Engagement Suppression Article
Across the United States, the politics of power, voice, and funding continues to disparately impact the health and life outcomes of most of the Black and Brown
residents. At the root of the disparities can often be found a conscious and unconscious cross-sector collaboration of historically White institutions to silence, exclude, and suppress the voices and engagement of communities of color in leadership, decision
making, and community and economic development. This conceptual article is based
on the work of Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley (PNLV), introduces
the Radical Welcome and Engagement Restoration Model (RWERM), a community
practice framework that challenges structural and/or oppressive conditions and forces that suppress minority engagement. This article provides a complete description of the RWERM, highlights its theoretical assumptions, and explains how it can be implemented across the country. The potential impact of the program in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is discussed.
Alang Batts Letcher Article
Community–based participatory research holds promise for addressing health inequities. It focuses on issues salient to
specific populations, prioritizes community engagement and amplifies the voices of marginalized populations in policy
formulation and designing interventions. Although communities are partners, academic hegemony limits their level of
influence over the research initiative. Drawing from our own collaborative research experiences, we raise questions for
community-engaged health services researchers to reflect upon as a means of interrogating academic hegemony in
partnerships that seek to address health inequities. We describe what it means for researchers to acknowledge and
relinquish the power they wield in the community-engaged health services research enterprise. We propose three
guiding principles for advancing equity: authentic engagement, defining and living values, and embracing accountability
Let's Talk with Dr. Batts
Let’s Talk is home to hard-hitting but necessary conversations, brought directly to listeners’ ears. Let’s Talk about the tough topics that others shy away from. Let’s Talk about what’s standing in the way of community progress. Let’s Talk about how we can be better Lehigh Valley neighbors and residents. Join host Dr. Hasshan Batts for a program that will leave you thinking.
PNLV Press Release Feb 2023
Allentown, Feb. 27, 2023 – Dr. Hasshan Batts, Executive Director of the Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley has been named to the roster of Fulbright Specialist by the U.S. Department of States Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs and World Learning.
