History, Public Health and Hip Hop: Moving toward a healthier community

If health communication is to be effective in giving a voice to underrepresented populations in the promotion of healthy minds and bodies, it must use an array of communication techniques and technologies to positively influence the target audience. This presentation will demonstrate how making the prevention of obesity and related chronic diseases a top public health priority in an underserved urban environment requires effective communication, the creation of diverse community partnerships, and the conditions that educate, encourage, nurture, and promote wellness. Examples will include partnerships between traditional public health and community providers like the Department of Public Health, the local health department, and health equity initiatives, with an innovative community outreach and youth empowerment organization, in collaboration with the National Park Service, that teaches leadership skills, music, art and film production to engage and build healthy, complete individuals while highlighting their culture, history, and heritage.

While more traditional capacity building methods and collaboration must exist among city officials, community leaders, worksites, schools, health and local organizations, delivering today's healthy community messages must also include health communication approaches that utilize new media and social networking to reach youth audiences. A popular video created by the youth empowerment group (recently featured on First Lady Michelle Obama's “Let's Move” website) will be discussed. The convergence of sometimes unlikely partners can serve to enhance and expand opportunities to reach urban residents of all ages by addressing social determinants of health, social justice, and reflecting the cultural, racial, ethnic and economic diversity of the community.