Table 2Themes and examples across community listening sessionsThemesExamples from transcriptsUncertainties of underrepresented populations regarding research participation▪ “…I don’t feel like they give it to you straightforward if you want to participate. You want to be involved in it, but there’s a sixth sense from things that you’ve seen in the past with medical research…”▪ “I just think it’s what people have alluded to… if you are participating in research that involves trying out a drug that they are not 100 % sure of how it is going to affect you, I don’t think I’d want to be that guinea pig”▪ “I was going to say safety, depending on what type of research it is. If they are testing a new drug, what are the possible side effects or any ramifications from something unknown?”Ineffective communication about research opportunities and research findings▪ “I was in the E.R. without any interpreter. There was no interpreter, and they refused to get an interpreter.”▪ “Yeah, I would like to see us get more information in the black community. We don’t get information, pertinent, information. I’m not being racist, but white folks know about what’s going on…”▪ “You want to be updated on their progress… on what they had learned. They need to show you proof that they are making progress…”Research on primary care and prevention are priorities for underrepresented populations in research▪ “I would like to see more focus on preventative healthcare … you know, the things that we should do to prevent these things from happening, to prevent heart disease, diabetes and stroke.”▪ “…one time I went to do the research. I had never taken anything. One set of nurses were so condescending…Her energy was not good. I wasn’t going to come back. It was just horrible.”▪ “…most of the time the doctors will say, “You’re okay.” Okay, then what are my numbers? What are my levels? What are my blood sugar levels? They don’t say anything. They just say, “You’re okay.” So, really, I want to find out what’s going on”Research teams need training in communication and cultural humility▪ “It makes me wonder… do you think there’s a stigma attached to the people, for example, who get the food stamps? Maybe that’s why we don’t talk about it as a society…”▪ “Sometimes when I tell them I’m deaf, they give me a piece of braille paper.”▪ “I participated in research and I done it about three times… One was about body fat. They said I was obese. How dare they?”