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 started to promote the professional development of Black youth by providing them with paid work-integrated learning experiences and mentorship in their fields of interest. 

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

Yuzyk highlighted that when institutions were being built, Indigenous, Black, and racialized people were not at the executive table. This is changing, he said, through initiatives like BYSI. 

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

The program's inaugural Midpoint Symposium, an event to celebrate the innovation and leadership of Black youth in the community, was held on July 22. 

The event, held at the Timms Centre for the Arts, brought together mentors, mentees, educators and 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 building a 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 objective is 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, they aim to lead systematic change to build a pluralistic society. The program also aims to address long-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," said Veren Abeghe, a final year business technology management student 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 like Greener as We Grow, which aims to plant more trees in Edmonton. The project allows BYSI students to engage with other Edmontonians to discover where more shade is needed in the city. 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 were encouraged to embrace their identities, explore their potential and become future leaders in their respective fields.

"Black youth needs, perspectives and experiences are so dynamic and always changing," Yuzyk said. "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 out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.