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

Abstract #115912

Emily L. Moore, Ed D¹, J. Herman Blake, PhD², Deborah W. Kilgore, PhD¹, Edith C. Miller, MEd³, Elena Y. Polush, MS⁴, Mack C. Shelley, PhD⁵, Mary M. Smith⁶, and Spavarie B. Taylor⁷. (1) Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Iowa State University, N243 Lagomarcino Hall, Ames, IA 50011, 515-294-6216, emmoore@iastate.edu, (2) African American Studies, Iowa State University, 345 Catt Hall, Ames, IA 50011, (3) Choices Women's Center, 821 Kenyon Street, Charleston, SC 29407, (4) College of Agriculture Administration, Iowa State University, 133 Curtis, Ames, IA 50011, (5) Research Institute for Studies in Education, Iowa State University, E005A Lagomarcino, Ames, IA 50011, (6) Pastor, Greater Calvary African Methodist Episcopal Church, Hope Plantation Road, Jacksonboro, SC 29452, (7) Pastor, St. Mary African Methodist Episcopal Church, 735 Bear Swamp Road, Red Top, Johns Island, SC 29455

The HIV/AIDS crisis continues to imperil the African American community. It has begun to impact some of its most vulnerable members, women and youth, and therefore threatens the African American future. In responding to this challenge the African American church through its ministers as well as community leaders can play a key role in developing preventive strategies that are culturally sensitive and community-based. These strategies can be even more effective when they are based on the research and work of University scholars that can provide the knowledge needed to conceptualize community-based programs. In addition the University can provide the skills and expertise to study, evaluate and disseminate positive outcomes. However the creation of partnerships between religious and community leaders in grassroots and rural African American communities and scholars from research universities is fraught with the perils of trust, and miscommunication. Therefore when a university can build a strong partnership with an isolated rural community of African Americans the consequences can be creative as well as consequential. A community/university research team will present a case study on the development of a partnership in which both share equally in developing the preventive programs as well as the research and evaluation strategies. The synergy of this collaboration has been creative.

Learning Objectives: Participants will

• develop a sensitivity to and an understanding of the need to build trust, respect and confidence in wary African American community;
• develop creative preventive programs that emerge from effective community/university partnership

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.