Black Youth Alliance stands against racism at St. James high school

Caution: this story contains details readers may find upsetting. 

GUELPH – Black students are banding together to stand against racism. 

The Black Youth Alliance (BYA) at St. James Catholic High School meets in the school’s sanctuary weekly and works to make a positive impact.  

The group’s vice president, Jedidiah James, is in Grade 11 and lives in Arthur. 

James said he joined the BYA because there’s “a lot of racism going on in school. 

“We just made this group to try to make it better and spread awareness.” 

The racism includes non-Black students, and even a teacher, using the N-word at school, James said. 

Students caught a teacher using the N-word on video and spread it around the school, he said, but the school administration “didn’t really do anything about it.”

Principal Steve Guylas said the incident happened about 10 years ago and was addressed, but “its impact is still felt strongly by our school community.” 

He said “it in no way aligns with our values [and] we are deeply sorry for the pain it causes our students.” 

Grade 12 student Josiah CaDougan is BYA’s president, or captain, and lives in Fergus. 

He said some non-Black kids think saying the N-word
is funny.

The racism also includes microagressions, he said, such as students touching Black people’s hair, and comments like: “‘Oh, I didn’t
know your kind did that’” when Black students play sports like hockey instead of just basketball and football. 

James said students also say things like “‘you guys used to pick cotton.” 

In history class, James said there is little mention of Black
people or their experiences. 

It all piles up and “gets to you,” CaDougan said. “You get frustrated – angry. And then they say you’re just another angry Black man.” 

Grade 11 student and club secretary Sarah Harrison said “racism affects us,” especially hearing the N-word, which she called a powerful word with a long history.  

Some students don’t understand how serious it is, CaDougan said, but others keep repeating it even after school staff stress its severity time and time again. 

He said racism is usually addressed quickly at the school, and though consequences are typically “mediocre … there’s not much more you could really do. I think it’s being dealt with fine.”

Vice principal Cathy Bazinet outlined the process for responding to racism, discrimination and hate speech, for which she said the school has zero tolerance. 

“We make a very clear point of explaining the impact of their actions,” she said, and discipline can include suspension. 

Board officials say students can also be expelled for using racist language or hate speech. But racism continues, James said. 

“We can’t always do anything about it,” Harrison said. “You can’t change people’s actions.”

Bazinet added, “We fully acknowledge that systemic issues exist within our community, which is why we are constantly working to promote equity, respect and inclusion.”   

This includes teaching Black history and excellence in every classroom and “creating opportunities to make sure our racialized students feel heard and supported,” she said.  

Bazinet said she appreciates “how open and honest our students have been about their experiences with racism at school, including what they shared during the interview” with the Advertiser.

“I have a deep appreciation for the strength and courage it takes for students to share their stories, and I can’t express how deeply it hurts me to know that this has been their reality.” 

For Harrison, “some of the  issue is half of the time our voices in class aren’t being heard,” and when they defend themselves, Black students get in trouble instead of the instigators, she said. 

She feels teachers don’t care and have an attitude of “‘Oh, sorry, I didn’t hear it’ – and that means they didn’t say it.” 

She joined the BYA because she wants Black students to be heard. 

Asked if there’s been a reduction in racism since the group formed, James said “not really,” and CaDougan said he’s hearing the N-word more frequently than before.  

But the group is working hard to change that. 

CaDougan joined the alliance in Grade 10 after transferring to St. James from Wellington Heights Secondary School. 

“We didn’t have anything like [the BYA] in my old school,” he said, and he didn’t see many other Black people in Mount Forest.   

CaDougan said BYA meetings offer a warm, fun environment where he’s more able to be himself.

James said some kids join the BYA because they want to brainstorm ideas and organize, while others are more interested in social aspects. 

Harrison said she’s “a very quiet kid” with a diverse group of friends, and she always wanted to be part of a group where everyone is the “same shade.” It’s important, she said, because when they get together “we can actually have our voices be heard.”

Bazinet said the BYA exists “to give students a safe place to connect, discuss their experiences and have their voices heard by their peers and our staff. Students share their voice, identify problems and work with staff to create solutions.” 

She added, “The insights and work of the BYA has allowed the St. James community to listen, reflect and do better. Building trust with our students is the first step to action and action continues to build trust.”  

The BYA visits local elementary schools for presentations and organizes guest speakers at St. James.  

Damilola Oguntala, a former St. James student who's in her first year of medical school at the University of Toronto, is among the guest speakers the BYA welcomed to the school.

Harrison said Oguntala spoke about the importance of focusing on a goal and working to achieve it.  

Students also got to meet Lawrence Hill, author of the Book of Negroes and Chris D’Souza, a motivational speaker, human rights strategist and author.   

This week, the group is set to attend a board-wide equity conference. And they have plans to work with Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School students to organize a multicultural event. 

The BYA formed about three years ago and initially had between 30 and 40 members, but many graduated and there are about 20 left.

It was only recently, after a visit from inspirational speaker Neskens Jr. Dorcelus, that the group restructured to include leadership roles. 

Group members voted students into their positions, per Dorcelus’ advice, with the hopes of increasing  productivity. “It makes us stronger,” CaDougan said. 

He sang Dorcelus’ praises, and said students really heard what he had to say. 

“He told us what we can do to put in the work and make a change,” he said.