Priority 1
Eva’s has recently reclaimed its legacy of being founded by Eva Smith, community leader, anti-racist Black woman, educator, advocate for youth in Toronto, and mentor to many. There is great excitement in the community that Eva’s will find its way back and be the bold version of its founder’s vision that responds to the clear need for a Black youth focused organization. Our goal is to develop and deliver culturally responsive programs that cultivate and nurture youth agency at every intersection of Blackness.
Eva Smith’s family remains committed to the organization, and the generations that supported Eva Smith in her work and those who were mentored by her all feel that it is time for Eva’s Initiatives to come home. But what home is, needs elaboration. The Black communities that Eva’s will be based in to achieve its dream of becoming Black-focused, are diverse, with varying needs, circumstances, and beliefs – if united in the negative experiences and impact of Anti-Black racism. To embrace its future version of itself, Eva’s will need to elaborate this strategic direction in a manner that builds the meaning of Black-focused that is Eva’s-specific.
This foundational strategic direction will infuse all the other directions, shaping their content, process, and outcomes.
Ensuring a well-structured and resourced implementation plan, accountability mechanisms, Eva’s will decide on our model of Black-focused, with definitions, rationale, and actions, through:
This objective entails scoping the meaning of this Priority for governance, policies and procedures, as well as programs and services, and will be elaborated through all the priorities of this plan.
With humility, clarity — and unapologetically — we will:
To ensure the period of growth is clear and respectful we will: