School Leadership Waterloo Region Must Show Black Youth Their Lives Matter

This paper amplifies the voices of Black youth based on findings from a study on schooling experiences of Black youth in the Region of Waterloo, a mid-size Canadian community. Data for the qualitative study was collected using elder-facilitated youth dialogue (adaptation of focus group and Afrocentric sharing circles) and in-depth individual interviews. The findings show that the Black youth participants did not feel their lives matter in the eduational system due to discrimination, alienation, non-inclusive curriculum, absence of Black teachers and failure of school leadership to address systemic racism. Framed by Afrocentric and critical race theories, these findings enabled recommendations on how teachers can take leadership for supporting Black learners by recognizing and mitigating the effects of anti-Black-racism through culturally responsive teaching, emancipatory pedagogy, and politicized caring. The study contributes to an understanding of the need for equitable outcomes, intentional inclusion, and culturally responsive pedagogy that celebrates identity of Black students and enhances their sense of belonging.