Helping public health people navigate career success. Helping you learn, navigate, and transform your public health career with valuable insights. Host of Public Health Careers Podcast π§
Unveiling the Supreme Courts Impact
We stand in an interesting pivot point for the US. Student Loan Forgiveness and Affirmative Action have suffered significant blows from the Supreme Court. This underscores the uphill battle we face as a country to ensure equitable systems and policies are in place.
Who are the Supreme Court?
βThe Supreme Court is the highest court in the land and the only part of the federal judiciary required by the Constitution. It consists of nine Justices, including one Chief Justice. All Justices are nominated by the President, confirmed by the Senate, and hold their offices for life. Lifetime tenure is meant to insulate them from political pressures.
The Court's decisions are the ultimate judicial authority on matters of federal law.
What happened with Affirmative Action and Student Loan Forgiveness?
The Supreme Court invalidated Affirmative Action and Student Loan Forgiveness. Let's bring you up to speed with a TLDR:
- βAffirmative action is a policy aimed at promoting equal opportunity and increasing representation of historically marginalized groups, particularly in higher education.
- The Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, ruling that race cannot be a factor in determining diversity in higher education.
- Banning race-conscious considerations is a significant blow to equity and allows racism to persist.
- President Biden proposed Student Loan Forgiveness during his election campaign, suggesting relief of $10k-$20k for students based on specific circumstances.
- However, the Supreme Court struck down this loan forgiveness plan, citing the government's need for authorization from Congress to implement such a program.
- Student loan payments will resume as early as October 1st, with some flexibility.
How did we get here?
Unbeknownst to many at the time, the victory of President Trump (and the loss of Hillary Clinton) in 2016 would have a crucial impact on current decisions. Trump's time in office allowed him to appoint three out of the nine current Supreme Court justices.
The nominated and appointed justices lean conservative, resulting in a Court that now has six conservative-leaning members. The composition and decisions of the Supreme Court have far-reaching consequences for US society at large. This highlights the importance of understanding and engaging in the political process.
Where do we go now?
Though we, as a people, have limited influence over the appointment of new Justices, there are ways we can work towards progress for marginalized populations. Firstly, we must continue the public health work we are engaged in to bring about positive impact and change for the most marginalized communities. Following that, we should actively engage with our communities to create advocates out of everyone.
We need to make it clear that political decisions shape our daily lives more than we care to admit, especially for the most vulnerable populations. Consequently, we must empower advocates who can raise awareness within their communities and organize them to fight for change at the local, state, and federal levels.
As mentioned earlier, the Senate is responsible for confirming Justices. Therefore, it is crucial to vote for Senators who genuinely represent the people they serve. We must also recognize that our votes do matter, from local elections to the Presidential race. The individuals elected at all levels of government play a role in shaping the lives we lead.
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Interesting reads π:
- βThe Ozempic Craze Is Sending The Wrong Public Health Message - Forbes
- βHereβs How CDC Can Put the βPublicβ Back in Public Health - Scientific American
- βEnd-of-Life Systemic Oncologic Treatment in the Immunotherapy Era: The Role of Race, Insurance, and Practice Setting - Journal of Clinical Oncology
- βA Wake Up Call on The Importance of Social Connections - Einhorn Collaborative
Books
- βWho Moved My Cheese - Dr. Spencer Johnson
- βThe Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing - Marie Condo
- βThe Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment - Eckhart Tolle
- βThe Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream - Paulo Coelho
- The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness - Morgan Housel
Interesting listens π§:
- β157: Public Health Careersβ
- β158: Public Health Careersβ
- βAshley Wisdom - Why Culturally Competent Care for Women of Color Matters (The Commonwealth Fund)β
Events & Happenings π:
- βPublic Health Happy Hour (July 19th)
Career Opportunities π€:
βCritical Thinking Fellow - $400/yr-$800/yr - The AHA Foundation (Remote) (Undergrad or graduate students)
βChild Life Fellow - $68k-$88k - Children's National Hospital (Washington DC) (Bachelor degree, Master degree preferred)
βHumanitarian Assistance Fellow (Global Communities) - $20/hr-$28/hr - Public Health Institute (Silver Spring, MD)
Jobs
- βSenior Analyst, State and Community Engagementβ - 74k-84k - ASTHO (Remote)
- βEngagement Associate - $58k-$60k - Center for Science in the Public Interest (Washington DC or Remote)
- βCommunity Engagement Specialist - $66k-$96k - Public Health Institute (California remote)
- βIntern Program Coordinator - $50k-$70k - The Maryland General Assembly (Annapolis, MD)
- βSenior Research Associate, Health Care Programs Research - $68k-$85k - NORC at the University of Chicago
- βCity Planner I, Health Department - $66k-$106k - City of Baltimore
- βMental Health Program Coordinator - $26/hr - International Rescue Committee (Glendale, AZ)
Internships
- βPublic Health Intern Fall 2023 - $17/hr-$35/hr - Amtrak (Philadelphia, PA)
- βWorkplace Health and Safety Specialist Intern - $21.25/hr - Amazon (Fresno, CA)
- βFederal Advocacy Intern -$23/hr - American Heart Association (Washington DC)
- βMedical Congresses/Conferences Fall Intern - $21/hr-$50/hr - Genentech (San Francisco, CA)
- βConsumer Health Intern - $23/hr - American Heart Association (Dallas, TX)
- βPublic Policy Grad Student Intern - Primary Care Development Corporation (Remote)
- βHealth Promotion Intern - American Lung Association (Las Vegas, NV)
- βFederal Management Consulting Internship - Aptive Resources (Remote, DC preferred)
- βHealth Education Intern Fall 2023 - International Rescue Committee (Denver, CO)
BTS π:
Still working on website stuff, but please let me know what you think if you get a chance to check it out. Here's a free product I created - 50+ Public Health Action Words To Improve Your Resume [free resource]. I'll be releasing some other products soon, but as always you all will be the first to know.
Next Steps β :
- Be sure to fill out our community needs assessment if you haven't already - thanks!
- Fill out August Group Coaching Interest Form - for those wanting support and peers to grow with!
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The Public Health Millennial
Helping public health people navigate career success. Helping you learn, navigate, and transform your public health career with valuable insights. Host of Public Health Careers Podcast π§
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