From Dialogue to Action: A Community-Led Approach to Black Health Research

Background
Black Canadians face significant and well-documented health disparities. Anti-Black racism and limited access to appropriate health services contribute to poor health outcomes across the country. Despite this, a comprehensive picture of Black health in Canada is lacking due to substantial data gaps—most notably, the absence of race-based health outcome data across the healthcare system. National research also remains limited in scope and fails to explore strategies that improve Black health outcomes in meaningful, culturally relevant ways. Additionally, current measures of health outcomes often do not reflect the lived experiences or cultural nuances of Black communities. Our study proposes a paradigm shift in health research—moving beyond solely documenting disparities to building researcher capacity for equity-centered, community-led research developed in collaboration with Black communities.

Objectives

1. Develop a research agenda to inform evidence-based policy and research priorities for Black communities.
2. Strengthen capacity for community-engaged research, education, knowledge mobilization, and translation.
3. Build critical community-based understandings of Black health equity and well-being.
4. Establish best practices for Black community-led research interventions and academic partnerships.

Methods
We used a critical community-engaged research model grounded in participatory action research. Central to this initiative was the co-creation of an adapted Afrocentric Dialogue Model, implemented through a five-stage process that valued diverse forms of knowledge and ensured equal status between researchers and community members. Five facilitated dialogue sessions brought together Black health service users, healthcare leaders, and researchers in an agenda-setting process. These sessions fostered equitable partnerships and identified research priorities that reflect community needs. The Model was guided by the principles of active Black community involvement, respect for experiential knowledge, and sustained dialogue and partnership.

Results
The collaborative process created space for mutual learning and understanding. Black researchers gained insight into the broader social impacts of their work, while Black community members were able to contribute their lived experiences directly into the research planning process. This engagement led to a shared research agenda focused on reducing Black health disparities through interdisciplinary collaboration between Black university-based researchers and Black community leaders. The initiative also produced a model for best practices in Black community-led research and effective community–academic partnerships. It fostered open communication between communities and researchers and offered practical strategies for increasing researcher capacity to conduct culturally responsive, equity-driven work.

Conclusion
This initiative highlights the transformative potential of collaborative, community-engaged research to advance Black health equity in Canada. By centering Black voices and building authentic partnerships, we have created a sustainable and inclusive framework for evidence-based research and policy development that reflects the needs and aspirations of Black communities.