Our Humanity is a transformative risk-communication, and risk-reduction education and prevention initiative in communities of color. The effort is designed to directly reach deeply and educate Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous communities about the coronavirus, slowing its spread, and strengthen communities of color against the COVID-19 pandemic. Our Humanity works in four key areas to equip communities in better responding during this unprecedented crisis: developing and deploying effective risk communication strategies to help people find credible information including multimedia campaigns and virtual town halls, implementing COVID-19 risk reduction intervention programs, increasing access to -- and participation in -- COVID-19 testing and flu vaccinations, and education about COVID-19 vaccinations and rollout.
Our Humanity creates and disseminates culturally-specific risk communication materials designed specifically to reach people of color throughout neighborhoods, reaching people where they are. The effort mobilizes at a community level, engaging entities including faith-based organizations, public housing communities, homeless shelters, public health-oriented organizations, community advocacy and outreach organizations, and other community entities in education and prevention interventions.
Program OverviewURU’s Our Humanity reaches over 3 million people directly and an additional 4 million indirectly through information sharing, awareness, and community mobilizing. Our Humanity disseminates urgently needed COVID-19 information through a robust and multifaceted range of information channels and tactics.
You must register yourself or your organization with URU. By registering, you acknowledge that you have read the toolkit and agree to uphold the core principles and mission of the Our Humanity transformational movement. By entering your information, you are “taking a pledge,” and therefore are granted access to our materials. Once you have completed your registration, you will receive a link to the catalog of videos and printable PDFs.
Virtual Town Halls with medical doctors take place every other Monday at 7pm in English and alternating weeks on Tuesday evenings at 7pm in Spanish. Town Halls are open to all, join us and bring your COVID-19 related questions and learn the latest about the vaccine and other topics.
Our Humanity’s wide array of tailored and culturally sensitive visual communication materials include:
Our Humanity is a risk-communication and risk-reduction education and prevention initiative designed to combat racial disparities in COVID-19 cases and deaths. COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on our entire country, but it has hit communities of color the hardest.
The complete directory of PSA videos can be found on the Our Humanity page at urutherighttobe.org.
Videos are accessible through the video directory on URU’s website. You can share Our Humanity PSA videos on social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,etc.), through email lists and electronic newsletters, or through personal correspondence (emails, text messages, etc.).
You can keep up to date on COVID-19 safety guidelines by visiting the websites of organizations such as National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF), and American Public Health Association (APHA). You can also check local guidance about testing, reopening, and travel. Links to these organizations’ websites are provided below:
There are numerous things you can do to help further the mission of Our Humanity.Some examples are provided below.
Make sure that your family and friends are following the protocols to slow the spread of the coronavirus. This means wearing masks in public, washing hands frequently, and practicing physical distancing from people not in one’s household.
Reach out to one or two people each week and check in on how they are doing.The isolation and economic difficulties brought on by the pandemic have taken a serious toll on many people’s mental wellbeing. We can do much to improve this simply by staying connected and listening to each other.
VOTE. We need to elect leaders who understand and care about the many disparities faced by people of color in the US. We need leaders who will listen tous and work on our behalf. Real change will require reforms to our laws and policies. It is essential that we express ourselves and our needs by voting in elections from the local to the national level.
Sandra Begay, M.S.
Maureen Hunters, Ph.D.
Camara Jones, M.D., Ph.D.
Shanina Knighton, Ph.D., RN
Thomas Laveist, Ph.D.
Charles Whatley
Our Humanity is implemented in conjunction with local, state, and national level faith-based organizations, public housing residencies, health centers, and other community entities. Below is a portion of collaborating entities:
