Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #110582

Daphne Gaulden, MPH, Department of Health Promotion Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 801 N.E. 13th Street, Room 369, Oklahoma City, OK 73190, 271-2017 ext. 46745, daphne-gaulden@ouhsc.edu

Coalition building has become an increasingly popular strategy in health promotion for community organizing, community capacity building and mobilizing groups for social change. To date, the research on coalition building is limited and is largely descriptive and exploratory in nature. African American communities are often socially and economically disenfranchised thus making them even more disengaged from social advocacy and public policy processes. Traditionally, African Americans have relied on an extended network of family, friends and other informal supports. Coalition development offers a more organized approach for enhancing resources, skills and abilities, and the capacity of African American communities. This research utilized case study methodology to examine coalition development in African American communities and found evidence that supports reasons why these coalitions either succeeded or failed.The coalitions examined in this study addressed a variety of health concerns. A model for successful coalition development and implementation in African American communities is presented. The model is a useful framework for helping communities address health and social justice issues via coalition building in a new civil rights era.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss coalition building activities in African American communities
• Recognize the characteristics of successful/unsuccessful coalition building activities in African American communities

Keywords: Coalition, African American

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.