Prince George's County Research Articles

Smarter Growth: Activism and Environmental Policy in Metropolitan Washington by John H. Spiers

Reviewed by: Smarter Growth: Activism and Environmental Policy in Metropolitan Washingtonby John H. Spiers Andrew C. Baker Smarter Growth: Activism and Environmental Policy in Metropolitan Washington. By John H. Spiers. The City in the Twenty-First Century. ( Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2018. Pp. viii, 248. $59.95, ISBN 978-0-8122-5024-4.) The figure in the White House may change, the balance of power in Congress may tilt, wars may come and go, and budgets may shrink or swell, but one thing remains certain—the population of the Washington, D.C., area will grow. In Smarter Growth: Activism and Environmental Policy in Metropolitan Washington, John H. Spiers examines grassroots efforts to set limits on that growth within four suburban counties (Loudoun and Fairfax Counties, Virginia, and Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, Maryland). Local activists, he argues, propelled the region to the forefront of the smart growth movement during the last decade of the twentieth century. Smarter Growthtells this story through a series of public clashes over development. The author deftly reconstructs these flashpoints from the fragments of metropolitan governance. Each chapter includes a new cast of characters and an engaging narrative. Here, "sewer ladies" hounded local regulators to clean up the Potomac River (p. 28). Suburban high schoolers performed songs celebrating an undeveloped woodlot. Homeowners voted against a highway, and they packed county planning meetings to protest the construction of a mosque in an agricultural preserve. Such dramas were common as sprawl engulfed the region. Most accounts of environmental activism published after the establishment of Earth Day in 1970 have emphasized the growing role of the federal government in cleaning up toxic waste, protecting endangered species, and mitigating environmental impacts. Yet, as Spiers notes, "robust federal policy making established a foundation, rather than a guarantee, for environmental protection" (p. 8). It was at the local level that "activists applied principles of environmental stewardship to advocate for growth that was 'smarter'" (p. 6). [End Page 753]Tracing the persistence of activism within this frame is the major achievement of the book. Smarter Growthpresents a continued evolution of the branch of suburban environmentalism that Christopher C. Sellers found among post–World War II families in Crabgrass Crucible: Suburban Nature and the Rise of Environmentalism in Twentieth-Century America(Chapel Hill, 2012). This movement combined a defense of clean air, water, and soil with homeowners' desire to preserve nearby open space. Its vision was inextricably wrapped up in a particular suburban landscape. As Spiers explains, through smart growth activism, suburbanites "sought to buffer themselves from sprawl while preserving access to the natural amenities that made their communities desirable" (p. 52). To his credit, the author frequently notes the privileged status of his grassroots activists and the financial security that their arguments assumed. A case study on the limited success of smart growth activism in majority-black Prince George's County further explores the reasons that the movement has failed to gain traction among some communities. As someone who grew up in northern Virginia during the 1990s, I have watched both sprawling development and the growing defense of nature that Spiers describes. When I return each year to one of the wealthiest counties in the nation, I often wonder what it would look like for the region to pursue growth that was both smart and just—to celebrate growth that offered natural beauty as a public good rather than a boon to private property values. Spiers notes that "communities where efforts to support environmental protection are more successful usually depend on a base of active middle- and upper-income residents who have the time, energy, and resources to be politically active and are willing to pay the higher costs of living in communities where significant environmental resources are protected" (p. 179). This insight is both astute and devastating. In light of this truth, it is hard to share Spiers's optimism about the movement's achievements or his insistence on referring to its members as "environmentalists." That being said, Smarter Growthprovides an engaging introduction to the movement and its efforts to save open space in a frequently overlooked metropolitan area. Andrew C. Baker Texas A&M University...

Dc Water: Turning Sewers from Gray to Green

Mark Kim, CFO of DC Water, believed building green infrastructure in Washington, DC, was an innovative way to improve the performance of the city's aging sewer system and save money. In considering the options to fund a pilot program, Kim was especially intrigued by a new financing structure: social impact bonds (SIBs). Partnering with Eric Letsinger of Quantified Ventures, they built on SIBs to develop an Environmental Impact Bond. This case discusses the risks and potential rewards of financing the pilot through a new structure at the intersection of public policy, finance, and science, the costs and benefits of employing green infrastructure, and the potential investor base for the new financial product. It also challenges students to consider the use of private capital to finance social outcomes. Excerpt UVA-F-1854 Rev. Aug. 29, 2019 DC Water: Turning Sewers from Gray to Green Mark Kim, CFO of DC Water (formerly called the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority), was sitting in his office in southwest Washington, DC, in May 2015, considering his options for the final phase of an infrastructure modernization project that had been underway for over 10 years. Under a newly renegotiated agreement with the US Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the project's final phase would utilize innovative technology, known as low-impact development or green infrastructure, to be more environmentally friendly and less expensive than traditional sewer infrastructure. Kim worried, however, about the risks involved in implementation. Although the underlying technology had been proven over the last several years, it had not been widely implemented. Moreover, the infrastructure's performance depended on a number of variables specific to the location, including geology, soil conditions, weather, and the price of land. DC Water CEO and General Manager George Hawkins was hoping to proceed with the green infrastructure, and it was Kim's job to figure out how to pay for it. DC Water DC Water was an independent authority of the District of Columbia government. It provided water and sewer services to more than 681,000 residents of the District of Columbia, as well as 1.6million people in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland and Fairfax and Loudon Counties in Virginia, covering a service area of approximately 725 square miles (see Exhibit1). In 2016, DC Water pumped an average of 99million gallons of water per day to its customers through a network of 1,350 miles of pipes, four pumping stations, five reservoirs, three water tanks, and 9,510 fire hydrants. It also operated 1,900 miles of sewers, 160 flow meters, nine wastewater pumping stations, 16 stormwater pumping stations, 12 inflatable dams, and a swirl facility. DC Water's Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant was one of the largest facilities of its type in the world, covering more than 150 acres and treating an average of 290million gallons of wastewater per day. . . .

Boost campus safety by promoting community policing, education

Prior to working as chief of police at Bowie State University, Ernest Waiters retired as a captain of a district police station, with 23 years of experience in law enforcement in Prince George's County. While serving as a police officer, Waiters pursued his master's degree in public administration. “I started to ask questions about campus policing and I became interested in learning about the difference between campus and traditional policing,” Waiters said.

Good community policing begins with education

Prior to working as chief of police at Bowie State University, Ernest Waiters retired as a captain of a district police station, with 23 years of experience in law enforcement in Prince George's County. While serving as a police officer, Waiters pursued his master's degree in public administration. “I started to ask questions about campus policing and I became interested in learning about the difference between campus and traditional policing,” Waiters said.

Can Cameras Stop the Killings? Racial Differences in Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Body‐Worn Cameras in Police Encounters,

Recent killings of blacks by police have renewed a national discussion about crime, racism, unjust treatment, and implicit bias. Outfitting police officers with body‐worn cameras (BWC) is heralded by federal and state lawmakers as one solution to providing more transparency during police encounters. Missing from this discussion is what everyday citizens think about the potential effectiveness of BWC. Using data on residents of Prince George's County, Maryland, this study explores racial differences in views about police treatment and the effectiveness of BWC. We find that nonwhites report more fear of and mistreatment by the police than whites. Regarding BWC, we find that respondents are either supporters or skeptics. On one hand, respondents either believe that BWC will illuminate the difficulties of policing—police supporters—or create more transparency to hold officers more accountable for their actions—citizen supporters. On the other hand, skeptics fall into one of two types—respondents who think that BWC may put police officers more at risks—privacy skeptics—or those who do not see BWC as structurally changing the power dynamics between citizens and police officers—structural skeptics. We conclude by discussing how BWC may operate as a solution to improve interactions between citizens and the police but not necessarily alter power relations.

Health Policy Responsiveness: Lessons Learned from Maryland and Prince George's County.

Effective, timely, and intentional policy efforts can significantly impact and improve the public's health and reduce racial and ethnic health disparities across the nation. Creating and implementing responsive policies at the state and county level is essential to supporting community efforts to improve health behaviors and health outcomes, particularly for communities of color who bear the brunt of disease risk and negative health outcomes. Using policy examples from the State of Maryland and Prince George's County, the largest and wealthiest predominately African-American county in the USA, this case study highlights the importance of state and county policy action when presented with opportunities to affect long-lasting, positive change. We examine each jurisdiction's policy response through the lens of timeliness, intentionality, and effectiveness. At first glance, it would appear that Maryland responded effectively to the rise in tobacco use. Similarly, at face value, it appears that Prince George's County's unchecked rise in obesity rates among African-Americans is an example of nonresponsiveness among local policymakers in the face of an obesity epidemic. However-guided by a more nuanced understanding of "policy responsiveness"-this analysis uncovers a more revealing picture, with important strengths and limitations seen in both policy situations. This analysis raises critical questions about the determinants of jurisdictions' health policy capacity and how policymakers might best be supported in their efforts to build an arsenal of health policies that are timely, effective, and intentional in meeting the needs of vulnerable communities.

Contemporary Conversations on Immigration in the United States. The View from Prince George's County, Maryland

Contemporary Conversations on Immigration in the United States. The View from Prince George's County, Maryland

Preliminary Evaluation of the NIAAA/AAP Brief Alcohol Use Screener.

Aims To assess the concurrent validity of the two-item NIAAA/American Academy of Pediatrics Brief Alcohol Use Screener, a developmentally sensitive assessment instrument, in a school-based sample of adolescents. Method The sample consisted of 756 adolescents (53% girls; Mage = 13.7 years; SD = 1.6 years) in the 6th (n = 192), 8th (n = 283), and the 10th (n = 281) grades from Miami-Dade County, FL and Prince George's County, MD. Adolescents completed the NIAAA/AAP Brief Alcohol Use Screener, which consists of two items asking about adolescents' alcohol use and about peers' alcohol use during the last year. Peer-Risk is categorized into 'No Peer-Risk' versus 'Heightened Concern'; Self-Risk is categorized into 'No-Risk,' 'Low-Risk,' 'Moderate-Risk' or 'High-Risk,' based on alcohol use patterns and age. Adolescents also completed measures of recent alcohol use and four previously validated screener instruments. Results Relative to the self-use 'No-Risk' category, adolescents classified into the 'Low-,' 'Moderate-' and 'High-Risk' categories reported progressively greater alcohol use and misuse during the last 90 days. Similar patterns were observed between the Peer-Risk categories. Combined, the two NIAAA/AAP screener items were positively related to recent alcohol use and outperformed the other screeners examined. Conclusions Results from the present study support the concurrent validity of the single and combined items of the NIAAA/AAP Brief Alcohol Use Screener, as well as the measure's favorable concurrent validity compared to four previously validated screener instruments. Short Summary The current results support the concurrent validity of the single and combined items of the NIAAA/AAP Brief Alcohol Use Screener, as well as the measure's favorable concurrent validity compared to four previously validated screener instruments, in a school-based sample of adolescents.

HIV Stigma, Retention in Care, and Adherence Among Older Black Women Living With HIV

Stigma is recognized as a barrier to the prevention, care, and treatment of HIV, including engagement in the HIV care continuum. HIV stigma in older Black women may be compounded by preexisting social inequities based on gender, age, and race. Using semi-structured interviews and survey questionnaires, we explore experiences of HIV stigma, retention in care, and antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence in 35 older Black women with HIV from Prince George's County, Maryland. Study findings indicated that older Black women experienced high levels of HIV stigma, retention in care, and ART adherence. Findings suggest that experiences of HIV stigma were intensified for older Black women due to multiple stigmatized social positions. Participants also reported experiences of marginalization in health care that hindered retention in care and ART adherence. Interventions aimed at improving HIV prevention, care, and treatment outcomes should incorporate HIV stigma reduction strategies as core elements.

Preliminary Evaluation of the NIAAA/AAP Brief Alcohol Use Screener.

To assess the concurrent validity of the two-item NIAAA/American Academy of Pediatrics Brief Alcohol Use Screener, a developmentally sensitive assessment instrument, in a school-based sample of adolescents. The sample consisted of 756 adolescents (53% girls; Mage = 13.7 years; SD = 1.6 years) in the 6th (n = 192), 8th (n = 283), and the 10th (n = 281) grades from Miami-Dade County, FL and Prince George's County, MD. Adolescents completed the NIAAA/AAP Brief Alcohol Use Screener, which consists of two items asking about adolescents' alcohol use and about peers' alcohol use during the last year. Peer-Risk is categorized into 'No Peer-Risk' versus 'Heightened Concern'; Self-Risk is categorized into 'No-Risk,' 'Low-Risk,' 'Moderate-Risk' or 'High-Risk,' based on alcohol use patterns and age. Adolescents also completed measures of recent alcohol use and four previously validated screener instruments. Relative to the self-use 'No-Risk' category, adolescents classified into the 'Low-,' 'Moderate-' and 'High-Risk' categories reported progressively greater alcohol use and misuse during the last 90 days. Similar patterns were observed between the Peer-Risk categories. Combined, the two NIAAA/AAP screener items were positively related to recent alcohol use and outperformed the other screeners examined. Results from the present study support the concurrent validity of the single and combined items of the NIAAA/AAP Brief Alcohol Use Screener, as well as the measure's favorable concurrent validity compared to four previously validated screener instruments. The current results support the concurrent validity of the single and combined items of the NIAAA/AAP Brief Alcohol Use Screener, as well as the measure's favorable concurrent validity compared to four previously validated screener instruments, in a school-based sample of adolescents.

Abstract A45: Informing community participants of research: Multiple strategies from Project HEAL

Abstract Project HEAL (Health through Early Awareness and Learning) is a community-based participatory research (CBPR) project utilizing a community health advisor (CHA) model that aims to improve cancer screening behaviors among African Americans in 14 churches throughout Prince George's County, Maryland. Participants attend a CHA-led 3-workshop series on cancer early detection that is based on three evidence-based interventions. Follow-up workshops are held at 12- and 24-months to assess project sustainability and health-related behavior change. The success of longitudinal CBPR and implementation studies such as Project HEAL rely heavily on relationship building in the early phases at all participant levels (e.g., pastor, CHA, workshop participant) and relationship maintenance throughout the study period. A key aspect of CBPR studies and maintaining rapport with participants and community members is reporting back findings in a lay accessible, health-literate fashion. Project HEAL utilized multiple strategies and channels to report data and research findings and share project-related news back to project participants: annual reports; PowerPoint presentations delivered at the 12- and 24- month follow-up workshops; and a final testimonial video featuring project pastors, CHAs, and workshop participants. Each piece was developed and implemented with health literacy, lay person accessibility, and various platform preferences (e.g., paper-based, audio [workshop presentation], video) in mind. These methods were successful in maintaining good relationships with workshop participants as shown by the 84% response rate achieved on the final participant survey 24 months after the workshop intervention. We present our experiences to provide guidance for future longitudinal implementation CBPR research in community- and faith-based contexts. Citation Format: Sherie Lou Zara Santos, Cheryl L. Holt, Mary Ann Scheirer, Muhiuddin Haider, Jimmie Slade, Roxanne Carter. Informing community participants of research: Multiple strategies from Project HEAL. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A45.

Significant Recent Developments in Maryland Regarding Character Evidence and Impeachment

This short paper was prepared as a supplement to a talk given by the author at the Prince Georges County Bar Association in Upper Marlboro, MD on March 31, 2012. Various developments in Maryland state law are discussed regarding character evidence, and impeachment of witnesses in court proceedings.

The inequitable distribution of tobacco outlet density: the role of income in two Black Mid-Atlantic geopolitical areas

ObjectivesStudies have shown that communities with higher concentrations of low-income racial and ethnic minorities correlate with a greater presence of tobacco outlets. Community-level income has consistently been among the strongest predictors of tobacco outlet density. This study analyzes two Maryland geopolitical areas with similar racial concentrations yet differing income levels in an attempt to disentangle the race–income relationship with tobacco outlet density. Study designIn this cross-sectional examination of tobacco outlet and census tract-level sociodemographic data, Baltimore City, Maryland, and Prince George's County, Maryland, were geocoded to determine tobacco outlet density. MethodsTobacco outlet density was defined as the mean number of tobacco outlets per 1000 persons per census tract. Comparisons of tobacco outlet density and sociodemographic variables were analysed via two-sample t-tests, and the direct effect of sociodemographic variables on tobacco outlet density for each area was analysed via spatial lag regressions. ResultsPrince George's County, the area with the higher income level ($77,190 vs $43,571), has a significantly lower tobacco outlet density than Baltimore City (P < 0.001). Prince George's County has a 67.5% Black population and an average of 3.94 tobacco outlets per 1000 persons per tract. By contrast, Baltimore City has a 65.3% Black population and an average of 7.95 tobacco outlets per 1000 persons per tract. Spatial lag regression model results indicate an inverse relationship between income and tobacco outlet density in Baltimore City and Prince George's County (β = −0.03, P < 0.01 &β = −0.01, P = 0.02, respectively), and a significant interaction term indicating a greater magnitude in the relationship between income and tobacco outlet density in Baltimore City (β = −0.05, P < 0.01). ConclusionResults suggest that higher socio-economic status, even in primarily underrepresented racial and ethnic geopolitical areas, is linked to lower tobacco outlet density.

Abstract A86: Challenges and opportunities for increasing the rates of HPV vaccination

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the association between awareness of human papillomavirus (HPV), cervical cancer, and HPV vaccine and intention to vaccinate preteens and teens against HPV. Background: Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, and results in 14 million new cases each year. Around 50% of new HPV infections occur among persons aged 15-24 years old. Cervical cancer is primarily attributable to HPV, and the yearly cost of cervical cancer screening as well as treatment of HPV-related diseases is around $8 billion. In 2009, around 35,000 HPV-related cancers were reported in the United States. The level of coverage for 3 HPV vaccine doses for females aged 13-15 years was only 30% in 2011. This is far below the 80% target coverage level set by Healthy People 2020. The 2013 National Immunization Survey-Teen found that only 50% of Maryland females aged 13-17 years and only 34.2% of male adolescents reported beginning the HPV vaccine series. According to the 2013 Maryland Cancer Data, Maryland had the 25th highest cervical cancer mortality rate from 2006-2010. During these years, more black women were diagnosed with cervical cancer than White women, and their rate of cervical cancer incidence has been increasing at a rate of 4.9% more per year than white women. We investigate the relationship between HPV, cervical cancer, and HPV vaccine awareness and intention to vaccinate preteens and teens against HPV. Methods: Utilizing the principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR), the Johns Hopkins Center to Reduce Cancer Disparities, in collaboration with its Community Advisory Groups in Baltimore City and Prince George's County, developed and implemented a survey to assess the knowledge, awareness and behavioral intentions on cervical cancer, HPV and HPV vaccine. The study was approved by the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine's Institutional Review Board and implemented between March 2015 and July 2015 in Baltimore City and Prince George's County. Four hundred and three individuals recruited through community events completed the assessment. Upon completion of the assessment, participants were given feedback on their responses to address any knowledge gap and educational materials. Binary and multinomial logistic regression were used to determine the association between awareness of HPV, cervical cancer, and HPV vaccine and intention to vaccinate children between the ages of 11 and 18 years against HPV. Results: The majority of study participants were female (78%), black or African American (87%), have at least one year of college or technical school (55%) and have an annual household income of less $20,000 (38%). Awareness of the existing of HPV vaccine is significantly associated (OR=2.54, P&amp;lt;0.0007, CI 1.487-4.355) with the intention to vaccinate children against HPV. We also found that individuals who never heard of the HPV vaccine are significantly less likely (OR=0.394, p&amp;lt;0.0007, CI 0.230-0.673) to vaccinate their children against HPV than those who have heard of the vaccine. Furthermore, those who are aware of HPV are significantly more likely to know that HPV can cause cervical cancer (OR=5.25, P&amp;lt;0.0001, CI 3.272-8.454) and to know that HPV is transmitted through sexual contact (OR=3.66, P&amp;lt;0.0001, CI 2.199-6.100) compared to those who never heard of HPV. Conclusion: Awareness of HPV, cervical cancer, and HPV vaccine are significantly associated the intention to vaccinate children between the ages of 11 and 18 years against HPV. Increasing knowledge of cervical cancer and the importance of HPV vaccination among parents and caretakers of preteens and teens have the potential to increase the rates of HPV vaccination and prevent future cervical cancers. More research is needed to explore other factors that are related to HPV vaccination. Citation Format: Ahmed Elmi, Saad Tassaduq, Olive Mbah, Ashleigh DeFries, Lee Bone, Anjani Kapadia, Theron Scott, Nichole Tuite, Adrian Dobs. Challenges and opportunities for increasing the rates of HPV vaccination. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eighth AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 13-16, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016;25(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A86.

Social Movements Against Racist Police Brutality and Department of Justice Intervention in Prince George's County, Maryland.

Racist police brutality has been systemic in Prince George's County, Maryland. The victims include African Americans, the mentally challenged, and immigrant populations, creating a complex and uneven public health impact. Three threads characterize the social movements and intervention since 1970. First, a significant demographic shift occurred as African Americans became the majority population in the late 1980s when the first Black county executive was elected in 1994. Despite the change in political leadership, police brutality remained rampant. Lower-income households located close to the District of Columbia and "inside the beltway" experienced the most police brutality. In 2001, The Washington Post revealed that between 1990 and 2000, Prince George's police shot and killed more citizens per officer than any of the 50 largest city and county law enforcement agencies in the country, 84% of whom were black. Of the 147 persons shot during the 1990s, 12 were mentally and/or emotionally disturbed; 6 of these shootings were fatal. Second, resistance to police brutality emerged in a variety of political formations throughout the period, especially in the late 1990s. Sustained community pressure prompted the Department of Justice (DOJ) to open a civil rights investigation of the police department in November 2000. To avoid a potential federal lawsuit, the county leadership negotiated a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the DOJ to enact policy reforms, part of which called for supplementing the departmental mobile crisis team, comprised of mental health care professionals, to respond to all cases involving mentally challenged citizens. Third, the incomplete process of change subsequent to the ending of DOJ oversight suggests a continued challenge to social movements opposing police brutality. This study focuses on the effectiveness of the MOA along with the activism of the People's Coalition for Police Accountability (PCPA) in reforming a culture of police brutality. The intensive oversight by the DOJ, combined with engaged resident activism, reduced the incidences of police brutality during the period 2004-2013. Since the termination of DOJ oversight, disturbing developments suggest the need for continued and sustained activism. Since 2010, county police officers have fatally shot 21 people, several in questionable circumstances. At the same time, the Prince George's Police Department has received more tactical military weaponry than any other jurisdiction in the state of Maryland under the 1033 program of the National Defense Authorization Act.

Juvenile Curfew Effects on Criminal Behavior and Victimization: A Systematic Review

The evidence suggests that juvenile curfews do not reduce crime or victimization. Curfews restrict youth below a certain –usually 17 or 18 –from public places during nighttime. For example, the Prince George's County, Maryland, curfew ordinance restricts youth younger than 17 from public places between 10 P.M. and 5 A.M. on weekdays and between midnight and 5 A.M. on weekends. Sanctions range from a fine that increases with each offense, community service, and restrictions on a youth's driver's license. Close to three quarters of US cities have curfews, which are also used in Iceland. A juvenile curfew has common sense appeal: keep youth at home during the late night and early morning hours and you will prevent them from committing a crime or being a victim of a crime. In addition, the potential for fines or other sanctions deter youth from being out in a public place during curfew hours.

Race and Belonging in School: How Anticipated and Experienced Belonging Affect Choice, Persistence, and Performance

Background/Context A sense of belonging in school is a complex construct that relies heavily on students’ perceptions of the educational environment, especially their relationships with other students. Some research suggests that a sense of belonging in school is important to all students. However, we argue that the nature and meaning of belonging in school is different for students targeted by negative racial stereotypes—such as African American, Latino/a, Native American, and some Asian American students. Our conceptual framework draws upon stigma and stereotype threat theory and, specifically, the concept of belonging uncertainty, to explore how concerns about belonging in academic contexts may have different meaning for—and thus differentially affect the academic outcomes of—White students compared with underrepresented racial and ethnic minority students. Purpose/Objective Although feelings of belonging are important to all students, there are reasons to believe that students from stigmatized racial and ethnic groups may have especially salient concerns about belonging in school because their social identities make them vulnerable to negative stereotyping and social identity threat. Three studies examined how college and middle school students’ feelings of belonging at school relate to their academic aspirations, motivation, and performance. Research Design One experiment (Study 1) and two longitudinal studies (Studies 2-3) examined the influence of belonging among students in different educational settings. Study 1 examined first year college students’ social representations of the kinds of students that comprised various majors on campus and their self-reported sense of belonging in those majors. Study 2 examined middle school students’ self-reported sense of belonging and how it related to their educational goals and efficacy. Study 3 examined college students’ belonging and its relationship to academic performance one year later. Setting The settings for the three studies varied. The setting for Study 1 was a large, urban, public university in a major Midwestern city that is racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse. The setting for Study 2 was Prince George's County, a predominantly African American, largely middle-class county near Washington, DC from which the student sample of middle school students was drawn. The setting for Study 3 was a large predominantly White “flagship” university located in a Midwest college town. Data Collection and Analysis Findings revealed that college students’ anticipated sense of belonging in various college majors was predicted by their social representations of the students that comprised those majors. Both White students and students of color anticipated more belonging in majors where they perceived their group to be represented. In Study 2, middle school students’ self-reported belonging in school predicted educational efficacy and ambitions of African American middle school students, but not of White students. Finally, in Study 3, self-reported feelings of belonging in the first weeks of college predicted second semester grades (from university transcripts) among stigmatized college students of color, but not White college students (Study 3). Taken together, we suggest a more nuanced understanding of belonging is essential to creating supportive schools for everyone.

Abstract A28: Enrolling African Americans into a cancer-related biobank

Abstract Background: Biobanks serve as essential resources for genetic and public health research. Despite their potential utility in elucidation of cancer susceptibility and development of novel cancer surveillance, diagnostic, and therapeutic approaches, most genomic research studies rely on samples with limited ethnic diversity. There is also a suggestion that disparities in participation in cancer biospecimen research have already translated into fewer efficacious treatments for under-represented groups. Inclusion of more diverse populations in biospecimen banks could ultimately contribute to a reduction in disparities in cancer morbidity and mortality that adversely impact U.S. minority groups. Research Objectives: We hypothesized that a deliberative group consent process related to cancer biobank donation would increase African American community engagement, foster an open dialogue between community members and researchers present at the discussion, allow participants to have their concerns addressed, and improve community members' knowledge and attitudes, leading to donation of biospecimens. Methods: We employed a two-stage study design. During the first stage, the Johns Hopkins Center to Reduce Cancer Disparities (JHCRCD) used a Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) framework that explored the knowledge and attitudes of African American adults in Maryland regarding participation in a cancer biospecimen repository. We completed eight focus groups with primarily African American communities in Baltimore City and Prince George's County. Results: Stage-one results indicate that African American residents of Baltimore and Prince Georges County face limited understanding and lack of awareness in genetics and genomics. Our baseline analyses revealed limited community knowledge about biobanking and initial reluctance to donate biospecimen samples. Some participants expressed distrust in the research enterprise. After some discussion, however, participants were able to identify personal, familial, and societal benefits to participation. Moreover, focus group participants identified a number of strategies to overcome concerns and to enhance participation, including mechanisms for enhanced communication with researchers and suggestions related to building the biobank's community presence. In spite of initial concerns expressed during the focus groups, most participants stated their willingness to donate a specimen in the future if their concerns were properly addressed. Conclusions and Next Steps: Future reductions in cancer morbidity and mortality among minority groups will depend upon increasing the diversity of populations donating samples. The proposed project will provide data to support early communication and transparency to build community trust from the earliest stages of the cancer research process. Stage two of the project will commence in September of 2014. During the second stage, we propose: (a) To examine the impact of a deliberative group consent process on community members' attitudes and knowledge related to donating specimens to a pilot cancer biobank; (b) To identify participant characteristics (including genetic literacy, educational status, gender, personal cancer history, family cancer history, attitudes, and knowledge) that predict actual donation to a pilot cancer biobank; and (c) To create a pilot (small scale) cancer biobank with samples from the African American community for use in future genomic and epigenomic studies Citation Format: Fahcina P. Lawson, Oluwasina Folawiyo, Francesca Pirini, Blanca L. Valle, David Sidransky, Jean Ford, Lori Erby, Rafael Guerrero-Preston. Enrolling African Americans into a cancer-related biobank. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Seventh AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 9-12, 2014; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2015;24(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A28.

The Lived Experience with Christianity and Teenage African-American Females' Perceptions of their Self-Esteem

The purpose of this study was to discover the connection between the lived experiences with Christianity of teenage African-American females ages 16 to 18 and their self-esteem by exploring their lived experiences with this form of faith. The participants in the study were African-American females who all attended church at a large, predominantly African-American congregation in Prince George's County Maryland, identified by the initials MEBC. All of the participants had a belief in God and used prayer to exercise that belief. The average age of the participants was 17.25. Their level of education ranged from completion of 11th grade to completion of the first year of college with an average of 11.65 years of education. All of the participants live in Prince George's County, Maryland, in the cities of Clinton, Waldorf, and Capital Heights. Three of the participants were raised in two-parent families and the other five were raised in single-parent homes. This qualitative inquiry used a phenomenological design. A total of five main themes emerged from the data: (a) prayer to God, (b) believe in God, (c) high self-esteem based on Christian values, (d) Christian walk impacts self-esteem, and (e) seeking help from God.

Media Review: Music Education in Prince George's County, Maryland, from 1950 to 1992

Moore, Judy W Music Education in Prince George's County, Maryland, from 1950 to 1992. Saarbrucken, Germany: Scholars' Press, 2013. 264 pp. Paperback. ISBN 978-3-6395-1288-5, $114.95. Judy Moore's Music Education in Prince Georges County, Maryland, from 1950 to 1992 is a welcome addition to the body of work about the history of regional music education. Within this book, the author chronicles a pressing need in the research. Moore explores a historical period that experienced societal change, desegregation, the civil rights law, and school busing laws that attempted to create socioeconomic balance in schools. Moore's thorough research and interesting narrative includes interviews and an oral history of three prominent music educators whose professional lives, dedication to the profession, and service to the students of Prince George's County, Maryland, served as the impetus for this work. In addition, she embraced the arduous task of interviewing twenty-three other professionals, from the school district and towns that compose the county, to create the story of music education during the turbulent years of 1950 to 1992. The three featured music educators dedicated to the profession and provided music education to students despite the and dramatic changes that existed. Moore notes that they remained almost oblivious to riots, shortfalls, and political turmoil (46). The book contains seven diverse and thorough chapters (Introduction; Historical Underpinnings; Winds of Change; The Life and Times of Leroy Battle; Maurice Allison; Dorothy Pickard; and Finale) and appendixes. Within each chapter, Moore explores, in depth, the realities associated with the establishment and preservation of music education in Prince George's County. Chapter 1 provides readers with a broad overview of the book and the larger project. Moore includes the research questions that guided her work and directed her toward oral history resources. Of note is her inclusion of similar studies that addressed music education during the desegregation era, particularly the study that examined the Chicago public schools and their use of Title I grants to fund instrumental music programs. When the federal government no longer funded these grants, the school board sought to eliminate elective programs including instrumental music. MENC and other national politicians-- including Jesse Jackson--successfully led a campaign to save them. Chapter 2 delves into the social upheaval and changes resulting from the civil rights era, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and desegregation efforts. Moore interviewed Virginia Sims, the vocal music supervisor in Prince George's County during the late 1960s. Sims discussed the desegregation effort and how her junior high school principal brought faculty and students together to discuss the upcoming changes. Sims remains convinced that this forward-thinking action saved the school from much turmoil. In chapter 3 Moore recounts the resistance, beginning in 1954, of the Prince George's County School Board to embrace desegregation of its schools. She indicates the school board exercised tactics to delay the desegregation of the schools [and that the school superintendent was] recalcitrant and unwilling to permit blacks to sit next to whites in the classroom (46). Furthermore, she provides an in-depth view of two severe budget storms that nearly resulted in the elimination of school music. Owing to the support of the community, parents, and the conductor of the National Symphony in Washington, D.C., the programs were retained. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 discuss the influence of three significant music education figures in the Prince George's County Schools: Leroy Boots Battle, Maurice Bud Allison, and Dorothy Pickard. …