The Experience of Women and Girls in North Minneapolis
as it Relates to the Interplay of Health, Well Being, and Racism

In this project, nursing students from St. Catherine University collaborate with the National Community Center of Excellence in Women’s Health (CCOE) to identify and address barriers to health for women and girls of color. Through their participation in community-based collaborative action research at the North Point Health and Wellness Center in North Minneapolis, students learn firsthand how girls and women of color envision a system of health that will better serve their needs.

In preparation for this work, students study theories of community-based and participatory action research methods and consult with internationally recognized nurse theorist, Margaret Newman, Ph.D., FAAN, whose theory of “health as expanding consciousness" provides the theoretical foundation for the project. The team meets with more than 50 women from North Minneapolis who serve as the CCOE Advisory Council and help discern the research question and identify potential “data sources” and strategies to give voice to women and girls of color. Once the data are collected, identifiers are removed and community women engage with the students to find major themes.
The research collaborative has used various art forms to reflect the pattern of findings, including dramatic presentations of women’s narratives and hip-hop music to portray the teen data findings. As community members and policy makers are engaged in the dialogue, transformation occurs and actions are planned.

The students found the first year’s result profoundly important – girls and women of color perceive racism to be the greatest barrier to health in their community. The task ahead of these students is significant, as they work to integrate leading-edge nursing theory with their classroom studies and research results. The process teaches students how to identify and address the structural and interpersonal barriers to health and how to eradicate racism in the healthcare environment.

To read the complete report from this collaboration, click below:

To watch a 45 min. movie about this project with QuickTime,
click below: