ARCC Learning Exchange: A Reaffirmation of the Collective
Community Members, Faculty, Staff Come Together to Build Stronger Future
“In a world where so much seeks to divide us, may this moment always remind us of our shared humanity and our collective strength,” says Sherida Morrison, Associate Director of Alliance for Research in Chicagoland Communities (ARCC). “We release the divisiveness that keeps us apart, and we embrace a spirit of togetherness and healing.”
Morrison opened the final ARCC Learning Exchange of 2024 with a powerful message: as health disparities persist, fostering meaningful partnerships between communities and research institutions is critical. The event served as a vital space for collaboration, education, and action in pursuit of health equity. Held in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood, the latest gathering continued ARCC’s mission, bridging community leaders, researchers, and healthcare professionals to communicate insights that advance equity-driven research.
Attend March 20 Learning Exchange
ARCC has been hosting events like the Learning Exchanges since its founding in 2008.
“This work is all about relationships. It’s important to have spaces for people to convene, connect and learn with and from each other and different perspectives,” says Jen Brown, ARCC director. “Having the opportunity to hear concrete examples of the impacts of combining community and academic expertise to deepen learnings and actions to better support community health equity is inspirational.”
As community-driven research continues to expand, Learning Exchanges provide a platform for discussions on policy advocacy, public health initiatives, and data activism. Cory Bradley, assistant professor in Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern and an ARCC steering committee member, reinforced the significance of these engagements in bridging the gap between academic research and community needs.
“It provides an opportunity to think about the reach of community-academic partnerships and how the process of knowledge pursuit and production in the partnership builds bigger capacities that manifest in policy decisions, service opportunities that were previously less visible, and nurtures important dialogues in our respective fields that many are just not having. The absence of those insights is consequential,” Bradley says.
Throughout the event, ARCC seed grantees highlighted initiatives and research projects designed to promote health equity. Priyanka Reddy, MD, health equity organizer at the Southwest Organizing Project, discussed successes in vaccine equity efforts in Chicagoland — an example being the 60629 zip code. She underscored the necessity of broadening research focuses to address systemic barriers such as food security.
Nora Kropp, a certified professional midwife representing the Black Midwifery Collective, discussed efforts to legalize non-nurse midwifery programs at City Colleges. Her presentation stressed the need for culturally congruent maternal care, particularly for Black and Indigenous people.
Next Learning Exchange
- March 20: 12-4 p.m.
- McKinley Park Community
- Register Today
Presentation: ARCC 2025 Partnership Award Winner, "PrEP4Teens: Partnership to strengthen Chicago teens’ sexual health through an arts and advocacy-focused social marketing and community mobilization education campaign"
Kiarri Kershaw, a Northwestern professor of Preventive Medicine, detailed her research partnership with the Black Midwifery Collective, which has led to the development of a strategic plan for promoting reproductive and birth justice. She addressed the importance of community-driven research in shaping policy and addressing gaps in public health.
The event concluded with a reaffirmation of the collective commitment to health equity. Participants reflected on the resilience and perseverance required to combat systemic inequities in breakout sessions, ultimately celebrating the progress achieved through collaborative research and advocacy.
As the Learning Exchange continues to expand, so does its impact. Through their commitment to centering community expertise, Northwestern Medicine and ARCC reaffirm their dedication to transformative research and better health outcomes.
Bradley summarized the spirit of the gathering:
“Despite the dehumanizing rhetoric deployed against populations who have been marginalized, disadvantaged, and disenfranchised, we will continue to move forward and with even more tenacity and resistance. The hugs are never lost on me. It’s good to be with my village!”
Written by Alex Miranda
