CanAfro Research Institute Presents to Youth at Laurier
On February 19, Wilfrid Laurier University welcomed more than 200 African, Caribbean and Black‑identifying students from the Waterloo Region District School Board for the third annual Black Brilliance Elementary Conference. CanAfro Research Institute presented a workshop titled “Your Voice, Your Words, Your Instrument,” where team members engaged youth in a conversation about how communication, through words, visuals, sound, and gesture, shapes identity and opens doors. Drawing on examples of Black creators who built careers from streaming and short‑form video, the session encouraged students to see their own voices as powerful instruments for storytelling, creativity, and future leadership. Organized by the WRDSB and Laurier’s Tshepo Institute for the Study of Contemporary Africa (TISCA), the conference introduces Black elementary students in Grades 5 to 8 to a university environment and helps them envision themselves in higher education. CanAfro Institute’s participation reflects its commitment to affirming that young people’s voices matter in shaping their communities and their futures.
