Although technically defined as “a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa,” “Black” and “African-American” refer to a large and diverse population of people of many nationalities, cultures, and colors. Cultural competence dictates asking clients how they identify before assigning any labels. As of 2014, 45.7 million people identified as “Black” or “African-American” in the United States.
Description: This is an inexhaustible database of resources for practitioners, supervisors and organizers to learn about cultural competence and assess the areas of growth in their practice. Material is tailored towards medical and mental health practitioners.
Useful resources include:
Working with African American/ Black Patients
Description: This guide includes a downloadable PDF and short video clip. This guide outlines the cultural history between the Black community and healthcare providers. The guide then recommends best practices for practicing cultural competence and establishing trust with clients in this population.
African American Mental Health
Description: This page from NAMI includes text and video clips about mental health beliefs within the African American community. The guide outlines attitudes towards providers, barriers to treatment, and general community stigma around mental illness to inform culturally competent mental and behavioral healthcare practice when working with this population.
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Description: This guide tackles barriers to HIV/AIDS treatment for African Americans that can be more broadly applied to understanding healthcare access disparities. Specific sections include “Barriers to Care”, “Ethics”, “Sensitivity of the Provider”, “Assessment, Facts”, and “Encounters”. Ways in which an understanding of these topics can improve provider’s services to this minority group are discussed.
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Description: This webinar describes effective communication strategies, healthcare practices and resources for working with African, African American and Caribbean women.
Description: This 200-page manual encompasses all the major components of cultural competency. This is ideal material for gaining expertise in the field and developing your own training course on cultural competency as an organizer. The manual contains specific subsections on the nomenclature, demographics, social and educational issues, and values of Black and African American communities.
Working with African American Families
Description: The Child Welfare Information Gateway offers resources and publications to help strengthen families and protect children. The diverse populations and communities page offers information for working with African American families for child welfare workers.
African American Cultural and Heritage Facility
Description: This organization facilitates business, entertainment, programming, and arts in the midst of the African American Cultural Heritage District. The organization created the African American Portraits Project, which highlights African American civic leaders who have made a difference in the community.
Description: Austin Justice Coalition is committed to empowering people of color in Austin towards racial equity. Empowerment initiatives include The Black Male Summit, Black Empowerment Week, and The State of Black Austin. The organization also sponsors Higher Learning, a social justice curriculum for young people.