On March 21, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Across Boundaries launches a new series of free public training modules that centres what Black communities have long known, but organizations and systems have long ignored.
For us, this launch is not symbolic; it responds to what continues to happen across Canada. Black youth remain overrepresented in the justice system. Black individuals experiencing mental health crises continue to face harmful and sometimes fatal police responses. Black trans and non-binary people navigate layered discrimination in health care, housing, employment, and public life. At the same time, we are seeing growing resistance to equity work, with diversity and inclusion efforts being questioned or scaled back.
Reports have been written. Commitments have been made. But Black communities are still waiting for “the right care at the right time, in the right place”. These trainings exist because the gap between intention and lived experience remains too wide.
For more than 30 years, Across Boundaries has worked alongside African, Caribbean, and Black communities navigating mental health and addiction systems that have too often failed them. The organization has delivered facilitator-led Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression trainings to institutions seeking to strengthen accountability. This new public training series builds on that foundation and makes the learning more accessible.
The modules include:
- African Caribbean and Black Youth Involvement Within the Justice System
- Black Trans and Non-Binary Mental Health
- Commitment to Standing Up for Racial Justice
- Introduction to Black 2SLGBTQ+ Communities
- Introduction to Substance Use and Harm Reduction
“At a moment when equity work is being questioned and rolled back, Across Boundaries is staying firm and pushing back,” said Aseefa Sarang, Across Boundaries’ Executive Director. “Black communities have always led the work of naming injustice and building solutions. This training is part of that legacy.”
Across Boundaries believes eliminating racial discrimination requires more than statements. It requires understanding history, examining systems, and changing practice. These trainings are free, self-paced, and available now. Because understanding the problem is where accountability begins.