Several of our MPH students attended the 2017 CityMatCH MCH Leadership Conference & Healthy Start Convention, held September 18-20, in Nashville, Tennessee. What follows is a post from one of these attendees.
by Kiara Cruz, BSPH
“White Supremacy is the water that we all swim in.”– Corrine Sanchez, PhD,
Tewa Women United
There is no one or nothing that could have prepared me for the experience I would have at the 2017 CityMatCH Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. As a public health student interested in Maternal and Child Health I was not prepared for the self-reflection, inspiring catharsis, and passion refill I experienced.
The three main points I want to highlight in which I will go more in depth are the following:
- Reproductive Justice includes an intersectionality and human rights framework.
- Community Partnership is essential for effective program and interventions
- Networking is key to building professional and career relationships
The opening plenary: Advancing Equity and Human Rights through Reproductive Justice was the perfect opening for this conference. This session had reproductive justice leaders including Monica Simpson, Executive Director of SisterSong; Corrine Sanchez, Executive Director of Tewa Women United; and Laura Jimenez, Executive Director of Latina for Reproductive Justice. All women of color from different backgrounds. This opening was very interesting to me because I never thought of reproductive justice through the lens of intersectionality. The systems of oppression that are in place like racism, incarceration, immigration laws, the criminalization of poverty and white supremacy are all part of the waters we swim in. The goal is to research and understand how these systems play and how they infiltrate the various areas of our life, and the populations we serve as public health professionals. Understanding that these systems may not be as visible and may need some digging in order to see any limitations in place. There cannot be limitations to have full decision making power when it comes to our health, our choices, and our rights. Overall, it is our duty to disrupt the systems of oppression that fill the water in which we swim.
I attended various sections and workshops on Community Engagement, an area of focus I hope to work in. The main takeaway I received was that communities can take care of themselves. We can engage communities by building community leadership within the community. Some ways include strengthening the community’s economy by providing trainings and job opportunities in the community for residents, having an asset-based approach, and valuing the communities’ expertise. Communities know what works best, what doesn’t, and the rhythm to which the community beats its drums. Letting go of the old ways public health approaches community engagement and trusting the process of collective impact. The most effective impact is through community driven programs.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.” – African Proverb
Hearing and speaking with powerful, public health professionals, women of color really inspired me and reminded me why I decided to embark in this field. It was truly amazing to have meaningful interactions with people that I aspire to be. For example, I met with various people from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (one of the places I hope to work), Healthy Start Brooklyn. Having a network of women or individuals that can provide guidance, advice, and support as you maneuver through career and life obstacles is important. This conference granted me the opportunity to gain new mentors from which I hope to learn. I hope the public health field is ready because I am prepping for my mark.
Kiara Cruz is a second year MPH student and a scholar in the Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health at Tulane. She received a bachelor degree in Public Health from the University of Rochester and continues her passion for working in public health by interning at the Covenant House. Her interests include prenatal and postpartum care, community health, maternal and infant health, and monitoring and evaluation of MCH interventions.
