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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Betsy E. Havens, MPH¹, Michael Yonas, DrPH¹, Mondi Mason, DrPH², Eugenia Eng, MPH, DrPH³, and Vanessa Jeffries, MPH⁴. (1) Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina School of Public Health, Rosenau Hall Campus Box 7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, 919-923-7506, bhavens@email.unc.edu, (2) Association for Study and Development of Community, 2860 Adams Street, Denver, CO 80205, (3) Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina, School of Public Health CB #7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, (4) Chatham County Public Health Department, Post Office Box 130, 80 East Street, Pittsboro, NC 27312

Anti-racism initiatives and community-academic partnerships are increasingly popular methods aimed at organizing and holding institutions accountable to eliminate healthcare disparities. Generally, institutional anti-racism initiatives emphasize the examination of the dynamics of race and power. In 2005, a Southern county public health department partnered with an academic institution to evaluate a Dismantling Racism (DR) process focused on eliminating racism and health disparities within the health department and the county. Specifically, a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach was utilized to further understand the dynamics that contribute to staff participation in the DR process. The DR process employs a mandatory two-day workshop, optional follow-up caucus meetings (including a White caucus and People of Color caucus), and optional participation on an oversight committee for the comprehensive DR process. Themes emerging from the sample of 28 staff and Board of Health interviews include: 1) variation in perceived control over racism, 2) variation in perceived power in decision-making and sociopolitical functioning within the health department and DR process, and 3) the oppressive nature of the organizational structure. Responses concerning the DR process and understanding of power correlate to variables including race, job position within the agency, and life experiences. The purpose of this presentation is to highlight the processes of the evaluation using a CBPR approach and report the key findings related to how power impacts perception of and participation in the Dismantling Racism process.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the process of developing and implementing a qualitative evaluation for a workplace anti-racism initiative using a community-based participatory research approach
• Explore key findings related to power and psychological empowerment in relation to participation and perceptions of the Dismantling Racism Process
• Discuss implications for workplace anti-racism initiatives and empowerment theory.

Keywords: Health Disparities, Participatory Action Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered