On May 21-22, 91社区鈥檚 School of Social Work will hold 鈥淏lack Communities, Emancipatory Research, and Pathways to Liberation鈥�, a two-day symposium that will consolidate and expand the state of knowledge regarding how to conduct research that empowers and uplifts Black communities in Canada.听
The symposium鈥檚 goal is to聽centre Black experiences and perspectives in the field of social work by inviting academics, community leaders and practitioners to share their knowledge among each other, as well as with students and faculty of the School. 聽
鈥淲hat makes this symposium exciting is that it brings visibility to a field that, in many ways, is still emergent 鈥� especially within the Canadian context,鈥� says Professor Alicia Boatswain-Kyte, one of three co-organizers for the event. 鈥淢any Black scholars have been doing this kind of work for a long time, though they may not have always used the language of 鈥榚mancipatory鈥� or 鈥榣iberatory鈥� research.鈥澛�
The symposium highlights the everyday hard work done by community activists and practitioners and is co-organized by Boatswain-Kyte and Dr. Johanne Jean-Pierre, Assistant Professor of Sociology at York University and Dr. Tya Collins, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. 聽
Reimagining the University as a Space for Real Change聽
Universities are more than just a space for intellectual exchange; they are also a space where various communities come together to exchange ideas, knowledge and stories. This symposium was organized in that spirit, as 鈥淸site] of resistance and [a vehicle] for meaningful change鈥�. 聽
During the symposium, undergraduate and graduate students will have the opportunity to hear directly from the community activists and practitioners who are doing the work of liberation directly in Black communities across Canada. 聽
鈥淐ommunity activists and practitioners bring lived experience, practical insight, and a deep understanding of what it means to work in ways that are relational, responsive, and rooted in care,鈥� says Boatswain-Kyte. 鈥淭his event is about reimagining the university as a space that can contribute to real change, not by speaking over communities, but by listening, building relationships, and being accountable.鈥澛犅�
Advocacy and social justice are at the core of the School鈥檚 mandate in educating future social workers. Indeed, initiatives such as Black Access 91社区 (BAM), which is one of the sponsors of the symposium, was created to break structural and institutional barriers to Black people鈥檚 access to social work education and provide an avenue to address the racial disproportionality of social workers in the field.听
鈥淔or newer generations of scholars 鈥� particularly those working in a province like Qu茅bec where there鈥檚 a strong linguistic divide 鈥� it hasn鈥檛 always been easy to access tools, language, or mentorship around how to do this kind of research, what questions to ask, or how to navigate institutional spaces while staying grounded in community,鈥� adds Boatswain-Kyte.听聽
Spotlight on Student Research聽聽
One way School of Social Work students will engage and contribute to these ongoing conversations is by presenting posters of their research.听
MSW student Julian Grau-Brown will be presenting his work on a digital storytelling project with men who are serving, or have served, life sentences. Most of the subjects in Julian鈥檚 research were men who entered the system as young adults and are only coming home in their 30s, 40s, or even 60s.听聽
鈥淭heir stories speak to childhood trauma, racial profiling, and the different ways they鈥檝e learned to cope over time,鈥� says Julian. 鈥淲hat really stood out to me was how powerful the digital stories were. This method gave the men space to speak on their own terms. [...] It wasn鈥檛 just research; it was about visibility, healing, and challenging the dominant narratives we so often hear about incarceration.鈥澛�
MSW students Anne Weintraub, Zaria Nesfield and Afeefa Ayub will also be sharing聽their experience completing a graduate research field placement under the supervision of Boatswain-Kyte. 聽
鈥淲e intentionally chose a research-based placement as a way to engage critically with the structures that shape social work鈥攁nd to imagine how the profession can be mobilized as a tool for liberation rather than control,鈥� says Anne.听
The poster showcases how academic institutions can be used as platforms for community engagement and action.听聽
鈥淪ocial work has a long and complex history in relation to Black communities, often reinforcing systems of oppression rather than dismantling them,鈥� says Anne. 鈥淭his placement offered us an opportunity to interrupt that legacy by contributing to research that centers Black voices, challenges the status quo, and supports community-led change.鈥澛�
Discussions Across Disciplines聽
Panel discussions will focus on topics such as Black epistemologies and theories, bringing together scholars who largely work in Qu茅bec; Black archival work as a methodological practice, connecting the past to the present; as well as a wide range of methodologies, from quantitative and qualitative to participatory and community-based 鈥� and how each can be used in service of liberation.听
鈥淲e want people to leave with a sense that there isn鈥檛 just one way to do this work 鈥� there are many,鈥� says Boatswain-Kyte.听聽
The symposium will conclude with聽keynote talks by Dr. Yasser Payne and Dr. Brooklynn Hitchens, from the University of Delaware,聽on their 15-yearlong research project, Street Participatory Action Research (Street PAR), which Boatswain-Kyte characterizes as 鈥渁 powerful example of what it means to center community in every stage of the research process鈥�.听聽
鈥淭hroughout the event, we鈥檝e made space for community experts to be present,鈥� says Boatswain-Kyte. 鈥淪o ultimately, we鈥檙e asking: What does it mean to do research that鈥檚 accountable to Black communities? What does it look like to generate knowledge that is useful, healing, and transformative?鈥澛� 聽
Access the symposium program. 聽
To keep up with news from the School of Social Work and Black Access 91社区, make sure to follow their social media accounts on Instagram: and . 聽聽
The symposium was partially by the Dean of Arts Development Fund (DADF). Learn more about the DADF.听