Several MPH students recently attended the joint CityMatCH Leadership & MCH Epidemiology Conference (September 17 – 19, 2014, in Phoenix, AZ) and were asked to share a few thoughts about their experiences. What follows is one of these reflections.
by Gloria Grady, BA
During this conference, one word kept popping up in my mind: momentum. A lot of ideas and concepts seem to be picking up momentum in the field of maternal and child health. In the short time I have been in the field, I’ve noticed more and more attention being placed on social and economic inequalities, Life Course, and racism as a public health issue. More so than just attention, these issues are gaining momentum for action. While public health workers may still be confused about how to address racism and income inequality, many are finding ways to put it in their job description to address injustices. During this conference, I realized that I am part of this movement, of this momentum toward a new paradigm that incorporates the fight for social equality into the public health job description. I realized that I have come into public health at the perfect time—when the field needs its new workers to keep this movement, this new (at least, it seems new to me) paradigm, rolling and snowballing into action.
This conference made me thankful for whatever or whoever has placed me here, now, in this field. I am thankful that my passions are lined up to a movement that needs more hands, and I am hopeful that change will come with the efforts of public health workers and others working to end injustice.
Gloria Grady is a second-year MPH student and MCHLT Scholar, with a focus in Maternal and Child Health and a particular interest in reducing health disparities.
