Several of our first-year MCH students attended the 2022 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting in Boston, MA from November 6-9. APHA was celebrating its 150 Years of Creating the Healthiest Nation: Leading the Path Toward Equity. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.
By Sydney Bond, BS
“What is our community calling for? What do they understand about the role we can and should play, and how can we meet those needs?” – Dr. Jamila Perritt
Dr. Perritt posed these questions during the Reproductive Health, Rights & Justice: Before, During and Beyond session. This was in response to an audience member’s question on what the panel sees as the role of local state health departments. Specifically, regarding not supplanting the work community organizations are already doing. Dr. Perritt’s questions made a huge impact on how I processed each session I attended for the duration of the conference.
As a first-year MPH student, a lot of my coursework thus far has emphasized the role the community plays in the work we are doing as public health practitioners. However, Dr. Perritt’s words put it plainly. In our work, we should involve the communities we are seeking to help in our programs, and that starts with asking them what they want – what they need from us. More importantly, we must be receptive to this feedback and work on fulfilling these needs. We cannot ask a question and then ignore the response.
Attending my first conference was how I would expect it felt for many others experiencing APHA for the first time – overwhelming. The number of sessions being held and people in attendance was awe-inspiring. Not only was I able to be in spaces filled with people with similar interests as mine but I also had the opportunity to meet with some of the speakers and panelists. These opportunities felt surreal such as when my classmates and I spoke with Loretta Ross about what we as current public health students can do to continue the fight for reproductive justice. I was also in awe at the opportunity to meet Dr. Jamila Perritt and learn more about her work as an abortion care provider in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia areas and being able to listen to Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley in front of the convention center as she galvanized the crowd to continue the fight for abortion rights in this country.
The last few highlights of my first APHA were the networking events, such as the MCH-National Network lunch where I was able to meet fellow CEMCH scholars. I was also able to attend the Black Ladies in Public Health mixer where I was introduced to Dr. Amutah-Onukagha, who in 2022, founded the Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice (CBMHRJ) at Tufts University School of Medicine. Additionally, I had the opportunity to meet up with Dr. Mary Mitsdarffer. I was in contact with Dr. Mitsdarffer before APHA, as she was a guest speaker in one of my classes and I was grateful for the chance to meet with her in person. She is an amazing researcher and professor focusing on minoritized health disparities, education, and immigration policy with a focus on community collaboration at the Biden School of Public Policy. I was thrilled to find out we share similar interests and look forward to staying in touch with her.
I will always look fondly on my experiences at my first APHA conference and look forward to all the possibilities future conferences may hold.
Sydney Bond, BS, is a first-year MPH student, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. Her research interests are Black maternal and infant mortality, Black maternal morbidity, health equity, nutrition, and maternity care deserts. After earning her MPH, she plans on working toward becoming a midwife/Family Health Nurse Practitioner. She hopes to one day open her own clinic focusing on holistic health for all.
