The African American communities of Princeville and Tarboro, Edgecombe County, NC : an action-oriented community diagnosis : findings and next steps of action
Creators: name: Hason, Arin Ahlum
name: Keating, Katie M.
name: Morris, Anne M.
name: Li, Jiang
name: Morris, Ellie M.
name: Wieland, Jennifer M.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2007

description: INTRODUCTION The following is a detailed report of an Action-Oriented Community Diagnosis (AOCD) of the African American communities of Princeville and Tarboro, North Carolina. The community assessment was conducted by a team of six graduate students in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The assessment took place between October 2006 and April 2007, and two community members guided the team. WHY DID YOU DO THIS? The purpose of an AOCD is to identify a community’s strengths, resources, and challenges, and to develop creative ways to approach the challenges. Over the course of the team’s seven months in Princeville and Tarboro, team members researched existing information about the communities, interviewed 42 community members and service providers, and volunteered at numerous events. The team worked to learn about the communities and to understand what life is like for African Americans in Princeville and Tarboro. HOW DID THE TEAM DETERMINE TOPICS? The team analyzed the information collected and identified five primary strengths and six challenges for the communities. This information, along with an explanation of the AOCD process, was presented to the communities at a community forum—Communities United for Collective Action—on April 19, 2007. More than 135 community members and service providers from both Princeville and Tarboro attended the forum and took part in small group discussions about six challenges presented by the team. Participants in the discussions identified causes of the challenges and developed action steps to help the communities address these challenges. WHAT WAS DISCUSSED AT THE FORUM? The challenges discussed at the forum are on the following pages, along with a sample of the action steps developed for each. LACK OF JOB OPTIONS People are concerned that with loss of industry, few well-paying jobs, and a lack of job skills training in Princeville and Tarboro, job opportunities for African Americans are limited. This leads to young adults not staying in the communities, not being attracted to move here, and pursuing illegal activities to supplement their income. Meet with local government leaders to discuss an African American small business incubator and apply for funding. Conduct an online search for funding for an African American small business incubator. Speak with local banks about low-interest loans for small businesses. YOUTH VIOLENCE Although the communities are currently working to prevent youth violence, people are concerned about violence increasing among African American youth and how it is affecting youth, their families, and their communities. Reduce the stigma of speaking to mental health professionals and raise awareness about the availability and accessibility of mental health services. Create an opportunity for youth in the communities to come together, tell their stories, and be heard. Perform one-on-one outreach to youth that would include being available during the days, evenings, and on weekends. ATTITUDES TOWARD EDUCATION While people feel that education is important for giving African American youth hope and expanding their future opportunities, there is a need for a collective effort to promote the value of education in the communities and to encourage youth to take advantage of their education. Offer instruction for educators in ways to identify the true potential of students and to help them achieve their potential. Provide empowerment courses for parents, teaching them to promote positive attitudes to their children and change existing negative attitudes. Recruit African Americans to be teachers in Princeville and Tarboro. QUALITY OF EDUCATION While people identified education as an important way to improve the quality of life in their communities, they feel that the schools are not meeting all the needs of African American youth in Princeville and Tarboro. Encourage community participation in the Edgecombe County Public Schools’ quarterly parent meeting. Increase community mentoring programs through sponsorship by churches and other community locations for Parent-Teacher Organization meetings or other school events. Develop a greater range of opportunities for community education. TEENAGE PREGNANCY Although programs currently work with teens to address teenage pregnancy, people continue to be concerned about its effects on the African American families and communities of Princeville and Tarboro. Contact the Board of Education to request a time slot on the next meeting agenda to discuss the possibility of getting comprehensive sex education and teenage pregnancy prevention taught in the schools. Write letters to the city council and county commissioners encouraging prioritization of teenage pregnancy prevention. Raise awareness of existing teenage pregnancy prevention programs. CHRONIC DISEASE People recognize the burden that diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and other chronic conditions place on the African American families and communities of Princeville and Tarboro. Both lifestyle habits and limited access to affordable healthcare and prescription drugs contribute to the problem. Contact the town managers of Princeville and Tarboro about the possibility of including health messages in utility bills. Coordinate the writing of health messages. Ask local doctors to write physician messages for inclusion in the mailings. CONCLUSION Following the forum, the team prepared this report and drafted recommendations for the communities based on the team’s experiences throughout the assessment process as well as outcomes from the forum. This document details the AOCD process and the full results of the assessment and is meant to serve as a resource for community members and service providers in Princeville and Tarboro. The document is divided into six sections: Introduction, Defining the Community, Findings, Community Forum, Methodology, and Conclusions and Recommendations. The team hopes the report will be useful in continuing the work that has already begun in Princeville and Tarboro.