African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) Communities
The African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) populations in Alberta are diverse. Each community has its own culture, languages, and points of view. Jamaican and Nigerian are among the most common cultural origins in the Prairie provinces' Black population. The main mother tongue for these communities is English, French, Somali, Amharic, and Tigrigna.
Why We Serve Them
ACB communities face significant stigma based on gender, race, and sexual orientation. Each of these experiences are barriers to HIV and STBBI prevention. People in the community face external stigma, as well as stigma from their peers. Religious beliefs and customs, homophobia, and silence surrounding sexuality create barriers. Fear in the community can also isolate people living with HIV. This judgement may discourage them from seeking much-needed support.
Did you know?
The fastest growing Black population in Canada is in Alberta, where it has more than quadrupled in size between 1996 and 2016.
Alberta holds 10% of Canada’s Black population.
63% of Black people in Alberta are first generation newcomers
Black people made up 37% of new diagnoses of HIV in Alberta.