Featured Initiative

Support families of Black homicide victims

The CRIB is improving the mental, physical, and spiritual health of Black communities disproportionately affected by homicide.

A young Black man and woman stand on a city balcony and hug each other tightly.
Photo by Daria Perevezentsev

In Canada, one-third of homicide victims are visible minorities, 44 per cent of whom are Black—even though Black people make up only 3.4 per cent of the Canadian population. And yet the impact on surviving family members and friends is under-researched, leaving us with little evidence to develop interventions that support survivors—and leaving Black communities at risk of further harm to their health and well-being. To close this gap, the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW) at the University of Toronto has launched The CRIB—the Centre for Research & Innovation for Black Survivors of Homicide Victims.

The University of Toronto is the ideal place to grow a multidisciplinary initiative like The CRIB. Powered by expertise spanning many different disciplines, as well as strong local community collaborations, The CRIB is lifting voices and adopting innovative, culturally responsive approaches. These approaches are creating opportunities for Black communities to not just survive, but thrive in the face of traumatic violence.

Tanya L. Sharpe, Factor-Inwentash Chair in Social Work in the Global Community

Drawing from experts across U of T, The CRIB—the first centre of its kind globally—is developing new and culturally responsive approaches to ensure that the surviving family members and loved ones of Black homicide victims receive the vital supports they need. The FIFSW at U of T is well-equipped to tackle this challenge; it is ranked second among schools of social work globally, and its researchers have a long history of working with governments and partnering with Black communities. Grounded in its commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and the recommendations of U of T’s Anti-Black Racism Task Force, the University is working to address anti-Black racism and create sustainable change through the support of initiatives intended to address systemic racism—which The CRIB exemplifies.

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Your generous support will help the loved ones of Black homicide victims get proper help and care—and it will solidify The CRIB as the global catalyst in advancing systemic change for Black communities impacted by homicide.

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To learn more about how you can support this important research and help advance systemic change, please contact the Director of Advancement at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.

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