Search

Better health through civic health

How do the opportunities to vote, have a say in our futures and connect in our communities impact our health? Hosts Ericka Burroughs-Girardi and Beth Silver explore civic health and its connection to everyone’s health. We kick off the series with Julia Kaufman, a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, who explains why civic infrastructure is important and how it’s tied to health equity. We’re also joined by Dawn Hunter of the Network for Public Health Law and the lead author of the Health & Democracy Index, who explains the link between restrictive voting policies and poorer health outcomes.

Budgets

Building a foundation for civic health

Students’ social studies scores have plummeted, due in part to disinvestment in civic education. Yet, studies show a clear connection between the civics foundation laid in schools and participation in our democracy into adulthood. And creating strong civic health equals healthier communities overall. Host Ericka Burroughs-Girardi kicks off the series with civic education expert Dr. Kelly Siegel-Stechler, a Tufts University senior researcher at the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), Siegel-Stechler discusses why improving democracy and our health requires shifting mindsets and investing in civic education.

Building power for civic health

When people closest to problems have the power to influence solutions, those solutions often benefit everyone. In our final episode of this series on civic health, hosts Beth Silver and Ericka Burroughs-Girardi explore strategies to ensure everyone has a voice and the opportunity for collective change. They are joined by Dr. Solange Gould, the co-director of Human Impact Partners, who discusses the role narratives play in building power and improving civic health. Dr. Erika Blacksher, the John B. Francis Chair in Bioethics at the Center for Practical Bioethics and a professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center, concludes our series by defining democratic deliberation and how it’s related to health equity. 

Case study: The Atlanta wealth building initiative

The Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative reimagines economic realities in communities of color through community wealth building strategies that leverage ideas, people and capital. On the final episode of our six-part mini-series on the racial wealth divide, we talk about how Atlanta’s tackling the issue with the executive director of the wealth building initiative, Latresa McLawhorn Ryan.