Seven of our MPH students attended the 2019 annual meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA), held November 2-6, 2019, in Philadelphia, PA. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.
by Sooni Shirazi, BA
When you have a marginalized identity, or hold radical ideals, it is easy to feel left out, unheard, and unimportant. While it is no question that I am outspoken, I grow tired and weary of the criticisms and ignorance I face when presenting my view of justice in public health to others. In my current environment, I often feel alone – as if I see things others cannot or refuse to see. It’s as if I’m stuck behind a wall, because I do not fit the norm of what rightfully belongs on the other side.
I am compelled by justice and peace, my moral pillars, to participate in public health. Truly achieving health requires justice. There is no justice without solidarity and empathy. The people I met and learned from during my trip to Philadelphia reminded me that, truly, I am not alone in the fight for justice and peace.
More, I was constantly reminded that: we are the people we study, we plan for, we intervene with, we protect, we love. There is no “other” but those who intentionally oppress the masses for their own wealth, power, and supremacy.
I met a doctor who is investigating health and human rights abuses by for-profit white supremacist institutions at our Southern border.
I met a lawyer and expert on social marketing who serves as an expert witness in testimonies against major pharmaceutical companies who have used deceitful and corrupt tactics that have led to our national opioid epidemic.
I met a political scientist who comes face-to-face with authoritarians and fascists to protect the rights of survivors of domestic and interpersonal violence.
I met individuals who have been fighting for universal healthcare for all people for decades, who still continue to agitate today – as we are closer than ever to granting health as a human right for all in the United States.
Their identities and histories have driven them to the work.
What I am most grateful for during this experience was the opportunity to feel a little less alone in my role. As I prepare for the next steps in my career, I am reinvigorated and the ideal that I have a rightful place in this field has been reinforced. That, no matter how I am perceived by others, I am doing what is necessary to pursue health, and most importantly, dignity for all humankind.
Sooni Shirazi, BA is a Queer Iranian-American activist and health educator. They are currently a 2nd year MPH – Maternal & Child Health student at Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Upon completion of their Master’s, Sooni will be attending law school to train as a public health lawyer. When not in class, Sooni can be found listening to podcasts on their bicycle.
