Podcast Summary: Reclaiming Public Health as a Social Movement

Podcast: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Episode: Reclaiming Public Health as a Social Movement with Dr. Jamila M. Porter and Aysha Dominguez Pamukcu
Date: December 16, 2025
Host: Chanel Bunger

Overview

In this episode, Dr. Jamila Porter and Aysha Dominguez Pamukcu discuss their co-authored book Strategic Skills for Public Health Practice: Advancing Equity and Justice. The conversation focuses on reimagining public health as a dynamic, community-led social movement grounded in equity and justice—especially in light of current social, political, and institutional challenges. The guests share trends they are monitoring, strategies for upholding equity work in restrictive environments, and bright spots in organizing and solidarity.

Guest Introductions and Backgrounds

• Dr. Jamila Porter (00:35)

  • Chief of Staff at the de Beaumont Foundation and Principal Investigator of Modernized Anti-Racist Data Ecosystems (MAiD) for Health Justice.
  • Two decades in public health, working on social determinants of health, transportation, justice policy, community power building, and previously in injury and violence prevention.
  • Experience spans philanthropy, nonprofits, consulting, and international development.

• Aysha Dominguez Pamukcu (01:36)

  • Director of the Policy Fund at the San Francisco Foundation, focusing on government-community partnerships and equitable housing/economic policies.
  • Founder of Movement Praxis; background as a human rights and civil rights lawyer transitioned into public health.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Purpose and Intent of the Book (02:25–05:45)

• Vision for Public Health as a Social Movement

  • The book, Advancing Equity and Justice, is presented as both a visionary call to action and a practical guide.
  • Dr. Porter: “This book is about confronting the root causes of health inequities...but the solution...is community leadership and social justice movements.” (03:07)
  • Emphasizes moving beyond mere technical fixes to embrace moral clarity and collective action.

• Practical Guidance

  • Contains research, policy context, historical analysis, systems thinking, and insights from movement leaders.
  • Aysha: “How do we reclaim our social justice roots, especially at a time when both science and our democracy are under attack?... This is a book for our times...” (04:41)
  • Provides frameworks for responding to pressing issues: disinformation, rollback of equity initiatives, and declining trust in institutions.

Major Public Health Trends and Challenges (06:02–10:51)

• Attacks on Equity and Justice Initiatives

  • Increasing prohibitions on the word “equity” and efforts to delegitimize equity and justice work.
  • Porter: “So we can't have one without the other. We can't have improvements in health...without equity and justice.” (07:11)
  • The book addresses doing the work even when you can’t name it openly, focusing on valuing all people, rectifying injustices, and providing resources according to need.

• Scapegoating and Anticipatory Compliance

  • Pamukcu warns of increasing scapegoating of marginalized communities and public health workers: “...scapegoating marginalized populations as a way of shifting blame from very flawed and dangerous systems onto the people who are trying to fix them.” (08:30)
  • “Anticipatory compliance” describes organizations preemptively weakening their own equity work in fear of political retribution: “That’s exactly the opposite of what we want to be doing right now...” (10:19)
  • Emphasizes pushing back, building inclusive visions, and not being cowed by backlash.

Bright Spots & Reasons for Hope (11:07–14:20)

• Organizing and Power-Building

  • Pamukcu highlights “incredible organizing and power building...public health reach[ing] out across silos...to really build our power so that we can set an agenda and...move the needle.” (11:12)
  • Expanded, forward-looking visioning is lifting the field beyond present challenges.

• Solidarity Amidst Backlash

  • Porter notes cross-community solidarity and resilience: “Amidst efforts to detain and unjustly incarcerate immigrants, we're seeing solidarity across all kinds of identity lines of people who know that this is wrong and have come together to fight against it.” (12:38)
  • Ongoing connection and hope for a “more just and more truly united nation” even amid adversity.

• Returning to Public Health’s Origins

  • Pamukcu: “...for public health to embrace equity and justice, we really want folks to understand that there's nothing new about this. And this is actually a return to our origins.” (13:32)
  • Advocates for health as a collective right, with systems-level responsibility, echoing early values in public health.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “This book is about confronting the root causes of health inequities...But the solution...is around community leadership and social justice movements.” — Dr. Jamila Porter (03:07)
• “How do we reclaim our social justice roots, especially at a time when both science and our democracy are under attack?...” — Aysha Pamukcu (04:41)
• “We can't have improvements in health...without equity and justice.” — Dr. Jamila Porter (07:11)
• “We're really seeing a very concerning trend that is endangering our health as scapegoating public health and the folks who do this work, and scapegoating marginalized populations as a way of shifting blame...” — Aysha Pamukcu (08:30)
• “Institutions...preemptively weakening their own ability to advance equity and justice...in some sort of fear based response.” — Aysha Pamukcu (10:22)
• “We're seeing, amidst efforts to detain and unjustly incarcerate immigrants, we're seeing solidarity across all kinds of identity lines...” — Dr. Jamila Porter (12:38)
• “This is actually a return to our origins...we were advocating for government's responsibility for people to have good, safe living and working conditions.” — Aysha Pamukcu (13:32)

Book Details & Contact Information (14:39–15:15)

• Book Title: Advancing Equity and Justice
• Purchase: Available via APHA Press and Amazon.
• Companion resources (e.g., coloring book) forthcoming.
• Contact: Aysha—San Francisco Foundation and Movement Praxis; Jamila—de Beaumont Foundation.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introductions & Backgrounds: 00:26–02:18
• Book Overview & Vision: 02:25–05:45
• Trends & Equity Challenges: 06:02–10:51
• Bright Spots & Solidarity: 11:07–14:20
• Book Info & Closing: 14:39–15:15

Tone: The conversation is earnest, activist-minded, and hopeful, mixing pragmatic advice with calls for radical imagination and community solidarity.

This summary provides an in-depth yet accessible guide to the episode for listeners and non-listeners alike, preserving the key insights, spirit, and language of the original discussion.