Strategizing to Strengthen Social Inclusion: The Agency of Black African Immigrant Youth in Alberta, Canada

This article analyzes perspectives and strategies through which Black African immigrant youth in Calgary, Alberta, promote their social inclusion in Canadian society. Most of the literature on Blacks and other visible minority youth in Canada focuses on challenges of integration, which have been identified in terms of exclusion from and within the educational systems, labour market, racial profiling, and so on. However, there is little research on the youth from these communities in general, and their agency and strategies of social inclusion in Canadian society. This article fills this gap by stressing the agency and resilience among Black African youth in Calgary, a city that is arguably becoming increasingly diverse with the influx of immigrants from different countries and other Canadian provinces. Drawing on qualitative research methods (40 interviews-20 females and 20 males) with Ghanaian and Sudanese immigrant youths, this article incorporates meaningful insights from Black African immigrant youths on the drivers and strategies of social inclusion. The analysis is grounded in critical race theory (CRT). Overall, the findings emphasize that Black African immigrant youths' sense and strategies of inclusion are rooted in their ethnic group and religious associations. Specifically, participants identified 1) spaces of safety, 2) empowerment initiatives, and 3) support through social networks that made their sense of inclusion meaningful. The article contributes a new perspective to understanding how Black African immigrant youth capitalize on their community's knowledge to foster cultural productivity and enhance inclusion in Canadian society.