In September, LASA considered the long histories of health and public health in Los Angeles and how those histories connect to the present. We welcomed Dr. Cynthia Willard who shared about her careers in global health and community clinics. Dr. Cindy used asthma as a case study to think through factors affecting health and access to care in the county.
America reflected, “I thought it was a really good way to emphasize the equity issues that are faced with things that are supposed to be our right, like healthcare. A slightly more positive side to the conversations on Saturday were also the history of health throughout the years. With both these conversations I knew for certain that unfortunately people are facing these inequalities in their access to healthcare due to race, socio-economic status, or physical ability. I thought talking with Cindy really emphasized an issue that often gets overlooked. This is also significantly important to me because I was able to see myself in the issues that were represented on Saturday and I was able to help others understand the effects that healthcare has on my community.”
Rami added “Dr. Cindy Willard’s presentation left a profound impact on me as it made me reflect on how systemic racism permeates even the minutiae of our daily lives. Her insights not only deepened my existing interest in Urban Planning but also made me seriously consider pursuing it as a potential career.”
Dr. Joel Klein, the Molina Curator for the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences at The Huntington joined us with health-related ephemera from the archives from quarantine tracts to political cartoons. Rami noted, “among the many remarkable items he shared, the historical laws against Chinese immigrants stood out, shedding light on the often overlooked dark facets of Californian history.”
We ended the day “garden-bathing” and setting personal or community health goals. Sophia wrote about her experience of the connection between natural spaces and health, “When we went to the Huntington Library, I was in awe of the Rose Garden and how such a large piece of land was accumulated by Mr. Huntington. I had never been to this library before and it showed me special and important it is to maintain the gardens and archives for future generations. We talked about health and after walking through multiple gardens, I realized how important it is to stay hydrated when you walk almost close to one mile.”
Ashlyn summed up how many of us left the day with more questions and expressed her surprise at her level of interest in the topic. “It was really eye-opening to learn the impacts of redlining beyond the surface level…It’s definitely inspired me to look more into the interconnectedness of Los Angeles and all the hidden causes and effects that have impacted us. I would love to hear more about these connections in the future, maybe even from a different perspective like law enforcement.” We look forward to continuing the conversation in October.
Thank you to Cindy, Joel, and to Mona Shulman at The Huntington for the extra help with access on a very busy day.