We met in a public health advocacy class, bonding over long car rides filled with conversations about the need to politicize public health in our classrooms. Our need to draw connections between health and power deepened during a period of heightened university activism and mobilization. Simultaneously, so did our frustration from watching traditional public health institutions retreat from their responsibilities, showing indifference to violence, and paralyzed by fear of being “too political.” The justified erosion of trust in these institutions, fueled by failures in public health messaging and action on ongoing pandemics, imperialism, and systemic violence, made it clear: we needed to do more than just talk among ourselves. We needed to bring these conversations to a larger audience where analyses can be freely shared, critiqued, expanded on, and tested.
That is why we created Public Health is Political.
This independent, completely volunteer-run media platform is meant to be a respite, a soapbox, and a galvanizing force. We hope this can be a space to connect knowledge and ideas across fields, disciplines, and communities. When our voices are silenced, this can be a place to shout. And when the work feels too exhausting and too overwhelming, this can be a home for recharging and re-instilling hope to continue the fight for public health and each other.
At PHiP, we are united by the conviction that a better future is not just possible—it is necessary, and we are responsible for and committed to making it happen.
If our mission speaks to you, welcome. If it sparks your curiosity, join us. Our goal is to push the boundaries of how public health is understood and practiced, a vision that has been reimagined by many before us and will continue long after, but still demands a bold, unapologetic platform.
Let’s build it together.
–Shivani Nishar and Deionna Vigil
Co Editors of Public Health is Political
Art by Steve Powers, photo from muralarts.org
