Special issue: R.E.F.O.R.M. Café: conversation as action at a historically Black college and university

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to share the experience of delivering a culturally responsive teaching program, the R.E.F.O.R.M. Café, at a historically Black college and university. The R.E.F.O.R.M. Café provided an opportunity for undergraduate students to participate in dialogue that reinforces the need for social justice in preserving Black lives. Before participating in the R.E.F.O.R.M. Café, lectures using a critical perspective to connect health to the history of the modern-day civil rights movement were conducted.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the World Café as a model, a qualitative methodology was used to implement the R.E.F.O.R.M. Café as part of community health education course curriculum to address health disparities plaguing Black communities. The breakout room function in Zoom was used to substitute for the tables used in traditional World Cafés because of COVID-19 restrictions, which allowed for small, focus-group-like dialogues to occur.

Findings

The R.E.F.O.R.M. Café challenged students to consider the power and opportunity for individuals on the front line to contest racial disparities. Students indicated the R.E.F.O.R.M. Café reinforced the importance of meaningful conversations, the connection to confronting health disparities and the effectiveness of program design and implementation to engage in dialogue around issues of race and equity. Students indicated the importance of hearing the perspective of peers when considering their personal identities as change agents.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature that extends the body of knowledge related to implementing culturally responsive teaching programs at a historically Black college and university. Studies currently available related to implementing culturally responsive teaching programs among undergraduate students do not focus specifically on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.