History is essential in understanding the present. The Utah African American community is well aware of the reality of social inequality. Distinct social patterns of unequal access to resources have resulted and are a part of the current reality. This knowledge base must inform our overall strategies for tobacco control and disparity intervention if we are to be successful.
Community is central to our success. The Utah African American community is a complex configuration of social, cultural and geographic realities, but we are One. It is with this understanding that our efforts begin and end within the African American community.
Help comes from within and without. The Utah African American community does not function in isolation. We are a part of a greater whole. We must serve in a leadership role in efforts to eliminate tobacco-related disparities with our community but we must do it in concert with others.
Industry regulation and public policy play key roles. We must move from crisis intervention in our communities to building models with core elements that guide our work and sustain our communities. Those models include major changes in industry regulation and city/county polices. We are seeking sustained change at all levels.