BARBERSHOP TALK SERIES
LOCATING OUR BLACK BOYS
DATE: June 6th, 2025
TIME: 6:00 pm – 8:00pm Toronto time.
LOCATION: Driftwood Community Centre (Toronto, Ontario) 4401 Jane Street, Toronto, Ontario .
Free Haircuts
Free Food
Free Giveaways
On June 6th, between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Driftwood Community Centre – 4401 Jane Street, Toronto, Ontario – the Barbershop Talk Series: Black Men and Boys Misconceptions will return to the Driftwood community to host its next group discussion, entitled “Locating Our Black Boys.”
Despite Canada’s efforts to visualize and appreciate the multi-faceted lived experiences of young people, the lives of Black young men and boys remain caught at the crossroads of unimportance and unworthiness, often overlooked by broader Canadian society. Although Canadian Black men and boys face anti-Blackness, frequently compounded by gender biases and classism, their lived experiences are rarely discussed in a meaningful way.
In late 2024, several young Black men were deemed to be “missing,” and news reports indicated that they came from two-parent homes residing in suburban areas. The reports also stated that these young men were not, in fact, missing but had travelled to cities outside of Toronto, such as Thunder Bay and Sarnia, to engage in drug trafficking for “fast money.” Although the young men were eventually found, this reality for Black young men is not a new phenomenon. Instead, this type of “missing” incident has been occurring for years in Toronto and its surrounding suburban areas.
A 2021 study conducted in Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa focusing on marginalized young Black men found that these youth face tensions within their homes, compounded by stress in schools and in their communities. Many young marginalized Black men in the study mentioned that to be “a man” is to be financially stable, and their only option to meet this standard is to make “fast money,” even if it means selling drugs. As a result, many young Black men go out of town (OT) to prove to themselves, their families, and their peers that they are men who can achieve financial stability through their own means by drug dealing.
What can be done to support young Black men and boys, their parents and their communities?
Our social understanding of Black young men and boys’ lived experiences is profoundly lacking. As community members, parents, and activists, we must recognize the positive value in working in solidarity to establish environments where Black men and boys feel valued, supported, and a sense of belonging, allowing them to thrive economically, academically, and politically. For many Black men and boys, the barbershop serves as a safe social space that allows them to share their experiences while being groomed. Since 2018, the Barbershop Talk Series: Black Men & Misconceptions has leveraged this safe space to hold community-wide conversations that directly address the societal, political, educational, employment, and even mental health concerns of Black men and boys. On June 6th, 2025, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Driftwood Community Centre (Toronto, Ontario), the Barbershop Series will create space for Black men and boys, as well as the broader community, to openly discuss the tensions that drive them to seek fast money. This community conversation invites everyone to navigate the various dynamics of the educational barriers faced by Black men. We welcome community members of different races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, and ages to engage in a meaningful discussion about this critical topic.