The University of Delaware Partnership for Healthy Communities will host “Lecture and a Movie: Violence and Public Health” on April 4 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Main Street Movies 5 in Newark. With a focus on violence as a public health issue, the event will begin with a showing of A Family Affair, a film that highlights how trauma unfolds and can impact the health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities.  

“Trauma isn’t something that is ‘out there’ happening to people we don’t know. It has an address and lives in our homes and communities,” said Shirelle “Diamond” Hogans, writer and director of the film. “The community members who collaborated on this project did so to start a conversation and make it relatable so we all see the signs, get resources to our friends and family, and feel compelled to prevent it from happening in the first place.”

Immediately after a showing of the film, UD and community experts will hold a panel discussion and take questions from the audience. Moderated by Rita Landgraf (director of the Partnership for Healthy Communities), panelists include Hogans, Deianna Tyree (director of domestic violence services at Child, Inc.), Kelibogile Setiloane (associate professor of Behavioral Health & Nutrition), and Chiara Sabina (associate professor of Women and Gender Studies).

The event is open to the public. Please register in advance. A $5 donation to A Family Affair is requested.

Violence as a public health issue

Violence can take many forms, including intimate partner violence, sexual violence, child maltreatment, bullying, suicidal behavior, and elder abuse and neglect. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these forms of violence are interconnected (often share overlapping causes), can all take place under one roof or in a given community or neighborhood, and can happen at the same time or at different stages of life.

“Listening to the lived experiences of community members and understanding how health is strongly impacted by social and economic conditions is fundamental to addressing inequities,” said Landgraf. “The Partnership for Healthy Communities is honored to be a part of this event as we work to address root causes and improve the health and wellbeing of Delaware communities through authentic partnerships.”

Through creative expression, A Family Affair highlights the need to identify and coordinate violence response and prevention strategies in a way that recognizes these connections and considers the individual in the context of their home environment, neighborhood, and larger community.

National Public Health Week

This event takes place during National Public Health Week (April 2-8), a celebration of championing the role of a strong public health system.

Background on the film

Locally filmed and produced by a volunteer cast and crew, A Family Affair is a grassroots an “edutainment” film. In her job as a nurse and prevention educator in Delaware, writer/director Hogans felt compelled to make a movie that started conversations about the challenges related to health, safety and wellbeing that her patients and youth faced — from violence and addiction to co-parenting and job security — and how these matters are intricately connected across individuals, families and communities. The film depicts the lives of four diverse families, celebrating love, family, friendship and resilience, while highlighting the importance of culturally-responsive and community-relevant strategies. It shows how places of worship, barber shops, hair salons and community centers play a critical role in responding to and connecting people with resources. The film gives insight to the social, economic and political forces that put some families at-risk for experiencing poor health and violence disproportionately.

Event sponsors

The UD Partnership for Healthy Communities, a Community Engagement Initiative, is proud to sponsor this event along with the Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition (College of Health Sciences), the Cooperative Extension (College of Agriculture and Natural Resources), the Health Equity Club, the Collegiate Recovery Community, the Delaware Academy of Medicine and the Delaware Public Health Association.

Community Engagement Initiative

The Community Engagement Initiative, launched in 2016, works to build UD’s tradition of applying knowledge, creativity, and civic commitment to the critical challenges facing our communities — in Delaware, across the nation and around the world. The initiative focuses on what makes every community strong: improving public education, community health, and environmental quality; encouraging economic development and innovation; and expanding arts and cultural programs that enrich quality of life. 

For more information about the Community Engagement Initiative and its partnerships visit udel.edu/engage.