H3.02 - Oral: From Participation to Power in Community - Academic Health Research Partnerships with Black Populations

Brief Abstract Summary: Learn how race, racism, and power shape contemporary community – academic partnerships between Black communities and academic health research institutions in the United States. Hear the perspectives of Black community partners regarding their lived experiences navigating academic health research partnerships and their desires for increased community agency, efficacy, and solidarity in health research processes. Discover strategies for shifting power in community – academic health research partnerships to advance racial and health equity in Black communities.

Detailed abstract description: While community-engaged research is a critical step in repairing the historical harms caused by academic health research institutions to Black populations, increasing community participation without recognizing and addressing power imbalances across levels hinders progress towards advancing racial health equity. The purpose of this study is to 1) interrogate how racism as a system of power shapes contemporary power relations within community – academic health research partnerships involving Black populations; and 2) identify strategies for shifting power in community – academic health research partnerships to improve the health and wellbeing of Black communities. The qualitative methodological approach of critical narrative inquiry was used to collect, analyze, and interpret counter-stories from 12 Black individuals who have served as community partners on U.S.-based academic health research teams through in-depth semi-structured narrative interviews and follow-up member check focus groups. The narrative interviews explored Black community partners’ lived experiences navigating academic health research partnerships and their desires for building community power in health research processes and outcomes. Given the transformative potential of community-engaged research to inform social action, attending to relational power dynamics in the research process and outcomes is critical to actualizing racial and health equity.