Black Mothers Knowledge-to-Power Lab (BM-KPL)
Goal: To position Black mothers as knowledge producers and system change leaders by transforming lived experiences of institutional harm into research, data, and policy influence.
Black Mothers Knowledge-to-Power Lab (BM-KPL)
Goal: To position Black mothers as possessors of knowledge, knowledge producers and system change leaders by transforming lived experiences of institutional harm into research, data, and policy influence.
The Black Mothers Knowledge-to-Power Lab transforms lived experience into research, data, and policy influence. By training Black mothers as community research fellows and supporting them in documenting institutional harm, generating evidence, and shaping public conversations, the lab builds community-owned knowledge that can drive lasting systems change.
Inputs
- Program staff (Program Lead, Research Coordinator, Storytelling Facilitator)
- Honoraria for Black Mother Fellows
- Research training curriculum (CBPR, ethics, data collection)
- Digital tools (recording equipment, secure data storage)
- Partnerships (academic institutions, legal clinics, advocacy orgs)
- Administrative and evaluation support
- Funding (e.g., Ontario Trillium Foundation, SSHRC)
Activities
- Recruit and train Black Mother Community Research Fellows
- Deliver workshops on:
- Community-based participatory research (CBPR)
- Ethics and data sovereignty
- Storytelling and narrative control
- Facilitate community-led research projects
- Collect and document lived experiences (interviews, audio, written)
- Develop and maintain an Institutional Accountability Tracker
- Translate findings into:
- Policy briefs
- Reports
- Advocacy tools
- Publish an Annual Black Mothers Systems Report
- Host knowledge-sharing events (community + institutional audiences)
Outputs
- 10–15 trained Black Mother Research Fellows annually
- Complete 5–8 community-led research projects
- 50+ documented lived-experience narratives (secure archive)
- 1 Institutional Accountability Tracker (active database)
- 3–5 policy briefs annually
- 1 Annual Systems Report
- 2–3 knowledge mobilization events
Short-Term Outcomes (0–12 months)
- Increased research and advocacy skills among Black mothers
- Increased confidence in sharing and owning lived experiences
- Strengthened community leadership capacity
- Initial documentation of patterns of institutional harm
Intermediate Outcomes (1–3 years)
- Increased use of community-generated data in advocacy and complaints (e.g., HRTO)
- Greater institutional awareness of systemic patterns (not isolated cases)
- Strengthened partnerships with policy and research institutions
- Charis-Chara.ca recognized as a credible knowledge producer
Long-Term Outcomes (3–5+ years)
- Measurable institutional policy and practice changes
- Improved accountability mechanisms across sectors (healthcare, education, social services)
- Increased equity in outcomes for Black mothers
- Sustainable, community-owned data infrastructure
Input (Resources)
- Program staff (Program Lead, Research Coordinator, Storytelling Facilitator)
- Honoraria for Black Mother Fellows
- Research training curriculum (CBPR, ethics, data collection)
- Digital tools (recording equipment, secure data storage)
- Partnerships (academic institutions, legal clinics, advocacy orgs)
- Administrative and evaluation support
- Funding (e.g., Ontario Trillium Foundation, SSHRC)
Activities
- Recruit and train Black Mother Community Research Fellows
- Deliver workshops on:
- Community-based participatory research (CBPR)
- Ethics and data sovereignty
- Storytelling and narrative control
- Facilitate community-led research projects
- Collect and document lived experiences (interviews, audio, written)
- Develop and maintain an Institutional Accountability Tracker
- Translate findings into:
- Policy briefs
- Reports
- Advocacy tools
- Publish an Annual Black Mothers Systems Report
- Host knowledge-sharing events (community + institutional audiences)
Outputs (Direct Products)
- 10–15 trained Black Mother Research Fellows annually
- Complete 5–8 community-led research projects
- 50+ documented lived-experience narratives (secure archive)
- 1 Institutional Accountability Tracker (active database)
- 3–5 policy briefs annually
- 1 Annual Systems Report
- 2–3 knowledge mobilization events
Short-Term Outcomes (0–12 months)
- Increased research and advocacy skills among Black mothers
- Increased confidence in sharing and owning lived experiences
- Strengthened community leadership capacity
- Initial documentation of patterns of institutional harm
Intermediate Outcomes (1–3 years)
- Increased use of community-generated data in advocacy and complaints (e.g., HRTO)
- Greater institutional awareness of systemic patterns (not isolated cases)
- Strengthened partnerships with policy and research institutions
- Charis-Chara.ca recognized as a credible knowledge producer
Long-Term Outcomes (3–5+ years)
- Measurable institutional policy and practice changes
- Improved accountability mechanisms across sectors (healthcare, education, social services)
- Increased equity in outcomes for Black mothers
- Sustainable, community-owned data infrastructure
Our Impact