systemically and overtly. Keeping this in mind, we will carry out all initiatives from an anti-oppressive framework.
- Promote skill development and critical engagement in civic action among Black youth through education, advocacy and outreach projects.
- Work to elevate the voices of Black youth
- The TBYC is dedicated to building and perpetuating an all encompassing identity amongst both diasporic and continental African youth rooted in our common African indigenous background. While we understand and acknowledge the various national, religious, and cultural sub-identities within our community, we consider our broader African identity to take precedence based on the principle of unity.
- To develop and initiate projects that will allow for the upward mobility of Black youth throughout the Greater Toronto Area.
- Throughout the work that the TBYC engages in, we work to represent and promote the Pan-African principles of the Nguzo Saba. Grounding all actions in the importance of Unity, we work to increase Self-Determination and promote Collective Work and Responsibility within the Black community. We engage in Cooperative Economics with the Purpose of empowering existing and developing community supports and have Faith that these actions will result in the Creative initiatives needed to bring our community out of its current state of crisis.
- All TBYC initiatives will be conducted while maintaining respect for all participants and through also ensuring a safe space remains for critical discussion.
