This report was published by the United Way of Peel Region’s Black Community Advisory Council, the Social Planning Council of Peel, the Black Community Action Network and the F.A.C.E.S. Collaborative.

HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT:

This report is about the social well-being of Black youth in Peel Region and the supports they need in order to improve their quality of life and achieve their aspirations. It was commissioned in 2014 by F.A.C.E.S. of Peel (Facilitating Access, Change and Equity in Systems) – a collective made up of organizations and individuals who strive to improve the state of equity and inclusion in Peel’s human services sector, with a major emphasis on racialized and marginalized groups, especially Black youth. The information in the report – mostly qualitative and perception data – was collected from consultations with Black youth, adult Black residents, service providers and key informants in Peel Region (a total of 103 respondents).

The findings and recommendations are based on the acknowledgment of systemic anti-Black racism in Canada and are focused on issues of equity and inclusion in the Peel community, with emphasis on the educational system, employment and poverty, the Police and community-based services in Peel Region. The main audiences for this report and its recommendations are service providers, funders of public and social services, Black youth, and community leaders in the Black community.