Thread by @FlemingPaulJ

🧵 WEEK 3 in my HISTORICAL ROOTS OF HEALTH INEQUITIES class at @umichsph, 'Foundations and Framings.' We had 6 readings to discuss how critical race theory, power, and intersectionality are essential foundations for discussion on the health inequities. 🧵1/n

1st assigned reading was an amazing article by @nhannahjones from #1619Project to give overview on legacy of slavery and racism in this country. 2/n nytimes.com/interactive/20…

"Our founding ideals of liberty and equality were false when they were written. Black Americans fought to make them true. Without this struggle, America would have no democracy at all." -@nhannahjones #1619Project. So important given this nonsense 👇🏼 3/n npr.org/2020/09/17/914…

2nd Reading is by @AlfredoMorabia in @AMJPublicHealth
titled “This is How Important History Is” ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJ… 4/n

After civil rights victories, public health folks “assumed that inequalities would vanish...many of us became a ‘generation without history,’ unconscious of the underlying forces that make the river of time flow in one direction or the other.” -
@AlfredoMorabia
5/n

3rd required reading is from @Health_Affairs blog, “Power: The Most Fundamental Cause of Health Inequity?” By Marjorie Givens, David Kindig (@PopHealth
), Paula Tran Inzeo and Victoria Faust. 6/n healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hbl…

Quote from this article in @Health_Affairs:
“Advancing equity, therefore, required attention to power (as a determinant) and empowerment, or building power (as a process).” -Givens, Kindig, Inzeo & Faist 7/n

4th reading is “Critical Race Theory, Race Equity, and Public Health: Toward Anti-racism Praxis” by @DrChandraFord & @CAirhihenbuwa in @AMJPublicHealth. 8/n ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…
.

Critical Race Theory gives “#PublicHealth a new paradigm for investigating the root causes of health disparities..CRT encourages the development of solutions that bridge gaps in health, housing, employment, & other factors that condition living.” @DrChandraFord @CAirhihenbuwa
9/n

Again, this article is particularly important right now given the president's recent attacks on Critical Race Theory, despite it's importance in saving lives and reducing health inequities. 10/n npr.org/2020/09/05/910…

5th Reading is “Black Lives Matter: A Commentary on Racism and Public Health” in @AMJPublicHealth by Jennifer Jee-Lyn García and Mienah Zulfacar. 🧵11/n ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJ…

“Our goal is not only to reiterate how salient structural racism is in our society, but how critical anti-racist work is to the core goals and values of #PublicHealth.” -García & Sharif in @AMJPublicHealth. 🧵12/n

Many students were actually shocked to see this was published in 2015 and not 2020 given that it speaks so well to the current moment. One student said that they hope in 2025 this article feels less current and more like history 🔥. Let's work to make that happen. 🧵13/n

6th Reading is “The Problem with the Phrase Women & Minorities: Intersectionality-an Important Theoretical Framework for #PublicHealth” in @AMJPublicHealth by Lisa Bowleg. 🧵14/n researchgate.net/publication/22…

Bowleg writes that the core tenets of intersectionality most relevant to #PublicHealth are (1) multiple intersecting identities, (2) centering historically oppressed/marginalized pops, (3) multiple social identities at micro level intersect with macro structural factors. 🧵15/n

“Intersectionality is the critical, unifying, and long overdue theoretical framework for which #PublicHealth has been waiting.” -Lisa Bowleg. 🧵16/n

Discussion was great: Many of the public health students expressed frustration that the field seems to move slowly and avoids addressing or even really taking about pressing issues of racism & structural inequities. 🧵17/n

Each week we discuss a strategy for dismantling structural inequities & we were lucky to have a visitor from @geo3550 discuss how labor unions, strikes, & coalition building help to create positive social change. One student is @UMResstaff & shared about their strike. 🧵17/n

Stay tuned next week for our session on ‘Historical Construction of Race’ that goes waaaay back in history with the help of readings from @DrIbram & podcasts by @SceneOnRadio. DM me if you need access to anything. Feedback always welcome! #RootsOfHealthInequities. 🧵18/18

Ok, one more tweet: Each week I'll be posting the readings and summarizing class. Follow me to follow along! #ThisIsPublicHealth 🧵19/19

https://twitter.com/FlemingPaulJ/status/1301644420564103168?s=20