Urban Black/African American
Black/African American communities disproportionally suffer adverse outcomes from heart disease, diabetes, and depression. Community led solutions are needed to address these health disparities. Thirteen Black/African American community members living in Aurora and Denver participated in 8 rapid Community Translation meetings and 4 Social Network Analysis meetings from November 2023 – January 2024.
The community developed two taglines, “Black Health is Black Wealth” and “Rooted in Self-Care: Thrive Together,” to convey the value of health and togetherness in the community. A toolkit filled with education and resources, including a deck of cards with medical guidance to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and depression and questions for self-advocacy, jumbo exercise dice, “know your numbers” wallet card with healthy ranges for blood pressure and A1c, to be disseminated at local events and organization that serve the Black community. Church fans and flyers were also created for increased distribution of key messages.
The social network analysis yielded over 200 organizations and entities that serve the Black/African American community. Here are the results of the social network analysis.
Community members’ messages and products reflected the need to provide straight-forward educational material for individuals and families to take small, daily steps towards healthier choices while also acknowledging the systemic barriers that impede health.
Personnel |
| Community Connector Quatisha "Q" Bailey |
| Facilitators Jameel Mallory Emma Gilchrist |
| Medical Expert Oswaldo "Ozzie" Grenardo, MD, MBA, MSHA |
| Graphic Designer Kim Sharp-Leyba |
CEAL Contacts |
| Donald Nease, MD University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus |
| Ricardo Gonzalez-Fisher, MD Servicios de La Raza |