We conducted a community assessment utilizing the THRIVE (Tool for Health Resilience in Vulnerable Populations) tool to understand if and how 12 social determinants of health conditions in Galveston influence the racial inequity in school discipline across three categories: People, Opportunity, and Place. Data regarding protective factors and resilience, risk factors and disparities, and qualitative perceptions were collected for these factors from various resources: analyses of poems from GISD and Juvenile Hall students, community surveys, and local and national data.

Through our “Difficult Conversations,” a series of 13 public-invite meetings July through October 2020 we engaged with the broader community in reviewing our assessment results and to advise us on how to move forward. Each meeting focused on a specific THRIVE factor and closed with a question to engage community members in discussion and to get their advice on solutions.

More than 100 different people attended our difficult conversations that we live streamed on our Facebook page to share their experiences and discuss the topics. You can still watch these conversations on our facebook page! ‘

At the end of our Difficult Conversations series, the community identified their top priorities of factors that influence the racial inequities in the school district: Education, Social Networks & Trust, Arts & Cultural Expression, Norms and Culture, and Being & Becoming. 

Since then, and with our partners, we’ve been doing what we can in these areas to support and empower our black youth and their families.