Raising Black Children in Urban Cities of Canada

Raising Young Black Males in Toronto

The task of raising Black male children in urban communities, especially in public housing complexes, is becoming very challenging. Parents of Black male children face great fear due to the threats faced by young Black men. Some Black parents in the GTA, for example, choose to relocate from Toronto to more rural communities with lower crime rates. They view this as necessary to protect their boys from the influence of the criminal underground. It’s true that the type of environment in which people live can influence their behavior especially, in the case of vulnerable young males who may be tempted by peers to become involved in crime. They can also be prone to false stereotypes and prejudice.
Should Black parents relocate from urban cities such as Toronto to more rural areas specifically because of their male children? Why are male children more prone to criminality? Have any effective strategies been implemented to address the issue of youth crime in cities such as Toronto?


The situation is even worse in the US where many African-American parents fear for the lives of their sons. For instance, an American Black woman’s first thought after giving birth to a male child is how to get him out of the country. In Canada, parents of young Black males plan to leave urban cities such as Toronto before their boys are seduced by the temptations of the criminal underground.
The task of raising Black male children is even more challenging for single mothers living in public housing but little is being done to acknowledge or address this issue. It’s time for Black parents to work together with the governments, in order to develop a more effective strategy that will help to address the root causes of Black males' criminality. This is critical because any mistake made by any Black male that results in incarceration will result in life-long stigmatization as well as social, political, and economic exclusion. Young Black males with criminal records can be certain of a long and potentially permanent stay in this undesirable situation. In order to give hope and opportunity to young Black males, we have to do whatever is necessary to keep them in school, out of jail, and on a positive track towards legitimate jobs.

By Nekpen Obasogie