Antiracist Youth Development Theory

Youth development organizations can advance racial justice by activating civic mindfulness, bringing a future of equity into the present. When practitioners integrate and model antiracist pivots, they can empower the youth of colour to be critical and feel empowered to respond to racism in their daily lives. In this training, youth development practitioners will examine how our individual experiences in white-dominant institutions have shaped our leadership and influenced the way we think about organizational and program practices. Together we will unpack and unlearn to visibilize new strategies that help us re-design program structures to actively promote a culture of equity and inclusion.

In this session, participants will:

• Review: How the youth development field has changed to best support youth in being their authentic selves?
• Unpack how structural racism impacts our young people and staff?
• Examine the impact of our identities on how we lead and hold power.
• Identify ways to name and dismantle our dominant culture practices.
• Network and learn from one another.