Black Youth Civic Participation and Identity Project
Black Youth Civic Participation and Identity Research
Gashanti Young Women Initiative served as a community partner in the Black Youth Civic Participation and Identity Research Project, led by the Youth, Identity, and Education Research Group at York University.
The project explores how Black youth understand and participate in civic life, recognizing that civic participation includes much more than voting or volunteering. It can also include community organizing, advocacy, storytelling, cultural leadership, mutual support, and speaking out about issues that affect young people’s lives. The research examines how race, culture, gender, religion, and other parts of identity influence young people’s participation and sense of belonging.
Dates
February 12 to 14, 2025
Project Link
yieresearchgroup.com
Partners
Gashanti, Ghana Union of Canada
Funders
York University
Contribution
As a community partner, Gashanti helped connect the research project with the lived experiences of Somali, Black, Muslim, and racialized young women. Our involvement included:
Supporting youth outreach, recruitment, and community mobilization
Bringing culturally grounded and community-based perspectives into the research process
Helping bridge communication between youth, community organizations, and York University researchers
Contributing to discussions about identity, belonging, leadership, advocacy, and civic participation
Highlighting how young women navigate overlapping identities, including being Black, Somali, Muslim, female, and Canadian
Supporting knowledge mobilization by helping make research conversations and findings more accessible to communities
Contributing strategic leadership and approximately 20 hours of staff support, valued at $500 as an in-kind contribution
Racialized Youth Civic Participation and Identity Workshop
Gashanti participated in the Racialized Youth Civic Participation and Identity Workshop hosted in partnership with the project team.
Gashanti’s involvement included:
Participating in the partners’ dinner on February 12 at the Schulich Learning Centre
Contributing to the main workshop discussions and activities on February 13
Participating in the “Steps Forward” discussion on February 14 with researchers and community partners
Sharing Gashanti’s experience supporting Somali and Black young women
Discussing how intersecting identities shape young people’s opportunities, barriers, leadership, and civic engagement
Helping identify ways that academic institutions and community organizations can build more meaningful and sustainable partnerships
Through this collaboration, Gashanti helped ensure that the voices and lived experiences of Somali and racialized young women were represented within a broader conversation about Black youth identity and civic participation.