The role of a historically black university and the black church in community-based health initiatives: the project DIRECT experience.

This work explores the role of North Carolina Central University (NCCU), a historically Black university, and local Black churches in serving as community resources in Project Diabetes Interventions Reaching and Educating Communities Together (Project DIRECT). Project DIRECT is a federally funded participatory research project sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rationale for involving NCCU is presented. The authors review how faith-centered strategies were used in local churches to create social and environmental changes to support diabetes prevention and control. Involving historically Black colleges and universities and Black churches in health promotion at the community level represents an excellent example of how local institutional resources can help eliminate health disparities.