What We're Reading
We at Civic Health Alliance are always reading to learn more about what’s happening in our local and national communities. Below we’ve included a sample of what we’re reading and why and we hope you’ll check some of these sources out.
We’d love to hear what you’re reading. Let us know here: Tell Us What You’re Reading.
Spoorthy Prabhudeva
Civic Health Alliance, Student Ambassador
What are you reading? Thank You for Voting: The Maddening, Enlightening, Inspiring Truth About Voting in America by Erin Geiger Smith
What do you like about this book? Every single vote matters. It is easy to feel that our single vote is nonconsequential, but that is not true. As members of society, we must believe in the power of our vote. This leap of faith is an important one: it helps keep our democracy alive.
Why invest in reading about civic engagement in healthcare? Both providers and patients, in the setting of healthcare concerns or issues, may see civic duties as something too distant, something that cannot help them. I think it is important to challenge those assumptions because voting/civic engagement can make a difference.
Civic Health Alliance, Director of Policy and Partnerships
Jessica Dennehy
What are you reading? Invisibility Blues: From Pop to Theory (Radical Thinkers) by Michele Wallace
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What do you like about this book? This book is a collection of essays surrounding Michele Wallace, who grew up in Harlem (born 1952). I like this book because of the transparency and authenticity that is centered around Wallace’s hope for the future. The book explores the underrepresentation of Black voices in media, politics, and culture.
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Why invest in reading about civic engagement in healthcare? While this book is not directly related to healthcare, Wallace centers the importance of bringing attention to Black voices, which are historically underrepresented, and this contributes to negative health outcomes. I think it is important to read literature from systemically minoritized groups to understand how to best engage with and uplift the voices of historically underrepresented communities and avoid perpetuating harm.
