During the last 4 years, Black Girls Thriving East of the River has spurred hope in Wards 7 & 8 that residents, particularly Black girls, can thrive reasonably than merely endure the financial, well being, and societal challenges plaguing their neighborhoods.
Via a trailblazing neighborhood engagement method, the Jane Bancroft Robinson Basis (JBRF) partnered with 28 girls who lived in, led organizations in, or had shut household ties to the neighborhood. They developed revolutionary methods to enhance employment alternatives and most cancers survival amongst Black girls of their neighborhood, together with producing complete workforce improvement and most cancers navigation roadmaps.
Like lots of our founding members, I’ve skilled the challenges of our neighborhood and benefitted from the efforts of Black girls who made a approach regardless of these challenges. I used to be born in public housing in Ward 8 earlier than transferring to Ward 7, graduating from Banneker Excessive College, and attending Duke College. My household additionally struggled with restricted entry to high-quality healthcare, employment, and different very important neighborhood sources. The lived experiences of our founding members and our present staff are central to the options we at the moment are implementing.
One other vital piece of our work is addressing long-standing racial disparities. Black unemployment is seven occasions greater than white unemployment in DC, which has the worst Black-White unemployment hole within the nation, based on the DC Fiscal Coverage Institute (DCFPI). Information from the DC Division of Employment Providers exhibits that Wards 7 and eight have the best unemployment charges, at 1 ½ occasions and two occasions the town’s common, respectively.
Healthcare techniques are important employers with high-demand jobs, lots of which pay nicely. We’re piloting a scholarship fund for Black girls east of the river who’re thinking about health-related careers. Contributors have numerous backgrounds, from these searching for coaching to grow to be neighborhood well being employees to those that need to be medical doctors or maintain supportive roles akin to info expertise. Our aim is to extend the variety of Black girls well being suppliers, their profession success, and in the end, their affect on the care of different Black girls.
We had been awarded a grant of $ 1 million from the Higher Washington Neighborhood Basis’s Well being Fairness Fund to make use of knowledge, coaching, and advocacy to enhance workforce improvement techniques impacting Black girls. The primary section consists of figuring out and serving to healthcare employers implement finest practices for hiring, retaining and serving to Black girls advance in health-related careers.
The DC Most cancers Management plan discovered that there are extra most cancers instances and extra individuals die from most cancers in Wards 7 and eight. We’re growing an enhanced mannequin for supporting Black girls most cancers sufferers, serving to them overcome systemic and life boundaries which will delay therapy.
Moreover, our Sufferers Invoice of Rights will assist Black girls entry high-quality healthcare. For example, some girls don’t know they will ask for second opinions when questioning a physician’s prognosis. Many others don’t really feel heard by their suppliers. We are going to elevate consciousness of what high-quality care seems to be like, assist extra Black girls entry that care, and determine ways in which Black girls will be heard and handled extra equitably by healthcare suppliers.
Presently, six Neighborhood Ambassadors (CAs), Black girls residing east of the river, are serving to enhance consciousness of the Invoice of Rights amongst their neighborhood, household, buddies, friends, and networks. The CAs are most cancers survivors and caregivers, starting from early 20s to 60s, serving to promote our focus teams, present suggestions, and join our staff to neighborhood teams and different potential stakeholders of their networks. Additional, we’ve established a Well being Literacy Survey that the CAs are serving to to distribute inside their networks and facilitate neighborhood conversations.
We’ve got solely scratched the floor of the 20+ interventions our founding workgroup members developed. We’re increasing our attain with neighborhood members and companions, implementing interventions, and elevating contributions from the personal sector, authorities, and people to develop this work. We’re grateful for the continued funding of over $3 million from JBRF, the Well being Fairness Fund, and the Meyer Basis over the following three years. Collectively, we’ll assist Black girls east of the river thrive and influence future generations.
Nakeisha Neal Jones, govt director of Black Girls Thriving East of the River, is a collaborative chief with 20+ years of expertise growing leaders and increasing entry to neighborhood well being, workforce improvement, and housing sources with under-represented communities.
