Background: The California Preterm Birth Initiative is a community-engaged research effort focused on addressing racial disparities in birth outcomes.
Objectives: To highlight three community-academic partnership strategies and identify partners' lessons learned and recommendations.
Methods: We conducted interviews (n = 38), four focus groups (n = 23), a document review (n = 174), and meeting/event observations (n = 36). We performed content analysis and structural and emerging coding of the data, which involved extracting and sorting information into themes.
Lessons learned: Five themes emerged across the strategies as essential for successful partnerships addressing racial disparities: 1) incorporate a racial equity approach; 2) value community knowledge; 3) ensure accountability to community priorities; 4) build relationships and trust; and 5) address structural barriers to community-academic partnerships.
Conclusions: Community-academic partnerships addressing racial health disparities should confront internal and structural power dynamics early on and support affected communities to lead the efforts, including committing to funding and capacity-building activities to ensure research justice.