THE LIFESONG PROJECT A Positive Faith-Based Initiative To Reduce Infant Mortality in African American Communities

LIFECOURSE PERSPECTIVE OF LIFESONG

There is a tribe in east Africa in

which the art of true intimacy is

fostered even before birth. In this

tribe, the birthdate of a child is not

counted from the day of its physical

birth nor, even the day of

conception as in other village

cultures.

For this tribe, the birth date comes the very first

time the child is a thought in its mother’s mind.

Aware of her intention to conceive a child with a

particular father, the mother then goes off to sit

alone under a tree. There she sits and listens until

she can hear the song of the child that she hopes

to conceive.

Once she has heard the song,

she returns to her village and

teaches it to the father so they

can sing it together as they

make love, inviting the child to

join them.

After the child is conceived,

she sings it to the baby in her

womb.

Then she teaches it to the old women and midwives of

her village so that throughout the labor and at the

miraculous moment of birth itself, the child is greeted

with its song.

….and at the end of life, his or her loved ones will gather around

the deathbed and sing this song for the

last time.

It is sung in times of triumph,

or in rituals and initiations.

This song becomes a

part of the marriage

ceremony when the child

is grown,

After the birth, all of the villagers learn the

song of their new member and sing it to the

child when it falls or hurts itself.

Promotes Healthy Babies by Supporting:

Access to quality health care

Good nutrition and folic acid

Safe sleep

Nurturing and bonding

Hope after loss

Promotes Happy Children by Supporting:

Quality education

Respect for traditions

Positive self-image

Healthy environments

A sense of belonging

Promotes Empowered Adults by Supporting:

Healthy lifestyles

Planned and responsible parenting

Self-sufficiency

Positive role modeling

Self-respect

Promotes Dignified Age by Supporting:

Respect for elders

Storytelling and gathering

Loving care

Wisdom and experience

A high quality end of life

• LifeSong was initiated in Flagler & Volusia Counties, located in East Central

Florida.

• The primary focus is to address the disparity associated with black infant

mortality through the engagement and mobilization of the African American

Faith Community in partnership with the Healthy Start Coalition of Flagler &

Volusia Counties, Inc.

• In our two county service area, black infant mortality was two to three times

that of white infant mortality and in some of our zip codes exceeded 20

deaths per 1,000 live births.

• Reducing these disparities has been a consistently elusive goal despite

targeting of program resources and staff development efforts.

• Dialogue with community pastors and advocates revealed the need for

meaningful engagement and public awareness.

• We now recognize that negative messaging about poor outcomes in high

risk communities creates a “numbing” effect that offers little hope for

change. The LifeSong project emphasizes a paradigm shift that transcends

words to inspire hope, empowerment and action!

The major project goals are to reduce black infant mortality and related health disparities. The Healthy Start Coalition of Flagler & Volusia worked with key leaders of the Clergy within the African American Faith Community to achieve the following objectives: • Identify barriers to public awareness about health disparities across the

lifespan.

• Develop positive mechanisms (dialogue, song, art, dance, and narrative) to “inspire” and promote protective factors.

• Provide tools/resources to support church ministries such as safe sleep, folic acid, access to health care, tobacco cessation and bereavement support (African American Faith-Based Bereavement Initiative) for families who have suffered a loss.

• Translate Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) case review findings into community action!

• Approach community change in accordance with life course theory.

• LifeSong has developed original art that beautifully illustrates symbolism in the African tradition as it depicts the Life Course Perspective.

• Members of the faith community currently participate in our Fetal Infant Mortality

Review Case Review Team (CRT) and Community Action Group (CAG) activities.

• Since its inception, the LifeSong SIDS Sunday event has distributed over 10,000 church fans to the community with positive messaging about safe sleep and health promotion.

• We now offer the African American Faith Based Bereavement Initiative Curriculum to pastors and lay people in the community.

• The Florida Department of Health in Volusia County initiated tobacco prevention

and cessation programming in the faith community using the LifeSong framework.

• According to our Project INFORM (Infant Neonatal Fetal Outcomes Related to Mortality) Community Report, from 2011 to 2012, black infant mortality rates per 1,000 live births have decreased from a rate of 15.4 to 6.9.

• Our largest county (Volusia), has shown a reduction in Black infant mortality from

13.6 in 2011 to 6.5 in 2012 and 6.7 in 2013. These are the lowest rate in our county’s history.

• We have successfully created positive dialogue and relations with members of the

faith based communities .

• LifeSong has gotten positive exposure through media outlets to include radio,

magazine, newspaper, and podcast productions.

• Dialogue about infant mortality is difficult in communities with high rates of

crime, unemployment, and poverty.

• Religious messaging is not always in alignment with public health

communication.

• Communities often lack awareness and understanding about the gravity of

infant mortality as a sentinel indicator of a community’s health.

• Many churches have limited infrastructure which impacts their ability to

implement new projects and gather associated data.

• There are inherent difficulties in supporting families who have experienced

fetal or infant loss. People do not always know how to act or what to say

without training and accurate information.

• There is often a lack of strong partnerships between faith based

communities and local private and public health sectors and organizations.

• Lack of cultural and linguistic competence at the individual and

organizational level can make positive communication and forward

movement difficult.

• Partners need to be equals. When the Faith Community takes the leadership

role in the project it can then become sustainable.

• Relationships and dialogue are the most important ingredients for success.

• The most powerful motivators are often not able to be described in words or

numbers but through art, music, dance and story-telling.

• Transcending language is important to “move” people to feel powerful,

which is what the LifeSong Project seeks to do.

History Challenges & Lessons Learned Accomplishments

Project Goals & Objectives

Acknowledgements

• The LifeSong narrative is adapted from A Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield,

Bantam Books, 1993.

• Art Credit: Original Artwork by James Edwards, “LifeSong Shields,” and “ Village

Love”

• Artistic Support: Omar and Camille Brown; Wesley Clark; Jennie Joseph, LM.,

Reverend John Long and Mrs. Maria Long; Libby Charles; Rosha Loach and

Dixie Morgese.

• The Healthy Start Coalition of Flagler & Volusia Counties would like to thank the

community stakeholders in our Service Area for their sponsorship, commitment

and support. Please visit www.healthystartfv.org for more information.

Shield ▬ Protects the Village

Butterfly ▬ Transforms the Village

Hands ▬ Love the Village

People ▬ Center of the Village

Life Song Symbols