Community Leadership & Advocacy Director Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Black babies are dying at nearly three times the rate of white babies. The infant death rate for white babies was 4.9 deaths per 1000 live births, compared to 13.5 deaths for black babies. Despite gains in infant mortality over the past few decades, the racial disparities are persistent. Racial & health equity in birth outcomes is a key focus of The Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition. Theory. Disadvantaged, disenfranchised, underrepresented and overlooked community members that most need grassroots leadership generally lack access to appropriate programs to develop their leadership skills or encourage their growth and success. Most leadership programs are aimed at established community members make a contribution to mainstream institutions—academics, business leaders, public officials, nonprofit executives. Ultimate outcome of stronger and healthier communities would be achieved through leadership development at both the individual and organizational levels.
The Academy uses evidence-based practice from The Kellogg Foundation “Grassroots Leadership Development” A Guide for Grassroots Leaders, Support Organizations, and Funders. The five key findings below 1) Grassroots leaders have different motivations and needs than those of traditional leaders. 2) Investing in grassroots leadership development leads to increased community well-being encourages long-term problem solving. 3) In developing grassroots leaders, the best results are achieved using a triple focus on individual leaders, involved organization, and community or issue of concern. 4) Grassroots leadership works best when the decision to invest in developing grassroots leaders is a deliberate strategy 5) Grassroots leaders encourage funders and support organizations to take actions that support the efforts of grassroots leadership.
In 2011, the overall infant death rate was 7.3 deaths per 1,000 live births. The same year the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition created the Make a Difference! Leadership Academy. The coalition moved from awareness to advocacy at the individual and community level. The Academy’s goal is to train grassroots leaders that are born out of home visitation, other support programs, and community members. Leadership members have opportunity to explore communities and to discover disparities through analysis tool. Learn from open dialog from curriculum, current events, and data review of health disparities by zip codes. Leadership graduates as a group implement a community project, have opportunity to become members of the NEFHSC Board/other community boards, speak to legislators etc The Leadership Academy is a key component of the life-course framework. The Grassroots Leadership curriculum designed to develop the skills and leadership of community people so they can mobilize and take action for the community common good. The Academy is a 16-week training that includes classroom education, guest speakers, and field trips. Academy topics social & health equity, emotional intelligence, leadership/leadership styles, ethical leadership, community values, diversity, team building, conflict resolution/problem solving, public speaking/effective meetings, government structure, and action planning. These grassroots leaders address community issues that contribute to racial/health disparities and poor birth outcomes. They are the voice for the social inequities they experience in the community in which they live. Members are educated on the social determinants of health, the life course, and data that shows the disparities in various zip code areas. These members go back into their communities, to their families’ and friends with answers to invoke positive change. The academy collaborates with the Magnolia Project a federal Healthy Start Program that addresses preconception and interconception health for women of childbearing years. Program has a clinic, women health, fatherhood program, and Community Action Network (CAN). After completion of the leadership academy, members have the opportunity to continue working on community issues with CAN. The Community Action Network works with partners and community residents to implement a common agenda, shared measurement approach, and coordinated system of service delivery.
