Respeck on My Name (Work to Do)

“Social work isn’t a profession.” “

Public health isn’t a real field.”

“Your degree doesn’t matter.”

 

Every time society dismisses a field, it affects funding, pay, and the people doing the hardest work: social workers, public health professionals, educators, and caregivers who sustain our communities.

In this episode of Equity Matters, Dr. James Bell III explores the history and politics of professionalism, showing how traits like formal education, licensure, and hierarchy were historically built to exclude women, Black and Brown professionals, and working-class communities. We dive into the consequences of structural inequities, including undervalued labor, disposable workforces, and narratives shaped by outsiders rather than the people doing the work.

 

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