Herkimer College Holds Book Discussion on Global Health Equity, part of National Library Week, School Library Month
Health equity in marginalized communities was the focus of a special book club event held on Monday, April 25 at Herkimer College. Students, faculty, and staff participated in a round-table discussion on the book, What the Eyes Don’t See – A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City, by Mona Hanna-Attisha. The event, held in person and available virtually, was a celebration of National Library Week, observed April 3-9, and School Library Month.
Health equity in marginalized communities was the focus of a special book club event held on Monday, April 25 at Herkimer College. Students, faculty, and staff participated in a round-table discussion on the book, What the Eyes Don’t See – A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City, by Mona Hanna-Attisha. The event, held in person and available virtually, was a celebration of National Library Week, observed April 3-9, and School Library Month.
Hanna-Attisha is a pediatrician, professor, and public health advocate whose research exposed the Flint, Michigan water crisis. Her book is a chronicle of the crisis, which began unfolding in the socio-economically challenged city in 2014.
“This was an event that brought together staff, students, and faculty for an informal, educational, and inspirational talk on health equity,” Herkimer College’s Associate Professor of Biology, Jennifer Herzog, explains. “Thanks to the support of the HCC Foundation, the Herkimer College Library, and the Herkimer College DEI committee, we hope to organize future events to engage our entire campus community in dialogue.”
The discussion delved into real-life experiences and observations of inequities found in minority communities, such as food deserts, lack of access to healthcare as well as the lack of minority representation in the healthcare system, historical mistrust of systems – referencing the Tuskegee Experiment, as well as access to clean water and other barriers to physical health.
A Conversation on Health Equity was sponsored by the Herkimer County College Foundation, the Herkimer College Library, and the Herkimer College Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.