New Study Examines

Cultural Competence in Disaster Planning and Response

Washington, D.C., September 8, 2008 – The Joint Center for Political & Economic Studies, Health Policy Institute, released a report authored by Dr. Karyn Trader-Leigh, (CEO, KTA Global Partners, LLC) entitled, “Understanding the Role of the African American Churches and Clergy in Community Crisis Response.”

This paper is one of a series of papers exploring public policy reforms and disaster mitigation.  The project provides a broad prospective of the Black church response in meeting community needs during crisis.  The report examines the Katrina-related experiences of African American  and other minority clergy to assure that lessons learned will aid in future disaster preparedness planning and policy reforms.  Additionally, it outlines a comprehensive set of remedies to ensure African American ministers and their churches are key participants in any and all disaster preparedness planning, recovery and reconstruction efforts in the future.

“The African America Church is more prepared now, having had a rehearsal that

 none of us  wanted.”  [Quote from African American minister in Katrina’s aftermath].

The report documents the failure of government and non-profit agencies to include faith institutions as a vital cultural and community based resource in responding to the aftermath of Katrina.  The study points to the need for diverse and culturally competent disaster planning and response capacity. KTA Global Partners has had the privilege of working on a number of research studies for the Joint Center on issues of concern to African Americans and other communities of color. 

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Dr. Karyn Trader-Leigh is founder of Karyn Trader & Associates Global Partners (KTA).  KTA Global Partners specializes in diversity and cultural competence, leadership development, managing change, and public policy research.  KTA works with multiple private and non-profit sectors and major foundations in the design and implementation of complex change initiatives and capacity building.