4-H Programming with African American Youth

The 4-H Program Leaders Working Group, Access, Equity, and Belonging Committee (AEBC) has joined with the 4-H Thriving Model Taskforce to ensure this nationally adopted model is explored and utilized through an equity lens.

The vast diversity of African American youth served by Extension professionals is robust. The diversity of cultures within African American communities requires an Extension professional first to familiarize themselves with the unique culture, socio-economic ecosystem, and history of the cultural group they plan to work with to ensure a level of success. An equity lens will allow an Extension practitioner to understand the specific conditions they must consider when planning to program with African American youth.

The term African American will be used interchangeably with Black to acknowledge the heterogeneity of populations of African descent and to provide inclusive language that captures the multiple ethnicities of this broad group of individuals. Understanding resilience and strength among African American youth also requires acknowledging their experience in the United States and recognizing the continuing legacy of oppression and discrimination that affects their daily lives.

Educators need to understand the educational and social inequities related to race, social class, gender, and the specifics of the political economy in the U.S. This understanding serves as a key element to creating successful, sustainable, and thriving relationships with African American communities. This awareness increases the possibility of supporting African American youths’ thriving. Community relationships must be grounded in trust, respect, honesty, transparency, flexibility, adaptability, kindness, patience, compassion, caring, fun, and shared values. For these relationships to develop, youth development professionals must increase their understanding of the African American experience.

The following competencies were adapted from the 4-H Professional, Research, Knowledge, and Competencies (United States Department of Agriculture, 2017):

• Recognizing cultural differences and how those differences impact needs and participation in programs.
• Acknowledging and accepting cultural differences, including family values and strengths, and the positive effects those differences may have on behavior and development.
• Developing cultural competence and responsiveness to the realities of African American youth is essential to serving children and youth respectfully and effectively.
• Recognizing the types of experiences that foster deeper engagement and participation.
• Creating community relationships and partnerships will support and build capacity to provide the foundation for community change.
• Understanding the community's local needs will enhance youth development.
• Eliminating negative stereotypes of people of color in programming activities.
• Promoting an inclusive and collaborative youth development philosophy by fostering peer learning with Black community partners and colleagues.
• Utilizing culturally appropriate resources and making programmatic adaptations to be inclusive.

Participation in 4-H
4-H Educators who successfully implement the elements of belonging and participation:

• Foster a positive relationship with a caring adult who is an advisor, guide, and mentor. The adult helps set boundaries and expectations for young people. The adult could be called a supporter, friend, or advocate.
• Develop and support an inclusive environment for African American youth that acknowledges and understands the unique attributes of their race and ethnicity, shaping a more profound sense of belonging and encouraging and supporting them with positive and specific feedback.
• Celebrate the success of all members while taking pride in the collective efforts of all participants.
• Create a safe emotional and physical environment free of microaggressions, bias, and discriminatory practices that can cause emotional harm. Youth should not fear physical or emotional harm while participating in a 4-H experience, whether from the learning environment or adults, other participants, or spectators (Essential Elements of 4-H Youth Development, 2016).

Community Relationships and Partners
Strategic partnerships, outreach strategies, and trust will help drive meaningful results to address equity, access, and belonging among African American youth. Creating community relationships and partnerships among public and private organizations will support and build capacity for community change. Various 4-H programs have taken place through partnerships with community and school organizations such as afterschool programs, Boys and Girls Clubs, urban agriculture sites (community gardens, urban farms), schools, community centers, youth service departments, faith-based organizations, and civic groups. Community partners can be organizations, groups, or individuals with a like-minded mission/vision who want to collaborate to create a synergistic effect supporting startup ecosystems (Riegle-Crumb et al., 2012).

For any educator willing to establish a strong partnership foundation in and among Black communities, all eight key pillars should be considered. For example, transparency about your mission, purpose, and goals clarifies priorities and establishes a foundation for growth. Genuinely caring and showing compassion for others help to build trust among organizations. Virtues such as honesty and integrity promote good character and consistency, which deliver results for positive change. It is also essential to stay relevant and current on trends to increase competency skills as more knowledge is gained. Connection within relationships and a commitment to make a difference helps to maintain key community partnerships.

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