In Hamilton County, about two thirds of all children who die from accidental injuries are African-American, according to statistics compiled by Children's Hospital Medical Center.

        This despite the fact that African-Americans make up only about 27 percent of the county's population, and African-American children account for only 36 percent of all child injury hospitalizations. The last year studied was 1997.

        Nationwide, African-American children are twice as likely to die in a car crash, four times as likely to die from drowning, and five times as likely to die in a fire than white children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

        Those findings are why Children's, along with the Dan Beard Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the Cincinnati Area Chapter of the Red Cross and Theatre IV ArtReach are sponsoring a program through 14 predominantly black churches in Cincinnati to teach children and their families the basics of safety at home and on the street.

        Anita Brentley, injury prevention coordinator at Children's, said planning for the program started in 1999. Today, Nationwide Insurance is announcing a $5,000 gift to the effort, called the African American Youth Injury Prevention Initiative. The total annual budget of the program is $300,000.

        The Rev. Clarence Wallace, pastor of Carmel Presbyterian Church, Avondale, said the church will start classes in May through its summer enrichment program.

        “I am amazed at how many black children are injured,” he said. “You would think that urban children would be street smart, but it doesn't seem to transfer into safety skills. I don't think parents are doing a good job of teaching them safety techniques.”

        Mrs. Brentley said focus groups among the churches tried to determine the reasons for the alarming statistics.

        “We learned that most did not see the safety issue as important, because it wasn't something they saw on television or radio regularly. They said the material they did see did not relate to them because they saw no African-Americans in it, and they generally believed that children would be safe.”

        She said she hopes the 14 churches involved, using Scripture-based injury prevention messages, will enable them to reach about 3,500 children with the safety curriculum.

        At the Children's Church at New Jerusalem Baptist Church in Carthage, teacher Martha Johnson used a Bible verse to start her class on fire safety Tuesday.

        “The Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent one-from another.”

        The verse, from Genesis 31:49, usually isn't used to discuss fire safety, but she used it to get children to recognize the importance of smoke detectors in the home, Mrs. Johnson said.

        She and several other teachers used a model house — doll-house size — with tiny furniture to teach about 80 children, ages 3 to 12, about how to escape a burning house.

        “I talk about safety devices, and then we usually act out the message I am trying to get across,” Mrs Johnson said.

        There are five other safety lessons in the curriculum, each starting with a Scripture verse. They include gun safety, pedestrian safety, child passenger safety, home safety and drowning prevention.

        “When I talked about child passenger safety, I had just had an accident with my grandchild in the car,” Mrs. Johnson said.

        “I brought in the safety seat. We used dolls, one buckled down and the other one not. The demonstration showed the unbuckled doll falling out the seat and the buckled doll not falling out. The children were amazed at what happened to the unbuckled-down doll.”

        The Rev. Donald Jordan, pastor of Allen Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church, Bond Hill, said the church is the best place to reach black families.

        “I have no idea why so many black children suffer these injuries, except that there is a laxity in raising children,” the Rev. Mr. Jordan said. “I am glad that we have this program to start doing something.”

About the initiative

        The Youth Injury Prevention Initiative sets up curriculum, gets equipment and trains teachers in educating children and adults in injury prevention. Nationwide Insurance's gift of $5,000 will be used to support the family-focused child safety theatrical productions done by Theatre IV ArtReach.

        “The dramatic play entitled Give Us This Day focuses on the dangers of ignoring injury-prevention techniques,” said Dr. Victor Garcia, director of trauma services at Children's.

        “We hope the production will open the eyes of our community to the importance of child safety and provide real-life experiences that focus on the value of prevention.”

        The theatrical production will be used by 14 black churches. The churches are: Allen Temple AME, Bond Hill; Ammans United Methodist, Calvary Missionary Baptist, Christ Emmanuel Christian Fellowship and Morning Star Baptist, all in Walnut Hills: Carmel Presbyterian, Corinthian Baptist, New Gospel Missionary Baptist, Greater New Hope Missionary Baptist Church and Southern Baptist, all in Avondale: Bright Star Baptist, West End: New Jerusalem Baptist, Carthage: Olivet Baptist, Silverton and Word Of Life Ministry, Lincoln Heights

        Information: Contact the churches or call project coordinator Anita Brentley, 636-8639.

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