Through the City of Victoria’s annual International Decade for People of African Descent (IDPAD), five local initiatives will receive grant funding to support, celebrate and empower African-descended youth.
Mayor Marianne Alto says the grant program aims to provide impactful and empowering opportunities for youth of African descent in Victoria by supporting programs that honour and celebrate the community.
This community-led grant program was created by, and is overseen by the IDPAD Advisory Committee who were responsible for selecting the five projects to receive funding this year.
In total, the IDPAD Advisory Committee had an allotment of $25,000 to award to the selected initiatives.
The City says, the five programs which were selected for 2024 were:
- A cultural outreach event that celebrates the vitality of African traditions and intercultural dialogue in Canada and promotes higher education among youth of African descent
- A documentary about the impact of beauty standards on youth of African descent
- A mentorship and incubation project that empowers youth of African descent to explore possible career pathways with mentorship from professionals of African descent
- A minor league baseball tournament honouring the legacy of umpire Doug Hudlin, a prominent Canadian of African descent and member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
- A series of tours of local public learning spaces and arts-based workshops for youth of African descent
“The grant funding makes it possible for Black youth to experience art, science and history that they would not otherwise be encouraged to engage with,” said Aya Behr, grant recipient supported by Flux Media Gallery.
“The funding of Black Out will enrich Black youth’s understanding of the world and empower them to contribute their own perspectives and talent.”
This year is the last that this funding will be made available through the City of Victoria, as the decade-long program was only to last from 2015 to 2024.
