Justice in Public Health Speaker Series

The SPH Justice in Public Health series is hosted by the SPH Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and welcomes experts to lead discussions around a wide variety of topics that impact public health and advance health equity.

This speaker series is free and open to the public.

Upcoming Dates

Past Event Recordings

More Than One Exposure: A Cumulative Impacts Approach to Environmental Justice and Health
February 26, 2026

Communities facing environmental injustice are often exposed to multiple, compounding stressors at once: air pollution, social vulnerability, and limited access to health-protective resources. This session explores cumulative impacts frameworks that move beyond single-pollutant and exposure-based analysis to better reflect lived experience. Drawing on real examples from ongoing statewide policy work in North Carolina, participants will examine how incorporating cumulative impacts considerations can support more just public health and environmental decision-making.

Justice in Public Health: The Colorism-Public Health Crisis: Interrogating Toxic Skin Lightening Products as an Environmental Justice Issue
November 18, 2025

Colorism is the systemic preference for lighter skin tones, it is skin color discrimination that takes place within groups and outside groups. It is a global driver of serious health disparities, creating a silent public health crisis. This talk will examine the intersection of systemic of colorism, unregulated cosmetic markets, and chemical exposure, framing a widespread use of toxic skin lightening products as a critical matter of environmental and social justice. Drawing on the advocacy, community-based research, community healing and policy work of the Beautywell Project, we will explore the documented health consequences of mercury, hydroquinone and steroid exposure, the historical and cultural roots driving demand, and the health disparities among communities. Finally, we will discuss actionable strategies for public health students and professionals disrupt Eurocentric beauty norms, champion community-led health solutions, and ensure justice in the regulation of the global cosmetics industry.

Reproductive Justice Denied: The Structural Violence of Recent Federal Health Care Cuts
October 22, 2025

This presentation examines recent health care cuts through the lens of reproductive justice, arguing that they build on a history of structural violence within the U.S. health policy landscape. Rather than reduce spending through universal health coverage reform, recent legislation attacks key pillars of our healthcare system: Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and reproductive health care providers. This structural violence will widen long standing health inequities affecting low-income and underserved populations, and particularly immigrants, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and disabled people. Further, it will raise barriers to reproductive justice: the right to have children, not have children, and raise children in safe, sustainable, and healthy communities. The injustices to come are not incidental; they are legislated. This presentation offers the Medicaid and Reproductive Justice Collaborative’s “Reproductive Justice Principles for Federal Universal Health Care Reform” as a policy framework for assessing and advancing federal health care reform that centers inclusion, representation, and nondiscrimination and ensures affordable and comprehensive health coverage, including sexual and reproductive health coverage, for all.

Vaccine hesitancy among Black Minnesotans: historical causes, contemporary challenges, and potential solutions
September 16, 2025

Vaccines are a crucial tool for protecting individuals and communities against a wide range of infectious diseases. However, vaccine hesitancy, especially among marginalized communities, has been on the rise. This presentation will delve into historical and contemporary drivers of vaccine hesitancy among Black Minnesotans, highlighting issues specific to different communities in the State. Immunization data will be used to illustrate varying levels of immunization coverage among these communities, and how dips in vaccination rates put vulnerable Minnesotans at risk. Finally, potential solutions to this public health challenge will be discussed, with a focus on initiatives that center marginalized communities.

Standing Up for LGBTQIA+ Voices in Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Research
April 16, 2025

Over 3 million adults aged 60+ in the U.S. identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, or another LGBTQIA+ identity. Despite this, there are numerous health and research needs that would most benefit the LGBTQIA+ aging community and those who support them. In this talk, we will examine the unique risks and challenges LGBTQIA+ older adults face related to aging and Alzheimer’s disease, addressing current research gaps and challenges within today’s sociopolitical climate. Drawing on lessons learned from our national research studies with LGBTQIA+ older adults, we will discuss key insights and future directions. We will also highlight the importance of collecting sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data and why the historical and current political climate requires us to stand up for LGBTQIA+ aging communities and advocate for inclusive public health research.

From Pain to Podcast to Policy: A Journey in Black Maternal Health Advocacy
March 18, 2025

In this talk, Brittany shares her path from personal trauma to public advocacy, exploring how storytelling, community action, and policy change intersect. She dives into the ongoing crisis of Black maternal health disparities and what can be done to drive meaningful change—from supporting local initiatives to influencing state-level policies. Whether you’re a parent, advocate, or policymaker, Brittany’s journey will inspire you to turn pain into purpose and action.

Bodily Autonomy as a Public Health Imperative
February 11, 2025

In the talk “Bodily Autonomy as a Public Health Imperative,” Dr. Asha Hassan will discuss the critical intersection of bodily autonomy and public health, emphasizing the foundational importance of self-determination in fostering a healthy society and reducing health inequities. The talk will highlight how bodily autonomy is integral to mental, physical, and social well-being. Drawing on case studies from reproductive rights and health, medical ethics, and public health history, Dr. Hassan argues that ensuring bodily autonomy is not only a moral imperative but a public health necessity, crucial for the dignity, freedom, and overall health of communities.

Justice in Public Health: Working Toward Equity in Cannabis Policy
January 28, 2025

Minnesota legalized adult-use cannabis in August 2023, becoming the 23rd state to do so. The criminalization of cannabis, part of the broader War on Drugs, has disproportionately impacted communities of color, leading to mass incarceration and lasting social and economic disparities. As states move toward legalization, many are including equity provisions aimed at repairing the harms caused by decades of discriminatory drug policies. This session will cover the history and impact of cannabis criminalization, equity components within cannabis legalization in Minnesota, and research and work aimed toward addressing the harm caused by criminalization in the state.

See all past video recordings.

School of Public Health

Training & Resources

Justice in Public Health Speaker Series

Upcoming Dates

Past Event Recordings