BREAKING IT DOWN: Our Health Our Way
An initiative of the Cherishing Our Hearts and Souls Coalition

Cherishing Our Hearts and Souls Coalition

Cherishing Our Hearts and Souls Coalition (COHS) is a collaborative effort to improve the health and wellness of African-Americans and underserved residents in the Roxbury area of Boston, MA. COHS began its planning efforts in October of 2000 with seven initial partners, and have since then, grown to over 200 members, representing Roxbury residents, community based organizations, community health centers, human and social services agencies, local government, and elected officials.

COHS convenes Coalition-wide bi-monthly meetings. At these meetings health providers, public health researchers, community organizations, advocacy organizations, and elected officials present trainings and lectures in specific areas. The Coalition also consists of four working clusters that meet monthly: (1) Anti-Racism; (2) Clinical Care and Research; (3) Health Promotion; and (4) Youth. Coalition members view each of these clusters as significant areas in improving the health and healthcare experiences of residents and healthcare professionals serving Roxbury.

The Coalition’s work is guided by the understanding that improving the population's health requires strategies both to reduce customary risk factors (hypertension, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, obesity and smoking) and also specific efforts to address racism and other social and environmental injustices. COHS focuses on building social capital within the community, and community based problem-solving regarding the impact of racism on health in general and on disparities in health (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, breast and cervical cancer, prostrate cancer, and violence) in particular.

Since its inception the Coalition has been involved in activities that equip community residents and professionals interested in the health of Roxbury with the tools to conduct participatory research and work on interventions that lead to improved health outcomes, the collection of representative data, and improved health outreach communication for the community.

Some of the notable activities that the Coalition has been involved in include:

2001

• Beginning of bi-monthly Coalition-wide meetings
• Hosted 3 community training workshops on racism and cardiovascular disease
• Completed draft of anti racism after school curriculum
• The development of the clinical care cluster of the coalition

2002

• The development of the anti-racism and health promotion clusters of the coalition

2003

• The beginning of a partnership with FAMU (HBCU) that received $6 million EXPORT Award from NIH NCMHD to establish the Center for Healthy Options and Innovative Community Empowerment (CHOICE)

2004

• Kellogg Foundation funding for anti-racism trainings that have continued to be conducted in partnership with VISIONS Inc.
• The development of the anti-racism and health promotion clusters
• COHS is selected to serve and represent community efforts on the Mayor’s Task Force to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

2005

• Select COHS members nominated to make up the Community Research Advisory Board (CRAB)
• The development of a youth cluster

2006

• Inaugural Black History Month Celebration (February 25, 2006)
• Beginning of Breaking It Down: Our Health Our Way – a three year cancer clinical trials education project funded by ENACCT