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Supporting Black-led organizations, and those that uplift Black communities and businesses, amplifies underrepresented voices and aids in combatting systemic racism. This is a continuously growing list of Black-led and Black-supporting organizations in what is currently Canada. Browse through the categories to find relevant organizations and click the links to find out more.
Climate and Social Justice
"BGE is a supportive community of Black girls, women and non-binary environmentalists." Their Reclaiming Our Time project highlights Black climate activists at the forefront of addressing the climate crisis. "Around the world, Black communities bear an even heavier burden from the impacts of climate change due to the historic and continuing impacts of colonialism, racism, and inequality. It is crucial that we listen and highlight Black environmental activists that know the issues firsthand and have the knowledge to help create just solutions." At Black Girl Environmentalist, they "envision a world in which Black environmentalists are centered in the sustainability narrative." Their hope to change this with their Reclaiming Our Time project.
To check out cool events, opportunities, and to sign up for their newsletter or read more on Reclaiming Our Time, visit BGE on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/blackgirlenvironmentalist/
"#BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Inc. is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives.
[Black Lives Matter is] expansive. [They] are a collective of liberators who believe in an inclusive and spacious movement. [They] also believe that in order to win and bring as many people with [them] along the way, [they] must move beyond the narrow nationalism that is all too prevalent in Black communities." Black Lives Matter believes that "we must ensure we are building a movement that brings all of us to the front...The call for Black lives to matter is a rallying cry for ALL Black lives striving for liberation."
To learn, donate, and share BLM’s calls to action, visit https://blacklivesmatter.com/
"The Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) is a new not-for-profit corporation set up under the laws of Ontario in 2017. BLAC delivers legal aid services to low and no income Black Ontarians." Black Legal Action Centre works to "combat individual and systemic anti-Black racism by:
providing legal representation, summary legal advice and brief services to individual clients
engaging in test case litigation, law reform and community development to improve the laws that affect low income people
giving public legal information sessions to members of the public and other community agencies."
To access BLAC’s legal services, donate, or become a member, visit https://www.blacklegalactioncentre.ca/
Youth Services
"As a non-profit agency Harriet Tubman Community Organization is dedicated to building meaningful and developmental relationships with young people, experiencing racialization between the ages of ages of 8 – 25 years old. Using Harriet Tubman’s collaborative model, [they] partner with diverse institutions, organizations, community groups and individual allies to establish a ‘railroad’ network of resource to keep Black (African) young people and others who relate engaged in positive activities. [They] provide strength-based, youth centered and culturally relevant programs that foster identity development, life skills and education."
To learn more about how you can become involved, visit https://www.tubmancommunity.org/
"Black Women in Motion is a Toronto-based, youth-led organization that empowers and supports the advancement of Black womxn and survivors of sexual violence. [They] work within an anti-racist, intersectional feminist, trauma-informed and survivor-centred framework to create culturally-relevant content, educational tools, healing spaces and economic opportunities for black womxn."
To contribute to their Love Offering Community Emergency Relief Fund, visit https://blackwomeninmotion.org/
"Uplifting Indigenous & Black youth joy, success and communal solidarity across "BC" and Turtle Island. Black Youth Initiative is a collective product of love and care from the tireless labour of three Black femmes with the intersections of being Refugees, Migrants, Muslim and Queer. [Their] hope and intentionality for the work [they] do rests with sharing mutual aid efforts and resource redistribution that are vital for supporting our beloved Indigenous and Black communities."
To get join Black Youth Initiative's efforts, visit https://www.blackyouthinitiative.ca/
Health and Education
"FREEDOMSCHOOL – Toronto is a youth and parent driven initiative that intervenes to fight against anti-Black racism in the school system and to creative educational alternatives for Black children. The Freedom School runs a three week program for children aged four to twelve, a Saturday school program, curriculum fairs, students conference, and training programs to engage youth in Black liberatory education. [They] also do research on Black liberatory education and participate in campaigns to create systemic change. FreedomSchool was created to respond to a lack of humanizing, self-affirming, queer positive educational opportunities for Black children in the GTA. Freedom school provides alternative settings for parents who do not feel that our children are being taught self-love, and a passion for justice and liberation through their formal education. [Their] programs are designed to teach children about Black Canadian and diasporic histories of resistance and to engage children in political resistance to anti-Black racism and state violence through a trans-feminist lens."
To learn more about FreedomSchool and their programs, visit https://freedomschooltoronto.ca/
"Community-based holistic wellness in Toronto (Canada) [was] created by and for Black womxn to become the most nurtured versions of themselves. The Most Nurtured (TMN) embraces the diversity of Black identity from those who identify exclusively with African heritage to those who are bi-racial and multi-racial. This space is yours.
The Most Nurtured is a LGBTQ+, non-binary and trans-inclusive, and anti-oppressive, and anti-colonial space…Through community-based initiatives, [they] create and cultivate opportunities through which Black womxn can become the most nurtured versions of themselves."
To learn more, visit https://www.themostnurtured.com/
"The Black Health Alliance is a community-led registered charity working to improve the health and well-being of the 1.2 million Black people in Canada... Building on [their] track record as an effective mobilizer and champion, [they] continue to grow our movement for change. Driven by groundbreaking research, strong partnerships, and people, this movement continues to build innovative solutions to improve Black health and well-being, and mobilize people and financial resources to create lasting change in the lives of Black children, families and communities."
To act now, visit https://blackhealthalliance.ca/
Businesses and Services
"Founded in 1983, the BBPA is a non-profit, charitable organization that addresses equity and opportunity for the Black community in business, employment, education and economic development. [Their] mission: To advance Canada’s Black communities by delivering programs that support business and professional excellence, higher education and economic development. [Their] purpose: To encourage and support the pursuit of entrepreneurship, business, professional excellence, higher education and economic empowerment; To facilitate access to people and resources; To identify and reward excellence in achievement; To establish linkages and co-operate with other organizations on matters pertaining to business, education, economic development and community wellness; To build cross-cultural understanding and promote equity."
To show support and learn with the BBPA, visit https://bbpa.org/
Black Owned Canada is a Black owned organization supporting Black owned businesses in what is known as Canada. The page directs/ promotes/ shares black owned business across all sectors, including: Restaurants, Directors, Entrepreneurs, Hair & Beauty - All Business!
To support local Black-owned businesses, visit https://www.instagram.com/black_ownedcanada/
"Specializing in African centred books, Black books for children, black dolls and great gift-giving ideas. Knowledge Bookstore is an independent Afrocentric bookstore located in Brampton Ontario that sells African Canadian, African American, Caribbean and Children books. [They] also offer Black dolls, greeting cards, DVDs, beauty products and gift items not readily available in mainstream stores. Knowledge Bookstore is a community space as well as the go to source for parents, writers, poets, artists and the Black community."
Visit Knowledge Bookstore at https://www.knowledgebookstore.com/ to browse their titles and support Black creatives.
Community
Black Ottawa Connect
"Given that Black people in Canada, and by extension Ottawa, face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, BOC aims to provide a safe space for the Black Communities in Ottawa and Gatineau to be able to come together, share resources, educate and empower one another for full participation in all aspects of Canadian society. Black Ottawa Connect is a non-profit organization on a mission to give Black people a space to gather, to heal & to thrive."
To find resources and connect with others in the Ottawa/ Gatineau region, visit https://www.blackottawaconnect.ca/
Suggestions for organizations to feature can be sent to research@shakeuptheestab.org