Black Youth Rights Require Structural Overhaul, Not Just Programmatic Support

We have a sad history of young Black children being treated as grown up and, consequently, handled with excessive force. (Remember Child Q, the 15 year old schoolgirl strip searched by the police?) It's a shame to see that it's not just 15 year olds; it happens to toddlers too. #BlackMastodon https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cg400k21yd4t

Young, Black, and Powerful: Black Youth as Agents of Change The Bounce Black Team At the 5th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, one message came through clearly: young people of African descent are not just future leaders, they are rights-holders and changemakers now. This framing matters. Because too often, Black youth are spoken about in terms of deficits: barriers in education, limited access to opportunity, overexposure to systems of punishment, and underrepresentation in decision-making spaces. These things are real, and they are systemic. But they are not the full story. Beyond Barriers: Recognising AgencyThe Forum highlighted what many of us already know through lived experience: Young people of African descent are actively shaping change in their communities, online, in workplaces, and across global movements. They are: Organising and mobilisingCreating new economic pathwaysChallenging harmful narrativesBuilding communities of care and resistanceYet, their ability to do so is often constrained by the very systems they are trying to transform. To call young people “changemakers” without addressing structural inequality is incomplete. To address inequality without recognising agency is also incomplete. Both must exist together. Where Bounce Black StandsAt Bounce Black, this intersection is where we work. Our programmes are grounded in a simple but powerful belief: Black young people deserve not just access, but the tools, support, and environment to thrive. Through initiatives like the Roots: Career Foundations Programme, we support Black students and early career professionals to: Navigate complex and often exclusionary systemsBuild confidence and clarity in their career pathwaysDevelop skills that translate into real opportunitiesPrioritise wellbeing in the face of racialised experiencesThis is more than standard professional development. It is structural intervention at the level of lived experience. From Global Dialogue to Local Impact [🖼 bounceblack.org/wp-content/upl…] We were also featured in a Forum side event titled Tomorrow’s Trailblazers: Youth Leadership Across the UK’s African Diaspora hosted by our friends at the Young Africa Centre. The virtual event showcased YAC, its collaborators and the collective impact of youth-led organisations in London, UK. Our contribution focused on: The realities Black students and professionals face in education and employmentThe impact of racial trauma on confidence, performance, and progressionThe importance of holistic, trauma informed supportThe need to move beyond “access” towards sustainable thrivingWe shared how community-led, culturally responsive programmes can: Bridge the gap between policy and lived experienceEquip young people with both practical tools and internal resilienceCreate spaces where growth, healing, and ambition can coexistThe response reinforced something important, namely that this work is needed, and it resonates globally. What Needs to Happen NextIf young people of African descent are to be truly recognised as rights-holders and changemakers, then: 1. Systems must change Education, employment, and justice systems must move beyond performative inclusion towards structural transformation. 2. Investment must follow Community-led organisations doing this work need sustained funding and support. (If you’re feeling generous, consider donating to our crowdfunder here) 3. Young people must be meaningfully included Not as tokens, but as partners in shaping policy and decision making. 4. Wellbeing must be prioritised Thriving is not just economic; it is emotional, psychological, and social. From Recognition to RealityThe conversations at the Forum are important. They set the tone. They shape global priorities. But the real test is what happens next. At Bounce Black, we remain committed to ensuring that these global commitments translate into something tangible. In classrooms, workplaces, and our everyday lives. Because Black young people are already changemakers. The question is whether the world will meet them with the support, recognition, and structural change they deserve. At this point, we’re done asking. We’re demanding it and building for ourselves. #AfricanDiaspora #BlackAtWork #BlackExcellence #BlackProfessionals #blackStudents #bounceBlack #health #history #mentalHealth #news #NikkiAdebiyi #politics #TheAfricaCentre #UN #UNPermanentForumOnPeopleOfAfricanDescent #UnitedNations #YoungAfricaCentre

What Does Re-Parenting of all Black Children in America Look Like? https://www.levelman.com/what-does-re-parenting-of-all-black-children-in-america-look-like/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Posted into MAGA THREATS TO PUBLIC SAFETY @maga-threats-to-public-safety-researchdept