Emergency Preparedness and Risk Communication Among African American Churches: Leveraging a Community-Based Participatory Research Partnership COVID-19 Initiative
Preventing Chronic Disease Dec 2020
To help African American communities during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FAITH! program partnered with 120 churches across Minnesota to share accurate health information and emergency resources. Using a framework from the CDC, they created a culturally tailored communication strategy that included daily Facebook posts and weekly emails. These messages covered spiritual and physical wellness, COVID-19 prevention, financial support, and social connection. The initiative reached over 6,500 people on Facebook and an estimated 12,000 through email, helping churches form emergency preparedness teams and distribute trusted information quickly.
Church leaders and community messengers found the approach useful, empowering, and easy to manage. Interviews showed that the program improved emergency readiness and built trust in FAITH! as a reliable source. The effort also helped dispel myths and misinformation, especially through real-time updates and community feedback. By leveraging existing relationships and technology, the initiative demonstrated how academic-community partnerships can respond rapidly and effectively to public health crises in underserved populations.