Greetings! I am Aaron Redda a doctoral student in the College of Communication and Information Sciences at The University of Alabama. I have created this Diversity & Inclusion ePortfolio (D&I-eP) as part of my work for the CIS 650 (Applying Diversity Leadership Theories & Praxis) course during Spring 2025.In my D&I-eP, I analyze existing diversity and inclusion responses focused on cancer prevention among underserved populations through early screening and lifestyle interventions such as smoking cessation and alcohol reduction. This project was conducted in collaboration with Emlane Social, a health and wellness digital media company based in Tallahassee, Florida, committed to addressing health disparities impacting African American communities.
On this page, I outline the scope and plan for my diversity and inclusion project, highlighting its goals, significance, and alignment with the mission of Emlane Social The content includes an analysis of the project’s relevance to the local environment and targeted populations, the barriers and inequities these communities face, and the methodological and theoretical approaches guiding the work. Through this community-centered initiative, I aim to propose responsive strategies that promote health equity, cultural competence, and inclusive leadership in information and communication practices.
1.1 Reflection: The Multicultural You: Reflections and Insights
I, Aaron Redda, an Information Technology Program Director at Keiser University in Tallahassee, Florida, with a deep commitment to the intersection of technology, health, and social justice. As a Black man and a first generation American with parents from Eritrea, I understand the importance of diversity and inclusion in health and in the classroom. Different populations face unique health challenges due to a myriad of external factors labeled as Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). SDOH include Economic Stability, Education Access and Quality, Health Care Access and Quality, Neighborhood and Built Environment, and Social and Community Context.(Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2025). A culture of inclusivity helps bring awareness to these issues, ensuring that underserved groups receive relevant and actionable information. The National Institute of Health and the American Cancer Society also agree that diversity in cancer research is important because better equips the scientific community to address health inequities. (American Cancer Society, 2025) One person who serves as a model for diversity and inclusion is Dr. Camara Phyllis Jones a renowned physician and health equity advocate. She is best known for her unique lens on addressing the social determinants of health, structural racism, and health equity through her Cliff Analogy. This analogy says to get people off the cliff there are certain things we have to do such as acute care as the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, secondary prevention (the safety net half-way down the cliff face), primary prevention (the fence at the top edge of the cliff), and addressing the social determinants of health (moving the population away from the edge of the cliff) (Jones, Jones, Perry, Barclay, & Jones, 2009)
1.2 Diversity Focus
For this course, the aspect of diversity and inclusion I am focusing on is health communication to promote cancer prevention through early screening and lifestyle changes, such as non-smoking and reduced alcohol consumption with Emlane Social, a health and wellness digital media company. The population I am interested are African Americans due to cancer disproportionately affecting them and have the highest mortality rate for most cancers compared to other racial and ethnic group (National Cancer Institute, 2025). Emlane Social specializes in developing health and wellness campaigns, and they are expanding their outreach to underserved populations. The agency’s current focus includes partnerships with gyms and health organizations to promote healthy behaviors. However, their reach in addressing cancer prevention through targeted communication to minority populations remains underdeveloped. By focusing on diversity and inclusion in cancer prevention efforts, this collaboration aims to create meaningful, measurable improvements in health outcomes for underserved communities.
Bibliography
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2025, January 20). Social Determinants of Health. Retrieved from Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health
American Cancer Society . (2025, January 20). Why Diversity in Cancer Research Is Needed. Retrieved from American Cancer Society : https://www.cancer.org/research/acs-center-for-diversity-in-cancer-research-training/why-diversity-in-cancer-research-is-needed.html
Jones, C. P., Jones, C. Y., Perry, G. S., Barclay, G., & Jones, C. A. (2009). Addressing the social determinants of children's health: a cliff analogy. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 1-12.
National Cancer Institute. (2025). Cancer Stat Facts: Cancer Disparities. Retrieved from National Cancer Institute: https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/disparities.html