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Life of the Youth  (Anonymous)

"Being a Black Muslim girl in a predominantly white high school caused me to question my identity more often than I liked. It felt like I couldn’t relate to anything my friends were doing and that teachers just automatically had something against the Black students."

"Life as a visibly black male in Oakville is a weird dichotomy of lust and disgust. On one hand you feel as though you’re in a zoo, all eyes on you or against you, people tend to engage you expecting a certain trope or stereotype they feel a black person should be. Conversely, you feel like you are out of place even amongst your friends; although you’ve come to an understanding as boys, friends or teammates, you still feel a disconnect that doesn’t go away until you are around people similar to you."

"In grade 12 when we were applying to universities my guidance counsellor told me to be more realistic with my applications and not apply to UofT even though I knew i was more than capable of succeeding there. Even though situations like these upset me in the moment, I also credit them for keeping me focused on my goals and aiming hiring so I could prove them wrong."

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