The Human Genome Project – Community Conversations
Working in collaboration with Libraries for the Future, WE ACT is carrying out public education on genomics in communities of color, using the public library’s unique educational and community attributes. The Community Conversations project intends to meet increasing public need, especially among minority and low-income communities, for education about genomics and genetic literacy. This project will employ public libraries as avenues for information, education and discussion for the general public, including communities of color, Native Americans, and residents of isolated or low-income communities, regarding the benefits and implications of the Human Genome Project and genomics, including gene-environment interactions. WE ACT and Libraries for the Future leverage the unique societal role of the public library as a neutral local space, trusted by the public and used as a gateway and clearinghouse for information and education. On September 24th, 2007, at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, the project was launched with Genes and Justice: A Community Symposium on Health, Race & Rights.