National nonprofit helps organize local efforts to address race issues

By LINDA M. LINONIS

linonis@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Representatives from community organizations are mobilizing to address race issues in the Mahoning Valley by working with Everyday Democracy, a national organization.

On Thursday, about 50 people met at the Covelli Centre to hear Fran Frazier, a senior associate with Everyday Democracy, offer an introduction to what the organization is and how it works.

“This national nonprofit helps communities work on community problems,” she said. In the Valley, she continued, “the focus will be looking at race as a social detriment to health ... how race impacts disparities in black infant mortality.”

The project is sponsored by Ohio Equity Institute/Youngstown, an effort by the Ohio Department of Health that focuses on “improving birth outcomes and reducing racial disparities in infant mortality.”

Erin Bishop, Youngstown City Health District commissioner, and Pat Sweeney, Mahoning County District Board of Health commissioner, are co-leaders of the Mahoning-Youngstown My Baby’s First team.

Everyday Democracy has an organized approach to issues that begins with a plan of action, facilitator training, setting goals and recruitment of participants. After this organization, the group will move on to dialogue circles that “embrace diversity, share knowledge, resources, power and decision making.”

Frazier said dialogue groups should meet weekly or every other week to maintain momentum and continuity. After six months, the goals are collective action, policy impact and individual change that will result in community change.

A day of dialogue is planned from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel social hall, 343 Via Mount Carmel, and will focus on being part of a dialogue group. For information, send email to ebishop@youngstownohio.gov.

Frazier told participants that “this is not to eradicate racism but to learn how to communicate across barriers.” She said dialogue sessions teach participants how to accomplish this. “If people change behavior, that’s a bonus,” she said.

“People will take ownership and take active steps,” she said of the process.

She said dialogue groups will examine why “black babies die at a higher rate and what the role of race is.” Frazier said participants will evaluate how factors including education, economics, housing and employment” come together and impact disproportionate infant mortality rates among people of color.