"Racism still exists": a public health intervention using racism "countermarketing" outdoor advertising in a Black neighborhood

J Urban Health. 2014 Oct;91(5):851-72. doi: 10.1007/s11524-014-9873-8.

Abstract

The negative health effects of racism have been well documented, but how to intervene to redress these effects has been little studied. This study reports on RISE (Racism Still Exists), a high-risk, high-reward public health intervention that used outdoor advertising to disseminate a "countermarketing" campaign in New York City (NYC). Over 6 months, the campaign advertised stark facts about the persistence of racism in the USA. A probability sample of N = 144 participants from two predominantly Black NYC neighborhoods completed measures of health status, health behaviors, and social attitudes. Three months postintervention, statistically significant declines in psychological distress were seen among study participants who were exposed to the campaign compared to those who were not. There were no changes in other hypothesized outcomes. The campaign also generated significant public discourse, particularly in social media. The results suggest that racism countermarketing campaigns may have promise as a community-based intervention to address health inequalities.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Attitude*
  • Black or African American / psychology*
  • Health Behavior / ethnology*
  • Health Promotion / methods*
  • Health Status Disparities
  • Humans
  • New York City
  • Public Health
  • Racism / psychology*
  • Residence Characteristics
  • Social Marketing
  • Stress, Psychological / psychology