Reimagining Research With Black Communities: Community-Led Agendas and Participant Recruitment Strategies

Guided by community-based participatory research (CBPR) and critical race theory (CRT), this study employed a descriptive qualitative approach to explore strategies for improving engagement with Black communities in Canada. Researchers with experience conducting Black health studies across the Prairies participated in semi-structured interviews. Two main themes emerged: community-led agenda-setting and inclusive recruitment. Key strategies included Black leadership, reframing stigmatizing language, engaging trusted community gatekeepers, hiring local staff, providing incentives, and using informal outreach. Grounded in participatory and equity-oriented frameworks, the study contributes to the development of culturally responsive and socially just research practices with Black communities in Canada.