Can’t Kill my Vibe

Historically, music has been a core part of the lives of Black people. It is a go to for celebration, worship, romance, chilling, a source of encouragement and motivation – some lyrics are just perfect for when you need that extra pick up, in order to stay focused.

Black Women Reclaiming their Vibes Through Music

In the 80s and 90s, songs by young Black males, and sometimes young Black Women artists were banned in many homes, due to their lyrics, because they were considered violent and obscene. However, in recent times – with the power of positivity/hope that has always been embedded within Black music, youths who are experiencing difficulties, have been known to use the lyrics from music to express themselves, when they lack the words to do so, thus the power of music in the lives of Black youths, cannot be underestimated.

With the influx of young Black female artists globally, young Black women are being motivated, not only by seeing female artists climbing to the top of the charts but also by their lyrics, which is the motivation for this project.

This project stems from songs by popular female artists with lyrics that are empowering and could help Young Black Women to navigate their configurations and lived realities. We focus on Black female youths in Toronto, between the ages of 18 and 30. Young black women are “ticking dynamites” (that is, full of potential, dreams, and goals) but are often faced with challenges of the intersectionality of race, gender, age and sometimes class. The power of Black women's songs can be used to raise conversations about how young Black women are confronting these challenges, creating new possibilities and maintaining a positive outlook on life through listening to music.

Program Facilitators

Tinyan

Tinyan is a consultant, researcher, traveler, and entrepreneur. She is also a PhD student in Geography and Planning researching financial inclusion and women entrepreneurship at Queen’s University. For over 15 years, Tinyan has committed her professional career to working with women and youth to become economically self-sufficient and fulfill their destiny.

Adesoji Babalola

Adesoji Babalola is a PhD candidate in Cultural Studies at Queen's University. His research interests intersect youth pop culture in Africa, African studies, Black studies, and linguistic anthropology.

Youth Advisors.

Tanto

Tanto is a creative soul and lifestyle content creator based in Toronto Canada

Tanto wears many hats, she has built a career around inclusive content creation, direction, and storytelling as well as inspiring the next generation.

She is also the Ceo of BTSbyTanto where she does event creation and captures beautiful memorable moments for her clients.

Debra

Debra is a current law student at the University of Leicester. She has an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto Mississauga where she double majored in Political and Sociology with a minor in Women and Gender studies. Debra works as an associate manager, programs and services for the Federation of Black Canadians and does EDI/programs consulting for organizations. She is a also going to be a summer law student at Bookman Law professional corporation in Toronto.

As a community advocate with passion in diversity and equity, Debra aims to be the change she wants to see in society and uses her spare time towards creating pathways for others to do the same.

Ruth

My name is Ruth-Ebony Lyttle. I am a Nutrition and Food student, minoring in Psychology, at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). I intend on becoming a Registered Dietitian to enable people to improve their health and well-being. Some of my hobbies include dancing, playing volleyball, and hiking, or going for walks on trails. It goes without saying, but I do also enjoy cooking and baking, more specifically Jamaican food, as I am a recent immigrant to Canada. To stay true to my roots, I continue to listen to Caribbean music. Afro-beats, rap, and hip-hop are also at the top of my music preference. However, my music taste is quite broad, ranging from pop and K-pop to theme songs from anime. One interesting initiative I have worked on is with the TMU Urban Farm as a field assistant. Now I am the junior student advisor for the Harvest Collective and Learning Circle, a Black Food Sovereignty initiative at the Urban Farm that aims to reshape food systems in advocating for Black food justice.

Chelsea

Hi I am Chelsea (She/ Her),

I am the coordinator of the Anti- Black Racism and Systemic Discrimination Collective of Peel. My passion is to provide children, youth, and vulnerable communities the tools and resources they need to achieve greatness. I have an educational background in Child and Youth Studies from Brock University, where I gained a deeper understanding of theoretical and practical approaches to understanding children and youth, including topics of diversity, exceptionalities, cultures, inequalities, and much more.

My educational background opened up paths to my professional/ career roles. Within my previous professional roles, I have experience working alongside organizations to provide information on community resources within the Peel Region such as funding, counselling, child care, etc. I also volunteer with organizations to provide peer support to youth. Some of my interests include music, trying out new restaurants, traveling, and I am also a big movie lover.

If you are a young Black woman, between the ages of 18 and 30, and would like to be involved with this awesome project, please feel free to send us an email at Taylor@sesheme.ca or Dm us at the links below!

Taylor@sesheme.ca

Thank you to Dolphin Bingo for Funding this project.