the national negro health movement 1915 -1951. “where there is no vision the people perish.” -...
TRANSCRIPT
The National Negro Health Movement
1915 -1951
“Where there is no vision the people perish.”
- Booker T. Washington
Origins
45 percent of all deaths among Negroes were preventable
There are 450,000 Negroes seriously ill all the time; the annual cost of this illness is 75 million dollars
Sickness and death cause Negroes annually 100 million dollars
“Because of these facts I have thought it advisable to ask the Negro people of the whole country to join in a movement which shall be known as ‘Health Improvement Week’ beginning April 11 to April 17, inclusive, 1915.
By means of these organizations and agencies, all the colored people can be reached and influenced.
They can be taught what to do to aid in improving their health conditions.”
Origins continued Growing lay public health movement
Increasing membership of National Medical Association
Documentation of disparities in health status
Philosophical Orientation
“A given community is either a healthy community with adequate facilities for prevention and care, or it needs to face its lacks and work out plans for necessary social, economic and physical changes to meet these problems.”
Structure of National Negro Health Week
Sunday: Mobilization Day
Health sermons Health talks Churches Popular mass meetings Speakers Music
Monday: Home Health Day
Home cleanup
Parents meetings
Consider proper sex education
Tuesday: Community Sanitation Day
Water, food and milk supply
Waste disposal
Clean streets
Paving
Safe wells
Sanitary privies
Wednesday: Special Campaign Day
Survey of community needs
Concentration on practical objectives
Noon conference
Thursday: Adult Health Day
Emphasis on annual health examination
Opportunities for examination
Health talks to men’s and women’s organizations
Friday: School Health and Safety Day
Involve parents Health essays, songs, games, plays Health examinations School cleanup Health clubs Emphasize “health,first” education Emphasize “safety, first” living
Saturday: General Cleanup Day
Cooperative, large scale cleanup activities
Inspection of community campaign results
Completion of unfinished activities
Collect data and take pictures for reports and newspaper stories
Sunday: Reports and Follow-up Day
Close campaign with enthusiastic meeting
Talks
Music
Experiences
Selection of Channels and Audience Reach
Churches
Schools
Clinics and hospitals
Radio broadcasts
° Newspapers
± Mass meetings of local civic groups
Health Communication Materials
The Health Week Bulletin
The Health Week Poster
The Health Week School Leaflet
The Health Week Radio Broadcast
° The Health Week Sermon
Movement Objectives
Consultation with state health officers on public health problems
Contact with state and local Negro organizations to secure aid in furthering efforts for the protection and promotion of the health of the Negro
Movement Objectives Stimulation of employment of Negro
public health personnel by state and local health department and other agencies
Consistent efforts to elevate the standards of training for Negro and recruit persons to public health work
° Special efforts to emphasize health work in Negro schools
Movement Objectives
± Maintenance of a register of speakers qualified to give talks on public health subjects
Establishment in the central office of the NNH Movement of a list of qualified Negro health workers for those agencies seeking to employ such persons
The development of a depository of health information relating to the colored population
´ Analysis of the census data and vital statistics to determine the distribution of population and the nature and extent of health problems
Promotion of the Health Week as a period for emphasis on general health status of the Negro population and the program for health improvement.
Movement Objectives
Evaluation Objectives Cleanup activities Educational activities Practical - clinic visits, attendance,
community health events° Local prizes awarded± Other accomplishments Field service Media coverage (articles, photos, etc.)
What was significant about the National Negro Health
Movement?
It was a movement from within the group for its own betterment.
It helped to change the attitudes toward sickness, disease and death.
It helped to create an appreciation and demand for better living conditions.
It helped to change attitudes toward governmental organizations with respect to health and sanitary improvement.
City and state health departments and the Public Health Service utilized Black professionals to communicate regulations and programs of governmental agencies promoting general health improvement to the Black community.
It represented one of the most effective means for direct or indirect cooperation of whites and Blacks devised at that time.
The Black community became one of the most active American groups in the national, in fact, worldwide movement for health improvement.
When the National Negro Health Week was established in 1915, life expectancy for Blacks was about 35 years. For the period 1929 to 1931, life expectancy increased to 47 years for Black males and 49 years for Black females.
It addressed multiple levels of the socio-ecological model.
It recognized the importance of collaborative efforts across government, non-profit agencies, and community institutions.
It utilized community based and community development approaches to public health.
It demonstrated sensitivity to the culture, assets and needs of the communities served.
Model Health Communication Campaigns Demonstrate:
Supplementation of media activities with extensive collaboration of actual community activities
Measurement of clear objectives with process evaluation activities
Model Health Communication Campaigns Demonstrate:
Attention to multiple channels
Culturally sensitive matching of channels and materials to target audience needs
Community Based and Community Development Programming
Community Development
The process of organizing and/or supporting community groups in their identification of important concerns and issues and their ability to plan and implement strategies to mitigate their concerns and resolve their issues.
Community Based and Community Development Programming
Community Based
The process of health professionals and/or health agencies defining the health problem, developing strategies to remedy the problem, involving local community members and groups to assist in solving the problem, working to transfer major responsibility for ongoing program to local community members and groups.