What to know
- Black youth unemployment hit 22.6 per cent in July 2026, the highest among Canada’s three largest racialized groups.
- Black Canadians continue to face higher rates of poverty, with 16.4 per cent living in poverty in 2024 compared with 8.9 per cent of non-racialized Canadians.
- Black communities are disproportionately affected by violence and hate, accounting for 13 per cent of homicide victims in 2022 and about 37 per cent of race- or ethnicity-motivated hate crimes in 2024.
- The National Black Canadians Summit runs Sept. 18–20 in Winnipeg, bringing together Black communities, youth, leaders and allies to discuss these challenges and work toward solutions.
From employment and poverty to health and safety, recent data highlights the several disparities affecting Black communities across Canada. But this week, the National Black Canadians Summit is bringing leaders and young people together to talk about what comes next.
Across a number of sectors, studies continue to point to issues that disproportionately affect Black communities across the country — and young Black Canadians are among those navigating some of the most significant challenges.
The fifth National Black Canadians Summit, taking place in Winnipeg from Sept. 18 to 20, is bringing together Black communities, youth, leaders and allies to discuss those challenges and explore what can be done about them.
Held under the theme “Moving Forward Together,” the three-day gathering is expected to bring together between 1,000 and 1,500 people for conversations focused on community, policy, culture and action.
Here are some of the numbers helping to shape those conversations.
Black youth continue to face a difficult job market
While Canada’s overall youth unemployment rate has declined in recent months, Black youth continue to experience significantly higher unemployment.
In July 2026, the unemployment rate among Black youth was 22.6 per cent, the highest among Canada’s three largest racialized groups, according to Statistics Canada.
Statistics Canada’s analysis of labour market outcomes found that in August 2025, the employment rate for Black Canadians aged 25 to 54 was 77.2 per cent, compared with 82.8 per cent for the overall population in the same age group.
Black Canadians make up about 5.4 per cent of Canada’s labour force, but Statistics Canada has found that they have consistently experienced lower employment and higher unemployment than both the total racialized population and the population overall.
Those gaps can have consequences beyond employment itself, particularly when it comes to income and financial security.
Poverty remains a major concern
Black Canadians also continue to experience higher rates of poverty.
According to Statistics Canada’s 2024 Canadian Income Survey, 16.4 per cent of Black Canadians were living in poverty in 2024, compared with 8.9 per cent of non-racialized Canadians.
That means the poverty rate for Black Canadians was nearly twice as high as the rate for non-racialized people.
For younger Canadians entering the workforce, those economic disparities can shape access to housing, education, employment opportunities and other resources.
It’s one reason economic opportunity and systemic barriers remain important parts of conversations about equity and inclusion.
Black Canadians are disproportionately affected by hate and violence
The gaps also extend to questions of safety and justice.
Black Canadians are disproportionately represented among victims of homicide. According to the Department of Justice Canada, Black people accounted for 13 per cent of homicide victims in 2022, despite making up about four per cent of Canada’s population.
Hate crimes are another area where Black communities continue to be disproportionately targeted.
Statistics Canada reported that police-reported hate crimes targeting race or ethnicity increased eight per cent in 2024, reaching 2,377 incidents. Of those, 873 targeted Black populations, representing roughly 37 per cent of race or ethnicity-motivated hate crimes that year.
The figures point to a reality that extends beyond discussions about representation: for many Black Canadians, questions around safety, discrimination and belonging remain immediate concerns.
Health disparities are another piece of the picture
Health is also a crucial part of the conversation.
A 2026 Statistics Canada study examining inequalities in access to primary care services and health insurance among Black adults in Canada highlights disparities in access to health care.
The federal government has also identified social determinants of health — including income, housing, employment and experiences of discrimination — as factors that can contribute to health inequities affecting Black Canadians.
Some health conditions are also more prevalent among Black Canadians. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, the prevalence of diabetes is 2.1 times higher among Black adults than among White adults.
Mental health is another area where advocates have pointed to barriers, including access to culturally responsive care, stigma and systemic factors.
These issues will be part of the discourse at the National Black Canadians Summit, where organizers say lived experience, research, culture and policy will come together.
The Summit wants to turn conversations into action
The National Black Canadians Summit grew out of work that began more than a decade ago with Black youth.
Through the Michaëlle Jean Foundation’s 4th Wall program, Making the Invisible Visible, Black youth were brought into cultural spaces including the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Art Gallery of Ontario in 2014 and 2015 to discuss racism, invisibility and social exclusion.
Those conversations helped identify a need for a larger, ongoing national platform where Black Canadians could come together to share experiences and develop collective solutions.
That idea eventually became the National Black Canadians Summit.
Today, the Summit describes itself as more than a conference. Its programming brings together community voices, research, policy and culture, with the goal of moving from discussion toward action.
This year’s theme, “Moving Forward Together,” is intended as both a theme and a call to action, encouraging Black, Indigenous and allied communities to build relationships and work toward a more equitable Canada.
Young people aren’t just being invited to listen
Youth are a particularly important part of that approach.
Black Canadians between the ages of 18 and 30 can attend the Summit for free, and young people will have opportunities to participate in programming, present projects and contribute to conversations about the future of their communities.
One of the centrepieces is Power of Youth Day, a full day of youth-led programming showcasing 25 community projects from across Canada.
The Summit will also feature discussions on Black mental health, the arts and culture sector, and Black-Indigenous relationships and solidarity.
An intergenerational dialogue will bring together the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Lisa Meeches, Dr. Tasha Spillett and Justin Holness to discuss how relationship-building and solidarity can contribute to tangible change.
Other programming includes an opening ceremony gala featuring performances by Jully Black, Ayosingz and Dr. Henry Band, as well as poetry by Chimwemwe Undi.
For Black millennials and Gen Z Canadians, this essential event offers an opportunity to connect the statistics with the lived experiences behind them — and to hear from people working to change those outcomes.
For tickets and more information, visit the National Black Canadians Summit website.
