2025 - SPRING - PUBH 410 - PUBLIC HEALTH AS ADVOCACY by Jennifer Ponce

POST: a link to a video of a presenter that you feel engaged the audience in advocacy for a health equity or social justice issue and tell us which strategies the presenter used that were effective for making their message meaningful.

jeponce — 2025-04-08 04:04:47 UTC

INSTRUCTIONS

Click the + at the bottom right of the screen
Click the "link" image
Paste or type link in the area at the top of the pop up window, to the right of the "x"
Press enter
In the "Write something incredible" section - tell us which strategies the presenter used that were effective for making the their message meaningful.
Please remember to view the videos posted by your classmates and comments on at least 2 posts.

alexiafranco — 2025-04-08 21:37:15 UTC

I chose this presentation because at the begining she starts off by captivating the audience with a thought-provoking question. I think this was a great strategy to use because it catches the audience's attention and introduces them to her topic of discussion. Scott-Fulton uses her personal experience to relate to the audience and connect with them that makes the presentation more meaningful. She uses constitutive, cultural, and contextual elements of communication. The constitutive element was used when she used her personal experiences and introduced the topic of how social determinants impact healthcare. The cultural element was used when she specifically talked about how Black people are disproportionately affected by poorer healthcare from their social determinants. She poses a task to the auidence that encourages them to get close to people with different social determinants of health than you to understand the gaps and how we can make the country a better place for the future generations which hits the contextual element of communication. Scott-Fulton delivers an effective and informational presentation to highlight the importance of social determinants impacting healthcare rather than medical personnel.

lanivuongvo23 — 2025-04-10 02:59:48 UTC

I chose this video because she's an obstetrician gynecologist at the University of Maryland medical center and also a professor of medicine at the university. She starts off by explaining how during the pandemic, maternal mortality got worse stating pregnant women weren't immune, having higher chances of affecting the baby. According to one of the module readings, it suggest that there is ensuring of data validity meaning that it's backed up with accurate data. In the video she talks about the percentages of disparity due to lack of access to healthcare. What stood out to me was the way she presents herself and at the speed she's giving information made it easier for me to understand and take in the statistics along with how she had a clear structure while she was talking. Ending the talk with a clear call to action urges the audience to advocate for change.

Chris_Huynh — 2025-04-11 21:01:26 UTC

I chose to talk about this video/presentation because I thought it was interesting how the speaker, Michael Marmot, connects social justice and health equality to the future of health around the world, as maintaining health isn’t only about the improvement of medicine for individuals but also addressing other factors such as poverty, education, and inequalities. The speaker does this well by using problem definition and framing, which helps the listeners understand the bigger picture, as these issues are more than just individual problems but also affect communities around the world. It also helps that his claims are backed up with data and personal stories to connect with the audience and bring attention to the need for solutions for a healthier life/community. Overall, the video was interesting and helped the audience/listener understand the need to address deeper social issues.

vanessawelch — 2025-04-12 18:00:23 UTC

In this video, Dr. Alvin Powell discusses health equity and how we should aim to change the systems in which health inequities exist. His speech was purposeful, with the main idea being that there are systems and structures currently in place that create inequities in healthcare. He is using advocacy to find a solution to his problem by making a call to action. At the beginning of his speech, he discusses a personal anecdote in which he and his family would always go on road trips, eat the food their parents had prepared and sleep in the car. They did not do this because they were poor, but because their parents were trying to protect them from the horrors and realities of the Jim Crow laws. At the time, Dr. Powell acknowledges that his family could have been denied healthcare because of their race. He communicates constitutively in that he provides statistics and data to back up his point, such as that 80% of health incomes are related to social influences. His communication is contextual, laying down the timeline in which he was child, experiencing Jim Crow laws and seeing Martin Luther King Jr.'s rise. Additionally, his communication is cultural. He talks about how there is over 74,000 Black lives lost each year due to health inequities. The CDC defines health equity as achieving full health potential, and Dr. Powell suggests through his speech and advocates for Black people to have the same opportunities to experience health equity as white people. I really enjoyed his speech and he poses a question that makes the listener think: How can we ignore communities that have this incredible healthcare need? He challenges the listener to think what they can do to increase access to healthcare for all races and cultures.

michellebui523 — 2025-04-12 21:10:43 UTC

In this video, strategies the presenter used that were effective for making their message meaningful include providing a personal experience that acts to educate the audience. The presenter describes how social determinant factors such as low income, lack of access to transportation, and lack of access to markets and affordable, healthy foods play a role in her family's health and the millions of Americans that are affected by these factors. To support that change needs to be made in terms of food deserts, she includes photos of what food items were on shelves in a nearby deli where she lived. By including this evidence, the audience can physically see and grasp the extent of the problem. She further incorporates cultural context of the United States into her message, specifically how health inequity such as food desserts happens to be a result of systemic policies. These systemic policies discriminate and have been occurring over history. Using these strategies help the presenter portray how food deserts play a major role in the short and long-term health of individuals.

samanthalauren03 — 2025-04-12 23:54:29 UTC

This TEDTalk by Yolanda Hancock is her powerful attempt at raising awareness and pushing for health equity for Black individuals in the United States. One strategy that stood out was her assertive tone and clear language. She spoke with confidence and in a very seriousness manner. This made you want to stop and really listen to what she has to say. You could tell this issue means a lot to her.

Another effective strategy was how she used real life stories. She started with a patient’s experience and then shared a personal story about her own family. It made the topic feel very real and relatable, proving that this has a major impact on people’s actual lives. She also brought in historical examples of injustices against Black people, making sure to say their names and tell their stories. It makes a big impact to humanize these individuals to allow the audience to empathize with their circumstances. Toward the end, she talked about the many events that have led to worse health outcomes for Black individuals. This really highlighted the disadvantages they face and helped make the case for why health equity is so important. Yolonda did a great job at making her message clear and emphasizing how pressing this issue is. She did more than just speak about it, she utilized communication tools to encourage individuals to stand up and create change.

irvinphan — 2025-04-13 05:41:25 UTC

I found that this TED talk by Alexandra Campion a really poignant example of public speaking being used to advocate for public health and social justice. In her TED talk, Campion talks about how important and powerful language is as a tool for change, and that the choice of words can significantly impact the effectiveness of any social justice campaign. One particular strategy that she used in her speech to make it memorable was relating what she was advocating for with her own previous experience and how it led her to understand the importance of effective communication in social justice. By sharing her personal story of the lessons she learned from writing an open letter during her college years, Campion is able to create a relatable and engaging narrative that highlights her key points of using language as a tool for social justice and change. Furthermore, another strategy is the clear and concise communication she gave when it came to defining and clarifying key terms that come up frequently in social justice discussions such as "reform," "abolition," "equality," and "equity." By doing so, she ensures that her audience has a unified understanding of these concepts, avoids miscommunication, and helps to create an overall productive dialogue in the form of her TED talk.

2025-04-13 20:48:27 UTC

I chose this presentation due to it's relatability and execution. I was immediately engaged when Lynda Li starts off by sharing a personal story about a time where she miscommunicated a message in a different language. I felt that a lot of people would find her experience funny and relatable since we all had to take a language at some point in our lives and also may have had a miscommunication. I appreciated her smooth transition from her story of how "language barriers and miscommunication are often unexpected hiccups" to "what happens when language barriers extend outside of the classroom". Throughout her presentation, Lynda uses many simple visuals that help the audience understand and visualize the importance of her message. Lynda also shares another personal story of how her mother who is bilingual in Mandarin and English, became a safe place for neighbors and friends to come and have their medical symptoms translated to english. Lynda does an amazing job of sharing personal examples and stressing how important language is to providing fair and proper care. I felt engaged throughout the presentation with her use of personal experience, and her research to back her claim. She explains that low english language proficiency is significantly associated with health decline among immigrants. To go along with that statement she shares a statistic for the audience to visually see that decline. She also shares an image with a statement explaining that equal access to health care does not guarantee equitable outcomes. Lynda's central message is that language and communication have the ability to advance health equity. She uses personal experience to create emotion and credibility, and follows those examples with visual representations of real life examples and numbers to support her lived experience, she also expands further into her statements to truly help the audience understand the impact of her message.

amirahkambe1 — 2025-04-13 20:57:38 UTC

In this video, the presenter Keita Joy seeks to engage viewers in advocacy for the issue of mental health equity, specifically when it comes to Black women. I believe that Joy does a great job of engaging in ethical advocacy practices by presenting mental health information that is both sound and truthful. For example, she discusses the fact that there is minimal research available on Black women struggling with trichotillomania compared to their White counterparts. She also prioritizes contextual communication, offering context for the reasons why Black women are less likely to seek treatment for poor mental health, like the cultural stigma that creates a sense of shame and the myth that Black women are strong, so they can “push through” anything. Additionally, Joy gradually weaves in details about herself that establish her as a credible source. Her own personal struggles where people did not take her mental health seriously come up and her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology.

2025-04-14 01:13:19 UTC

In this video, Kimberlé Crenshaw's TED Talk draws in the audience with fascinating storytelling, beginning with significant and often forgotten stories of Black women whose deaths received little to no media coverage. Kimberlé being able to use personal experiences establishes an immediate emotional connection and emphasizes the importance of approaching social justice from an intersectional perspective. Crenshaw effectively and carefully explores the idea of intersectionality, therefore making a difficult concept understandable and pertinent. Including the audience directly she invites them to engage in a stand-up exercise that graphically shows how some identities are removed from public narratives. Kimberlé ends her speech with a power call to action, asking the audience to acknowledge and deal with the overlapping systems of oppression forming our society. Her speech is a different representation of campaigning for justice and equity since it is motivating and compelling.

jamieehongg — 2025-04-14 01:37:56 UTC

This Tedx Talks video is hosted by Dr. Claire Pomeroy, an infectious disease doctor who has dedicated her career to supporting veterans and HIV positive patients at the peak of the epidemic. I chose this presentation because she engaged the audience with a scenario of a little girl at the start of her talk which ended up being her as a child. As she talked about her story in the foster system and her career as a physician helping HIV positive patients who were abandoned by their families, she highlighted the very real issue of the different factors that limit Americans from accessing healthcare in the United States. I felt interested and engaged throughout her talk because I shared similar values to her and was emotionally swayed by the inequities she presented regarding healthcare accessibility in the United States. Apart from her personal anecdote, she supported her claims with statistical evidence which allowed me as the viewer to trust her words. She spoke clearly and had different depths of intonation throughout her speech which prevented the audience from disengaging. My favorite part of her talk which I thought to be the most engaging and thought provoking was her call to action at the end where she asked the audience questions which allows us to ponder and reflect on her words and the topic as a whole.

ldthompson27 — 2025-04-14 03:12:36 UTC

I chose this TEDx video because Keri Norris speaks on how health equity is affected by location, genetics, and behavior. She discusses how location is especially important, as where someone lives dictates what they have access to and what pollutants they are exposed to. She uses advocacy as a means to encourage more conversation for health equity and why it is neccessary. She uses different examples or symbols, such as comparing the body to a home, to define health equity and why it is important to meet people where they are, so that people can better understand her point.

2025-04-14 03:46:54 UTC

In this talk, the speakers highlight how love motivates people to act when a family member is sick. They use relatable examples such as rushing a child to the ER or making soup for a sick spouse, thus showing that caregivers’ instincts are strong and important. Edith and Shahed discuss their goal to support 70 million caregivers and impact over a billion people in the next six years. This is part of the Audacious Project, TED’s initiative to inspire and fund large-scale global change. Both speakers used effective personal and relatable anecdotes to engage the audience. For example, referencing the universal experience of caring for a sick loved one creates an emotional connection with audience members and sets up a message. Both speakers also seem deeply passionate about their mission. Their enthusiasm about the topic is noticeable in their tone, pacing, and body language, making the audience more likely to believe in their cause. Most notably, by stressing the human side of healthcare, the speakers humanized a systemic issue. They didn’t just talk about statistics or abstract concepts, but they focused on real people and real emotions, making their point more impactful overall.

jrobinson1998 — 2025-04-14 03:59:58 UTC

In this video, Dr. Curry-Winchell describes the hardships the Black community face within the healthcare system and how it contributes to the health gaps that we see in so many medical categories. One way that Curry-Winchell is able to address her patients in an effective manner is by connecting on a personal level. She talks about her father who was not only a decorated war veteran but had faced racial societal hardships including segregation. She used this tactic to connect with different people in the audience and to set the stage about what this mattered on a personal level. She also created a timeline to remind the whole audience that these health disparities are not something in the past but something in generations still around today and still impact individuals of all ages in this community. Another way that Curry-Winchell connects with her audience is by telling deeply traumatic stories of how the healthcare system has created distrust from the black community. Curry-Winchell went for the heart strings by telling the truth and uncovering truth that gets hidden. By mapping out multiple instances of racial injustice in healthcare, she not only advocates for her community but creates a call to action for the whole audience. I was lucky to find this video because I do believe this part of our society continues to deeply hurt communities and yet is not often addressed and discussed as much as it should be.

ralrawi1 — 2025-04-14 04:22:25 UTC

I chose a video called "How racism makes us sick" by David R. Williams. In this TED talk, Williams explains how systemic racism can impact health outcomes and how it can contribute to health disparities and affect things like life expectancy, chronic diseases, and mental health. In his presentation, he used a few strategies that were effective for making his message meaningful. One of these strategies was his use of storytelling. He shared real-life scenarios and personal stories with the audience. This made the issue of racism feel very real and urgent. Another strategy Williams used strong visual data. During his presentation, he implemented graphs and studies that showcased disparities. The graphs and studies helped add credibility.

aprilgina25 — 2025-04-14 04:51:26 UTC

During a 2023 lecture on structural injustices in healthcare, Dr. Thea James, Vice President of Mission at Boston Medical Center, gave an impactful presentation on promoting health equity. Dr. James engaged audiences and emphasized the need to address health inequities by combining data-driven insights, audience engagement techniques, and personal storytelling. In order to humanize the problem and establish an emotional bond with the audience, she started off by sharing moving first-person accounts from patients whose lives had been affected by their inability to receive adequate healthcare. She also used strong evidence to show how health disparities are systemic, demonstrating that they are not isolated occurrences but rather components of a more widespread structural issue. In order to get the audience to think about their own role in either addressing or maintaining these disparities, another important tactic was to ask reflective questions. In order to make the topic of health equality approachable and actionable, Dr. James skillfully blended personal stories with sobering facts and interactive aspects. This inspired her audience to think of specific ways they might advocate for change.

kmejia2966 — 2025-04-14 05:27:54 UTC

In this video, the presenter Alexandria Campion talks about the way equity, diversity, and inclusion language hold many individuals back for fighting against social justice issues. The reason I picked this presentation is because she explains a variety ways these three forms of language can be used to voice our own viewpoints, concerns, and so forth. The presenter used a personal story of hers to captivate the audience which automatically makes the audience be intrigued by the knowledge she is sharing. Not only that, but the presenter is effectively giving the audience a variety of examples in which we can use language to get points across, she emphasizes the importance of being loud and clear, but also being competent in the way information is being shared. Nonetheless, this was a good way to understand the way to combat social justice issues.

2025-04-14 05:56:39 UTC

The TEDx talk "Climate Change is a Social Justice Issue" by Adriana Laurent explores climate change and social justice through storytelling. She discusses the unfair impact of climate change on marginalized communities and emphasizes the importance of addressing these inequalities in climate action. She begins with her own story growing up in Honduras, sharing her direct experiences with climate change and social inequality. This makes the issue real and personal, helping the audience emotionally connect. She links the environmental issues with human rights and inequality. She emphasizes that marginalized communities are the most affected, despite contributing the least to the problem. She avoids complicated words and instead speaks in plain, easy language. This helps the audience understand and stay engaged. She also uses repetition throughout her talk to reinforce her main message. She closes with a powerful message and encourages action towards climate change.

elariawassef — 2025-04-14 06:00:39 UTC

I chose this video because the presenter made their message on racism and race memorable and impactful; the presenter employed several practical techniques. First, they explained difficult ideas using anecdotes and allegories from daily life. They brought abstract concepts of racism to life and made them approachable by expressing their experiences with Japanese lanterns, restaurant signage, garden flowers, and conveyor belts. By relating these visual metaphors to well-known circumstances, the audience was better able to comprehend challenging ideas. Additionally, by clearly organizing their discussion around four primary allegories, the presenter made the material simpler to understand and retain. Every story built on the one before it, forming a coherent narrative that made sense from defining race to identifying the many levels of racism to learning how to actively fight it. Camara concluded by offering specific action items, going beyond merely pointing out issues to offer suggestions on how listeners should actively combat racism by detecting racism, examining its mechanisms, and banding together. As a result, the audience was able to put what they had learned into practice, making the message not just relevant but also useful.

magaly17 — 2025-04-14 06:12:07 UTC

In this video, the speaker, Renaisa, speaks about the hardships of health inequity. She begins her speech by providing a personal experience that she went through. She mentions how she was born premature, and how those experiences have helped her make her message meaningful. Throughout the entire video, she connects all of her points with personal storytelling. Growing up in Detroit Michigan, she saw unimaginable rates of public health concerns that are highly prevalent. This included teen pregnancies and HIV in young adolescents. After moving away to an urban area in Mississippi for high school, Renaisa was exposed to a different world where opportunities existed. Connecting her personal experiences to her speech adds a lot of meaning and emotion that allows to captivate the audience. Not only that, but body language is also important in her ted talk. She uses certain tones that make the audience understand the emotion she is trying to convey. Overall, Renaisa did a great job explaining how health inequities exist and how there needs to be a fix.

rachelsnegg — 2025-04-14 06:12:30 UTC

In “Why We Need DEI in Healthcare” presented by Dr. Bonzo Reddick, this board-certified doctor and Professor at Mercer University’s School of Medicine illustrates how DEI efforts can be misinterpreted and examines why there is a need for these programs to exist and be refined. Initially, he connects with the audience by establishing his credibility and shares his professional experience as the associate dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, within a medical school for six years. He goes on to lighten the mood by joking with the audience that if it is true that DEI translates to destruction and racism, he supposedly may have been the associate dean of racism.Reddick shares that the root cause of this confusion is due to the way that DEI efforts have been presented- in which they were either “misunderstood or intentionally manipulated”. To simplify the concept of DEI, he breaks down each letter of the acronym and explains the significance of each. He also utilizes the example of kidney disease as a health issue to make the presentation material more manageable to digest and as a point of reference to follow along with his line of reasoning. Dr. Bonzo Reddick does a stellar job connecting with the audience by balancing important statistics of a more serious nature, with humour, like his example comparing himself as a Black individual to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Overall, this presenter effectively conveys the need for DEI by employing rhetorical tools such as emphasizing certain words, pauses for dramatic effect, and a call to action to reconsider the current structures within the existing healthcare system.

antoniogmz1 — 2025-04-14 06:19:46 UTC

I watched Erika Cheung: The Making of a Whistleblower, and I thought it was a really strong and eye-opening talk. Erika shares her story of working at the biotech company Theranos, where she found big problems with the company’s blood testing technology. She chose to speak up, even though it could have cost her job. What made her message so powerful was how real and honest she was—she didn’t just talk about the facts, she shared how afraid she felt and what it was like to go through it.

She also explained a complex topic in a way that was easy to follow. Her story shows how dangerous it can be when companies care more about money than people’s health. What stood out to me the most was her bravery, and how she pushes others to speak up too—especially in healthcare, where doing the right thing can save lives. This talk really shows how important it is to have strong values, tell the truth, and stand up for what’s right. It made me think about how even one person can help protect public health and fight for fairness.

tatianatemelo — 2025-04-14 06:24:35 UTC

I chose this TedTalk because of the depth of the issues that are discussed and how they all relate to the overall climate of health equity in the United States. Dr. Esteban López employs several effective strategies to convey his message meaningfully. He begins by sharing personal anecdotes from his upbringing in a medically underserved community, establishing credibility and fostering an emotional connection with the audience. This personal narrative humanizes the abstract concept of health inequity, making it more relatable. Dr. López further strengthens his argument by presenting compelling statistics that highlight the correlation between socioeconomic status and health outcomes, providing a factual foundation for his claims. He also utilizes visual aids, such as charts and graphs, to illustrate disparities in healthcare access and outcomes among different populations, enhancing audience comprehension. Moreover, Dr. López adopts a conversational tone and clear language, avoiding medical jargon to ensure accessibility for a broad audience. He concludes by proposing actionable solutions, such as policy reforms and community engagement, empowering listeners to contribute to change. Through personal storytelling, empirical evidence, visual support, and a call to action, Dr. López effectively communicates the urgency of addressing health inequity in America

jennahleemoore1 — 2025-04-15 02:07:10 UTC

and its effects of maternal health amongst brown and black women in the U.S. The facilitator of this discussion is bringing advocacy around this topic to consider it as a health inequity. From the very beginning of the video the tone of discussion is very serious with a straight face, darker background setting, and saddening tone from Dr. Amutah-Onukagh. Additionally, the facilitator uses non-verbal communication and opening gestures to lead the audience. She portrays an open conversation about this health inequity. Dr. Amutah-Onukagh uses personal experience to help display advocacy for maternal health and its importance amongst health care workers and the overall system. Furthermore, she discusses her cultural background and connects this to the overall context of how racism is connected to healthcare.

jayrenetagumasi — 2025-04-21 04:26:21 UTC

I came across this video created by Camara Phyllis Jones, and I chose it because it addresses health equity and social justice through personal stories and clear, actionable steps. To allude to effective strategies for making her messages meaningful, she uses allegories, such as employing "The Gardener's Tale" to illustrate multifaceted concepts of systemic racism and its impact on health. She also uses frameworks that introduce structured approaches like "three tasks" to address racism -- naming it, asking how it operates, and organizing to act. She also implements visual metaphors. And lastly, calls to action, this stresses the importance of collective responsibility, and this engages individuals and communities to come together and bolster a sense of common goal. I admired this video and Dr. Jones ' use of real-life examples, metaphors, and a call to action helped me see how health disparities are connected to larger social structures and why it's important to speak up and take action.