1. Citizen’s Forum on Global Social Issues Alpha Kappa Alpha Challenges facing Montreal’s Black Community Dr Wendy Thomson, Director and Professor McGill School of Social Work Montreal, Quebec

2. What’s Different about Being black in Quebec ?  Being a minority in the french nation  The charter of the french language  Provincial jurisdictions health, education, social policies, professional regulation  Immigration policy grants admission to support quebec nation.

3. Collaboration between Mtl Black Community, McGill and AKA  Black English speaking families are a double minority - linguistic and racial  one consequence is the over-representation of Black families in Youth Protection services  Commitment for the ACDPN, Mtl Universities including McGill and AKA to develop an international partnership –  to exchange knowledge, and promote progressive policy development to strengthen black families and reduce coercive involvement in youth protection syste,.

4. Mtl Black Communities Demographic Project  Analysed the 2006 long form census and compared with 1996. Census data enriched with qualitative studies of youth in school, faith groups, young people involved in the criminal justice system and older people. Led by faculty from mcGill School of social Work (Drs Torcyzner, Denov, Ives, Grenier ) with over 30 black community organisations.

5. Demographic Challenges facing the Black Community in Montreal, march 2010 volumer 1 In 2006 more than 1 in 5 Canadian Blacks live in Montreal. 60% live in Ontario. Higher % live in Mtl’s northeastern primarily french-speaking neighbourhoods A growth rate of over 36% from 1996 to 2006 In Mtl. the growth rate of the black pop in Laval was 81.6%

6. Diversity and cohesion  Increasing diversity among Blacks in Mtl  Being able to speak with one voice is challenged by language and residential patterns  Tho’ rates of bilingualism have increased (44.5% are bilingual) the 1 in 8 blacks who speak only English cannot speak to the 4 in 10 Blacks who only speak French.  Less than half can speak to unilingual English and French speakers.

7. Demographic Challenges facing the Black Community in Montreal, march 2010 volumer 1