On April. 13, 2025, The Afro Youth Summit and the Observatory of Black Communities in Quebec revealed a study highlighting the daily discrimination Black youth in Quebec keep experiencing. The study was done in partnership with the survey firm Léger, and data shows that 83 per cent of Black youth experienced discrimination at least once in their lives compared to 40 per cent of non-Black youth.
The survey also reveals that 66 per cent of Black youth face discrimination in public services such as education, health care, justice and social services. 35 per cent of Black youth said they experienced discrimination sometimes in this context while 10 per cent described recurrent instances.
Alix Adrien, a board member of the Afro Youth Summit and president of the Quebec Board of Black Educators (QBBE), said the survey results are unsurprising.
“That’s pretty much our reality. Any Black person that lives will be confronted to trade out discrimination or even microaggression when it comes out to it,” Adrien said to the CONTACT.
He said that the end goal is to present the survey to educational policymakers so that they can reform and change the system.
“When we stand by, and we want to address situations of racism in schools, most of the time what we’ve been told is ‘there’s no clear evidence that this is happening.’ ‘They don’t have the aggregated data.’ So, we’re doing the work to provide those studies. When we conduct a survey with a firm like Léger, no one can question the results because they’re a credible organization,” Adrien said.
Despite the hardships, the study evokes engagement and ambition among Black youth. Approximately 68 per cent of young people believe they are making a productive contribution to their communities. 27 per cent of Black youth are involved in cultural organizations, compared to 10 per cent of non-Black youth.
Adrien explained that the youth’s involvement in community centers is due to the safe place they seek.
“Our youth are looking for a safe space where they can thrive and be themselves, and they’ll usually find them in community centers. I strongly believe birds of a feather flock together. And so, those kids, when they are confronted with certain disparities in school and go into a community center for different programs, they don’t get that sort of blowback. I think that’s part of the reason. They not only seek Community intervention, but that’s where they get involved because I think they feel it’s a positive thing for them,” Adrien said.
Adrien mentioned that regarding future initiatives, the Afro Youth Summit holds annual summits that cover topics such as justice, education, healthcare, employability, and ethnic entrepreneurship. During those conferences, they conduct needs assessments in which they speak with participants about the challenges they face in their communities and attempt to address those hardships.
The survey was conducted online from August to October 2024, with 1,463 respondents living in Quebec. It was sourced from three sources: Léger’s web panel, an open link distributed through a Léger DGTL digital campaign, and an open link shared by the Afro Youth Summit with its network of partners.
