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Black Youth Empowerment (BYE) Group

History of BYE

Project Respect, a division of the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre’s Prevention Program, and the Girls and Femmes with Afro-textured Hair (Victoria, BC), began a collaboration in September 2020. The goal was to introduce Black Youth in high school, in Victoria, to program content from Project Respect.

The Black Youth Empowerment (BYE) group consists of six high school students who in winter 2020 began reviewing program content on bystander intervention from the Project Respect program.  The focus of the group is to ensure that the information about bystander intervention is culturally relevant. The primary question they are answering is, “How does the content resonate with the group’s Black identities and experiences?”

Workshop development

Over the last few years, BYE has developed a bystander intervention workshop made by Black youth for Black youth, as well as a Safer/ Braver Spaces workshop for adults who work with youth. From the various topics, BYE selected Bystander Intervention as a presentation topic. Conversations include the definitions of a bystander and intervention, the types of bystanders and the various interventions. A recurring question for us is, “Thinking about our embodied selves and the idea of intersectionality, what factors might influence how people respond to us when we intervene in a situation, instead of being a bystander?” The flip side to that question is, “What issues might influence people’s reaction towards us when we are the victim of a situation?”

To learn more about Black Youth Empowerment, follow us on Instagram (@b.y.e.victoria)

click here for upcoming workshops

Check-out these articles on BYE:

Black students want more from their schools during Black History Month, and beyond – Capital Daily (2023)

Black youth of Victoria look to educate teachers using their classroom experiences of racism (victoriabuzz.com) (2023)

How-a-group-of-black-students-are-fighting-racism-in-greater-victoria-school-districts (2022)

Victoria Sexual Assault Support Services can be reached by voice mail at 250-383-3232, email at , or via the Vancouver Island Crisis Line at 1-888-494-3888.

The phone line is open during office hours (Monday - Friday), to get information about VSAC services or referral to our programs. Teletypewriter accessible.

Follow us on social media!

An inclusive pride flag with trans flag colours on the left side in a triangle shape leading into black and brown stripes, laid overtop a traditional rainbow flag with horizontal stripes.

For support, check out:

  • YouthSpace.ca Emotional & Crisis Support Text and Messaging
  • Vancouver Island Crisis Line/Chat/Text (24/Hours): 1-888-494-3888
  • KUU-US Indigenous 24/7 Phone Crisis Line: 250-723-2040

Project Respect is grateful to the lək̓ʷəŋən Peoples now known as the Songhees and Esquimalt, and the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, upon whose land this project takes place. We extend gratitude to the other local Peoples and Nations in this region including the MALAXEt (Malahat), Scia’new (Beecher Bay), T’Sou-ke (Sooke), Ditidaht, Pacheedah, Pauquachin, Tsartlip, Tseycum and Tsawout nations, as well as the Métis and Inuit that call this land home.

© 2023 Project Respect
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  • Welcome to Project Respect!
  • Updates
  • Book a workshop!
  • Donate to support our work!
  • What we offer
    • Contact us
    • Staff team
    • Feedback & awards
    • Project partners
  • Support after sexualized violence
    • How to support survivors of violence
  • Youth Council – Currently Looking for New Members
    • Social Action Camp
    • Blog posts by youth
    • Mural projects
    • Past projects
    • Black Youth Empowerment
  • What is consent?
    • Consent resources for parents & caregivers
    • What is sexualized violence?
    • Setting & respecting boundaries
    • The law and sexualized violence
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