Technical Assistance Bulletin
Urban Youth Public Education for the African American Community
The Urban Youth Public Education campaign's
processes and strategies provide an important model for the
prevention community. This technical assistance bulletin
synthesizes the lessons learned so that other African
American communities can replicate the campaign for their
youth. It also shows how effective it can be to target a
program to a specific racial population.
June 1997
Research increasingly indicates that the unique experiences of
communities of color -- African American, Asian American,
Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Pacific Islander -- require
programmatic responses based on the cultural norms, beliefs, and
needs of each community. The emphasis on programming targeted for
each community grows out of this newly gained respect and
appreciation for the diversity evident in America's population.
The Urban Youth Public Education campaign was a Center for
Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) initiative that embodied the
concept of targeted programming not only in terms of cultural
sensitivity but also of community participation. The campaign,
which began in 1990, targeted inner-city African American
children, youth, and families. The initial 14 campaign sites
included Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston,
Los Angeles, Memphis, New York, Philadelphia, Raleigh/Durham, and
Washington, DC. Additional campaign sites have included Boston,
Nashville, Newark, and Seattle.
Researching African American Youth
Effective targeted programming requires in-depth research into
the realities and concerns of the population. The Urban Youth
Public Education campaign's market research -- exploratory
discussions, focus groups, literature review -- has provided a wealth
of information about the attitudes and beliefs of young, urban
African Americans and their communities. Among the findings:
- Among urban African Americans under the age of 16,
substance use is increasing but remains relatively low
compared to whites, contrary to commonly held beliefs.
- A picture of resiliency and strength, and a vote of
confidence for African American youth emerges that
counteracts the stereotypical images of hopelessness and
despair often associated with the African American
community.
- Community members view unfair stigmatization in the media
as the primary cause of pervasive negative impressions.
- African American youth are highly influenced by African
American adults. These adults -- mothers, fathers, uncles,
grandmothers -- provide the role models who have the most
impact on the formation of attitudes, beliefs, and
behaviors of community youth. But these adults may also
expose children and youth to drugs and alcohol and/or
victimize them through violence or neglect.
The positive messages inherent in these findings -- that in the
face of overwhelming odds many African American youth manage to
evade the lure of drugs, that the role of African American adults
is influential and positive -- rebuke the media stereotypes. They
also effectively clarify campaign goals and provide direction for
prevention themes and messages.
Replicating the Campaign in Other Communities
Preparation, flexibility, and innovation are important
elements in establishing an Urban Youth Public Education campaign
(see box). Also important are creating community
ownership, establishing campaign themes and messages, and using
multiple channels and formats.
Create Community Ownership
Five key tasks set the stage for community
ownership of an Urban Youth Public Education campaign:
- Holding gatekeeper meetings. Meet with
community gatekeepers, including State officials, local
CSAP grantees, city officials, and community leaders. In
addition to formally recognized community leaders,
include those nonofficial leaders who often exist in the
African American community -- men and women held in high
esteem, often as result of their work as block captains,
church deacons, or volunteers working with neighborhood
youth. These meetings provide information about the
campaign to gatekeepers and answer their questions. The
meetings also provide opportunities to obtain information
on key contacts and to collect resource materials. They
help position the campaign as a major initiative and
demonstrate a commitment to community involvement and
control. The meetings also help identify and address
community concerns and frustrations.
- Forming community coalitions. A central
feature of any plan for local ownership of a campaign is
forming a community coalition to serve as an advisory
group. Coalitions generally have between 20 and 40
members and represent a broad range of citywide and
neighborhood organizations and services.
- Identifying a lead agency. A lead
agency, which takes the responsibility for day- to-day
campaign operations and for supervising onsite staff, is
typically selected from the ranks of the local coalition.
This lead agency should be African American controlled
(in terms of founding mission, staff, and/or clients
served). For a successful campaign, a lead agency should
also (1) have citywide jurisdiction, (2) have
demonstrated fiscal accountability, (3) have a solid
community reputation, (4) have been operating in the
community for at least 5 years, (5) be legally
established (incorporated), and (6) have broad-based
support.
- Recruiting a local coordinator. The lead
agency will recruit a local coordinator to oversee
day-to-day activities. In most cases, the local
coordinator is the only paid staff for a campaign, with
staff representatives of the lead agency and the local
coalition serving as volunteers. Local coordinator
responsibilities include coordinating local materials
development, assisting national staff with pretesting
national campaign products, conducting ongoing public
relations activities, maintaining local campaign records
and other documentation, and planning local kickoff
activities and other special events.
- Forming a youth advisory panel. The
advice and consent of youth are an important
demonstration of a campaign's commitment to African
American youth. A community youth advisory panel,
typically composed of 8 to 10 youth, ages 9 to 17,
advises the local coalition on how to develop strategies
and activities that appeal to youth and reach the
greatest number of local youth. Remember that parental
consent for participation is required.
For a successful campaign, select males and females in equal
numbers and representative of a broad range of personalities and
backgrounds. Base the selections on recommendations from
coalition members, but look beyond the typical "good
student" and include all types of young people. Consider
leadership potential as well as grade point average. For example,
an advisory panel could include students from vocational and
alternative school settings as well as average students with
strong histories of community service volunteer work.
Helpful Hints for Replicating the Campaign in the
Community
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Preparation, flexibility, and innovation are key:
- Prepare the community to undertake a prevention campaign.
Take advantage of available training and networking
opportunities and utilize available resources.
- Be flexible. Plans may change, coalitions may fracture,
deadlines may be missed. Flexibility helps to ensure that
opportunities are maximized.
- Be innovative. Emphasize the strategies that best suit
the needs of the African American children, youth, and
families in the community. Do not force fit "tried
and true" solutions. Respect each community's
uniqueness.
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In addition:
- Make no assumptions about the target audience. Conduct
market research to test and validate messages and
methodologies.
- Build in sufficient time to conduct market research and
gather community support.
- Involve the target audience in the development of
campaign themes and messages.
- Make sure the local coordinator and staff are located
right in the targeted community -- not downtown or in some
other remote location.
- Address critics; answer questions; respond to feedback.
- Develop evaluation strategies to gauge the impact of the
campaign efforts.
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Establish Campaign Themes and Messages
To magnify the positive messages from the market research
findings, the campaign's messages should stress that it is
important for adults to serve as role models and that adult
behavior sets an example for youth. Campaign messages should also
strive to help youth reach maturity with a sense of competence,
respect for others, and hope for the future. The African proverb
"It takes a whole village to raise a child" epitomizes
this concept. By Our Own Hands, the Urban Youth Public Education
campaign's slogan, and the circle of hands joined together that
is the campaign's logo, further emphasize this sense of the
community working together, hand in hand, to solve problems in a
spirit of cooperation and collaboration.
Campaign messages thus should refute negative images of
African American youth, support these youth by celebrating the
positive aspects of their lives and communities, publicize their
lower usage rates, and address other ways the youth are affected
by drugs. All campaign messages can make the following clear:
- African American youth are valued by their communities.
- African American youth have demonstrated impressive
resiliency in the face of adversity.
- African American youth are engaged in a wide variety of
positive activities.
- African American youth need the support and attention of
adults to remain drug free.
Each community must fine tune these themes and messages to
meet its specific needs, especially as they appear in campaign
materials. In one community's campaign draft poster, for example,
the teenagers appeared to be dancing. Both youth and adults in
the community viewed this as stereotypical. The final version
depicted youth in many activities, including working on the
computer, playing instruments, reading, and talking together, and
emphasized "We have better things to do than drugs."
Teachers, clergy, children, parents, and other community members
applauded the campaign for successfully articulating a positive
message about African American youth.
Use Multiple Channels and Formats
Encourage innovation and promote the Urban Youth Public
Education campaign through a variety of traditional and
nontraditional communication channels. Include, for example,
television and radio public service announcements, billboards,
and bus and subway posters as well as bumper stickers, T-shirts,
baseball caps, church fans, book marks, coffee mugs, and note
cards. Enlist local sponsors, develop local and educational
materials, and sponsor special events.
- Enlisting local sponsors. Businesses and
corporations are an important component of the local
community. Among incentives for their support of a
campaign are goodwill, opportunities for name recognition
and product promotion, and exposure to other business
people in the community. Examples of local support
include a savings and loan association in Los Angeles
that provided meeting space, giveaways, and cash
contributions; a local utility company that funded a
campaign reception in Atlanta; and a local museum that
provided staff support, art supplies, and exhibit space
in Detroit.
- Developing local materials. For example, in
Baltimore the local campaign collaborated with the State
attorneys office and the school system to develop an
anti-drug-use poetry book that featured poems by
inner-city school children. For another example, in
Houston the local campaign received funding to develop a
locally produced television public service announcement
written and performed by youth. And in Los Angeles, the
local campaign developed a traveling exhibit highlighting
the artistic talents and accomplishments of African
American youth that has been installed at local art
galleries and in public libraries.
- Developing educational materials. Highlight
findings from market research in educational materials
that are targeted to adults and intermediaries and that
suggest ways they can help African American youth
continue to resist drug use or involvement. These
materials might include fact sheets, an activity planner,
and a 10-step guide for parents. Consider developing
additional educational materials for members of the media
to suggest how drug abuse problems within the African
American community can be covered with fairness and
sensitivity.
- Sponsoring special events. To kick off the
campaign, hold an essay, rap, poster, or poetry contest.
Or hold a communitywide rally and a workshop on drug
prevention issues. Feature music and drama performances
by local African American youth. Ask city leadership to
honor the kickoff day with an official proclamation or
with other support.
- Sponsor ongoing activities in the community,
such as sports, games, health fairs, and other community
events. These activities help keep the community focused
on the goals and progress of the campaign.
Resources
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention Technical Assistance
Bulletins. The following titles in the series are especially
relevant and are available from the National Clearinghouse for
Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI).
Identifying the Target Audience, 1997.
A Key Step In Developing Prevention Materials Is To Obtain
Expert and Gatekeeper Reviews, 1994.
Pretesting Is Essential; You Can Choose From Various
Methods, 1994.
You Can Avoid Common Errors As You Develop Prevention
Materials, 1994.
You Can Use Communications Principles To Create Culturally
Sensitive and Effective Materials, 1994.
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Cultural Competence
Series. The Challenge of Participatory Research: Preventing
Alcohol-Related Problems in Ethnic Communities, 1995.
Available from NCADI.
National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information, Box
2345, Rockville, MD 20852, (301) 468-2600 or (800) 779-6686.
Internet World Wide Web address: http://www.health. org. Provides
information on substance abuse research literature, programs, and
educational materials.
Office of Cancer Communications, National Cancer Institute. Making
Health Communication Programs Work: A Planners Guide. 1989.
Provides information on all aspects of health communications
including readability and pretesting. To order, call
1-800-4-CANCER.
Developed and Produced by the CSAP Communications Team.
Patricia A. Wright, Ed.D., Managing Editor.
Distributed by the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information, P.O. Box 2345, Rockville, MD 20852.
This bulletin is one in a series developed to assist programs that are working to prevent alcohol, tobacco, and other drug problems. We welcome your suggestions regarding information that may be included in future bulletins. For help in learning about your audience, developing messages and materials, and evaluating communications programs, contact the CSAP Communications Team, 7200 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 500, Bethesda, MD 20814-4820, (301) 941-8500.
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