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Cultivating Black Joy in Difficult Times

Published on 02/02/2026 by YWCA Canada

As we begin Black History Month, YWCA Canada is centring Black joy as a source of resilience, care, and collective strength, especially in difficult times. 

At YWCA Canada, Black joy is not about ignoring hardship or pretending things are easy. It shows up in care for one another, in creativity, in leadership, and in the daily work of building safety and belonging. It is what sustains Black women, girls, and gender diverse people as they support families, strengthen communities, and advocate for justice — often in the face of systemic barriers. 

Since its first meeting five years ago, YWCA Canada’s Black Caucus has grown to include members from coast to coast, bringing insight and leadership that shape both our internal culture and our work on the ground. The Black Caucus is a space for self-identifying Black staff and volunteers, including Board Members, from YWCAs across Canada to come together for connection, peer support, learning, and collective action. The powerhouse staff and volunteers bring the same vibrant energy, insight, and care to the Caucus as they do to their work on the front lines and behind the scenes. 

Reflecting on this commitment, Aline Nizigama, National CEO of YWCA Canada, shared: 

“At YWCA, our commitment to tackle antiBlack racism and advance Black liberation must be worthy of that inheritance. That means making space for Black leadership at every level, resourcing Black-led work, challenging anti-Blackness within and beyond our walls, and protecting Black joy as fiercely as we confront Black pain.” 

Aligned with the Government of Canada’s theme, Celebrating Black Brilliance, we are using this month to spotlight Black leaders across the YWCA movement.  Over the coming weeks, we will highlight the people who make it possible for single mothers to pursue their goals, for newcomers to find meaningful work, for survivors to feel safe, and for our YWCAs to keep running, day after day.

Through difficult times, and through long days, they show up because as Raine Liliefeldt, Director of Membership Engagement at YWCA Canada tells us,, “YWCA Black Caucus has been a space of Black Joy for me.  When beautiful, brilliant, accomplished and compassionate and strong people come together. The work that YWCA Black leaders are busy with in their communities is often so hard, they face anti-Black racism while still stepping up for community members. I am inspired by their energy and the positive futures they continue to build so wonderfully.” 

YWCA Canada is hosting a panel on Cultivating Black Joy in Difficult Times on February 19th. Together, YWCA leaders will reflect on what Black joy means, how it sustains us through grief and struggle, and why it remains essential to movements for racial justice. 

To close out the month, YWCA Canada has invited four Black poets from across Canada to share their brilliance at a virtual, spoken word event on February 26th. With more information to come in a couple weeks, we’re excited to gather this incredible group of wordsmiths and celebrate their creativity, culture and excellence. 

Celebrating Black joy also means pairing visibility with accountability. As signatories to the BlackNorth Pledge, YWCA Canada continues to strengthen its antiracist practice across the movement. We have recently joined the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) as an Employer Partner, expanding access to tools and learning opportunities for more than 5,000 staff nationwide, and will also introduce in-house Antiracism and Anti-Oppression training with a specific focus on addressing anti-Black racism.   

For those interested in learning more, we invite you to explore the following resources: 

  • Understanding and Challenging Anti-Black Racism: LearnAtWork

As we move through Black History Month and beyond, we remain deeply grateful for the leadership, care, and contributions of Black staff, volunteers, and community members. 

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