The IAM! Experience: Black Young Men Building Capacity (BYMBC

fisk university's community based research in action

The IAM! Experience1 is a collaborative effort between Vanderbilt and Fisk Universities in its fourth year. IAM! (the acronym stands for Inspired, Aware, and Making It Happen!) is a community-based research and intervention initiative designed to foster healthier racial, spiritual, and sexual identities among black men who have sex with men (BMSM) ages 18-24 years old in Nashville, Tennessee. Knowledge and strategies from the intervention program help combat HIV and Hepatitis C (Hep-C) among BMSM. Currently young black males (between ages 18 and 24 years old) have the greatest tendency to acquire and succumb to HIV and AIDS. Moreover, Hep-C rates are growing in this same population. In response to these health challenges, Dr. Sandra L. Barnes, Professor in the Department of Human and Organizational Development and the Divinity School at Vanderbilt University wrote and received a $1.5 million, 5-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to implement an evidence-based intervention tailored specifically for this target population. Dr. Leslie V. Collins, Assistant Professor in the Behavioral Sciences and Education Department at Fisk University, serves as the Fisk University liason and Program Evaluator for the initiative.

The intervention is designed to prevent or reduce substance use, reduce sexual risk factors to prevent new HIV and Hep-C infection occurrences, and decrease transmission among BMSM. Project goals include the following: 1. Build on existing capacities of stakeholders to provide a coordinated continuum of culturally appropriate outreach and risk-reduction workshops 2. Provide access to services and care, for young BMSM 3. Leverage young men’s networks and social skills to raise consciousness about HIV, Hep-C, and available services how the iam! experience works The IAM! Experience combines extensive outreach, awareness raising, and testing efforts with prevention education based on d-up: Defend Yourself! (d-Up!) curriculum presented during an intensive two-day workshop. d-Up! integrates culturally relevant messages, materials, and activities to educate, equip, and empower participants (called opinion leaders) about healthier decision-making and the ability to engage in risk-reduction conversations about subjects such as proper condom usage, Prep, and self-care. d-Up! taps into existing social networks among BMSM to promote its message. After program completion, participants are better prepared to influence their peers to engage in healthier decision-making that reduces risk. In addition, the IAM! team’s strategic use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to recruit potential opinion leaders compliments the two-day workshops. After program completion, opinion leaders can collectively create public service announcements (PSAs) that are posted on the IAM! website. In addition to the weekend intervention, IAM! sponsors bi-monthly events focused on issues that specifically affect BMSM such as toxic masculinity, race and racism, spiritual health and self-care. These activities provide informal spaces where participants garner additional knowledge and skills, strengthen and maintain connections formed during initial meetings, as well as continue to develop networks. IAM! also includes a research component to evaluate outcomes and chronicle the project’s development and implementation. In addition to providing crucial administrative leadership on Fisk’s campus, Dr. Leslie Collins’ program evaluations help document and assess project effectiveness. Data are used in real time to tailor the program ensuring its relevance to IAM! participants. the iam! experience participants Twelve cycles of the IAM! intervention has been completed; 169 BMSM have participated. Figures 1-3 summarize details regarding age, education level, and employment status for participants. Opinion leaders vary in age from 18 to 31 years old; the average age is 23 years old (see Figure 1 below). Ninety-six percent of participants identify their gender as male; 4% identify as transgender.

Participants education levels vary (Figure 2). However, most participants completed high school (n=78) and are full time college students from Fisk, Tennessee State, and Vanderbilt Universities (n= 66). Fifty-six percent live in campus housing. Moreover, most participants report being employed either full- (n= 57) or part-time (n= 35) (Figure 3). The majority of participants report being single and never married or permanently partnered.

Over the past four years, the IAM! staff have administered approximately 450 HIV and 100 Hepatitis C tests. They have also partnered with Tennessee State, Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt as well as community organizations such as My House and the First Response Center to extend the services available to BMSM. For more information about the IAM! Experience, refer to the website at www.iamexperiencenashville.com.

Dr. Sandra L. Barnes is a joint appointed Sociology Professor in the Department of Human and Organizational Development in Peabody College and the Divinity School. She is the Principal Investigator and lead advocate for the IAM! Experience project. Dr. Barnes oversees all aspects of the intervention and research project. The IAM! Experience is her brain child. Dr. Barnes obtained a B.S. in Economics and Mathematics from Fisk University, an M.S. degree in systems and industrial engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, M.A. degree in Sociology of Religion and Christian Education from the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC), and Ph.D. in sociology from Georgia State University. Her research focuses on religion, urban sociology, inequality, education, and social justice. According to Dr. Barnes, “I am pleased to partner with Fisk University and work with young persons to hone their existing capacities. The entire IAM! team is committed and passionate about serving the BMSM community.” Dr. Leslie V. Collins has served as the Fisk University liaison for the IAM! Experience for a year and the project’s Program Evaluator since its inception. Dr. Collins’s primary responsibilities include data collection, analyses and producing information to enhance the intervention. Dr. Collins is an Assistant Professor in the Behavioral Sciences and Education Department at Fisk University. Dr. Collins received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Fisk University in Psychology and Philosophy, a Master of Education degree in Human Development Counseling as well as Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Community Research and Action from Vanderbilt University. She is “honored that she has been afforded the opportunity to use her education and training to serve the community.” Carlin Rushing has been the Program Coordinator for the IAM! Experience for the past 4 years. Carlin ensures that the day-to-day operation of the intervention runs smoothly. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Spelman College and a Master’s degree from Vanderbilt Divinity School with certificates from both the Carpenter Program in Religion and Sexuality and the Kelly Miller Smith Institute on Black Church Studies. She brings to this position over eight years of innovative programming experience, having served as the Program Coordinator for the Nashville Mobile Market and the Program Coordinator Fellow for the Carpenter Program in Religion, Gender, and Sexuality. Antonio McFadden is the Lead Health Education Specialist and has worked with the IAM! Experience for 3 years. Antonio is responsible for implementing testing efforts, participant recruitment, facilitating weekend retreats, and outreach to participants on a daily basis. According to Antonio, the experience has given him the opportunity “to build community, connect and be a positive influence for young MSM.” Antonio works to create safe spaces for all persons who participate in IAM!

Montez Holton serves as a Health Education Specialist at Fisk University for 1 year. His primary responsibilities include coordinating social media marketing efforts as well as co-facilitating weekend workshops, assisting with testing, and building relationships with community stakeholders. Montez is business administration major with a concentration in management and sociology at Fisk University. He plans to attend graduate school and obtain a Master’s degree in Business Administration upon graduation. My career goals are to work in healthcare administration and then transitioning into an entrepreneur. When asked about his experience as working with the IAM experience, he replied, "It takes a village to make a difference and we are creating a village of resources and tools to make a positive impact with or various community partners and collaborators.

This article was written by Leslie V. Collins Assistant Professor in the Behavioral Sciences Department

Faculty feature dr. la tanya l. rogers

Dr. La Tanya L. Rogers is a new Associate Professor of Literature and Drama at Fisk University, as of fall 2019. She is excited to join the English Department at Fisk where she has found the students to be engaged, inquisitive, and extremely talented. She holds the first-ever earned “Certificate in College and University Faculty Preparation” from Howard University in Washington, DC, and a doctorate in literature and drama from there as well. At Fisk University, Dr. Rogers teaches African American Literature, Black Masculinity, Modern Drama, Harlem Renaissance, and English Composition. She has been credited with revolutionizing the way her students approach writing, critical thinking, and contemporary world affairs. Guest speakers from all over the city of Nashville joined the course to share their professional expertise with students and to learn about how the students are using writing to impact global change. “There is no way to teach in the contemporary classroom,” Dr. Rogers notes, “without hearing from the experts. Plus, I am committed to facilitating learning by adding videos, geography lessons, critical investigations, group practice, and call and response to every class meeting.”

Dr. Rogers’s Fall 2019 English Composition course explored the intersections of food, money, and world culture with experts from the Tennessee Department of Health, while the Black Masculinity class launched a speaker series called “R.E.P. Black Masculinity.” Very quickly, R.E.P. became a student favorite because it showcased Black male exemplars from around campus, including Joseph Watkins (Chief of Staff ), Willie Jude (VP of Student Affairs), and Jamal Sheats (Director & Curator of the Fisk U. Galleries). John Reese, former director of the National Head Start Association, kicked off the series. Through the speakers, R.E.P. allowed students to try on career and life possibilities without ever leaving the classroom. Dr. Rogers has lived, worked, and conducted research abroad in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Madrid, Spain, where she served as an interpreter/translator for the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service, U.S. Embassy. Because of this exposure, Dr. Rogers not only leads students on a literary exploration of African American Literature in her courses, but also on a global one to the countries where famous, Black-American writers held residence, such as Germany, Ghana, and the United Kingdom, to name a few. Dr. Rogers has led nearly 100 students on study-abroad tours to countries such as: France, Italy, Spain, Morocco, and Egypt. This May 2020, she will lead Fisk and University of DC students, administrators, and faculty on a 10-day educational tour of Italy and Greece. The Fisk Family is welcomed to enroll. Dr. Rogers has published articles on subjects ranging from economic status in Brazil to Harlem Renaissance writers in the United States. Her primary research interest, however, is in the work of contemporary female playwrights, such as Suzan-Lori Parks and Dominique Morisseau. Dr. Rogers is currently crafting a manuscript on Parks’ prize-winning plays: The America Play, Topdog/ Underdog, and The Red Letter Plays. Every semester, she takes her students to plays in the city, including to Once on This Island (with Professor Persephone Felder-Fentress) and to Pipeline, in which Belmont, Tennessee State, and Vanderbilt University students convened for the fall 2019 performance. On campus, Dr. La Tanya Rogers is an active member of numerous, critical initiatives, including the SACS Reaccreditation Committee, Global Initiatives Committee, and the English Discipline Committee. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; Sigma Tau Delta (International English Honor Society); and the College Language Association (CLA, life member). She is the regional vice president and conference planner for the College English Association – Middle Atlantic Group. Dr. Rogers—a former assistant dean of academic student affairs—is a founding member of the Edward Alexander Bouchét National Graduate Honor Society, a partnership with Howard and Yale Universities.