Voices Today for Change Tomorrow Endowed Scholarship Fund
November 2022 marked the 50th anniversary of the end of one of the most notorious public health and medical ethics violations in U.S. history: the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Study of Untreated Syphilis at Tuskegee and Macon County, Alabama, 1932-1972. In this study, 625 Black men were denied treatment while being observed as their illness progressed, despite curative medical therapy being readily available and the standard of care. In recognition of the gravity of this anniversary, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collaborated with Voices For Our Fathers Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit membership organization comprised of descendants of the individuals in the study; renowned historians and senior government officials to present: Recognition, Remembrance, and Reflection: The Untreated Syphilis Study at Tuskegee and Macon County. The program examined the pervasive and ongoing effects of the study and CDC’s continuing role in addressing racism as a public health threat.
To honor the memory and lives of the victims of the study, the CDC Foundation aims to raise $5 million for the Voices Today for Change Tomorrow Scholarship Fund. This fund will provide annual merit scholarships to the descendants of the study participants and offer administrative support to the Voices For Our Fathers Legacy Foundation. Recipients of the scholarships will be encouraged, but not required, to attend historically Black colleges or universities. With this fund, the CDC Foundation honors the legacy of the men in the USPHS Study of Untreated Syphilis and supports their descendants in building change. These scholarships are intended to amplify the voices of the next generation, allowing them to honor the life experiences of their ancestors while pursuing innovative solutions across their fields of study.
The CDC Foundation welcomes individuals and funding partners to join us in building an endowed fund to support future generations of study descendants. To make a gift online, visit our donation page to support this important work. Please contact Helene Erenberg to discuss ways we can partner together on this important legacy scholarship program.
ADA Anniversary: Tackling Public Health Challenges for People with Disabilities
2023-07-26
Read moreImproving Engagement in Community Level Data Collection
We are excited to launch a collaborative report highlighting promising actions public health practitioners can take to shift surveillance systems to address community needs. The report will launch in May 2024.
Improving Community Engagement in Design, Collection and Use of Community-Level Data to Address Structural Determinants of Health
To improve health outcomes for all, it is essential for the community to be at the forefront of public health data. Powered by five local communities, this program gathers communities’ perspectives on the use of survey data to improve health.
Data Equity Coalitions in Atlanta, Detroit, Durham, Pittsburgh and San Antonio are hosting focus groups and other feedback opportunities for their communities. By leveraging the communities’ feedback, this project aims to increase access to local measures of social determinants of health and to improve the reach of surveys, particularly among populations historically excluded from participating.
The five Data Equity Coalitions—local organizations partnering with communities to improve the availability and use of data that addresses local priorities for health and wellbeing—are tailoring approaches to their community needs and gathering local perspectives through:
Focus groups: Gain community perspectives and input on processes for collecting and sharing survey data
Survey enhancements: Review potential new survey questions using community interviews
Community outreach: Try new ways of administering surveys to increase participation
Data collection: Gather community input on existing and emerging data needs
Information synthesis: Analyze qualitative data from focus groups and interviews to coalesce findings across the data coalitions and communities
Project Goals:
1. INVEST
Invest in health measures and data that are relevant to communities and the outcomes communities care about
2. COLLECT
Collect data that is prioritized by communities and provide data in ways that support efforts to improve health locally
3. DEVELOP
Develop inclusive methods to interpret and share health data that increases trust in and use of data
4. FACILITATE
Facilitate connections between surveys and communities, and infuse community perspectives into data processes
Our Partners:
CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPH)
Local Data Equity Coalitions:
- The Black Equity Coalition and University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Social and Urban Research—Pittsburgh, PA
- Community Information Now (CI:Now)—San Antonio, TX
- Data Driven Detroit (D3)—Detroit, MI
- DataWorks NC—Durham, NC
- Neighborhood Nexus—Atlanta, GA
Research Partner Organization:
The National Alliance against Disparities in Patient Health (NADPH) —Woodbridge, VA
Learn more about our partners.
This program is made possible through funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.
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