Poverty poses a serious threat to the health of the public, as those living in poverty are less likely to be able to access the conditions that promote health. Panelists will discuss the intersections of health, medicine, and poverty, and how addressing the social factors that create health can lead to greater health for all.

Jamila Michener is an assistant professor of government at Cornell University and an expert on poverty and racial inequality. She says during times of public health crisis the consequences of inequalities surface and it’s going to be a huge challenge to support K-12 students facing school closures at home and also in their communities.

With a closely divided U.S. Senate, states and localities remain essential for policies that advance civil rights, immigrant rights, worker rights, and environmental sustainability. A timely conversation featuring Professors Allan Colbern and Karthick Ramakrishnan, authors of Citizenship Reimagined, Prof. Elizabeth Cohen, Syracuse University, Prof. Jamila Michener, Cornell University, Prof. Joel Rogers, University of Wisconsin, and moderated by Prof. Janelle Wong, University of Maryland.

“Are American States Better at Protecting Human Rights Than the U.S. Government?” The conventional American narrative since the civil rights era has been that states tend to violate our rights, and the federal government intervenes to protect people. But much of American history runs the other way, offering numerous examples of states acting to protect the rights of their people—notably Indigenous peoples, African Americans escaping slavery, and undocumented immigrants—from federal authorities. What’s more, state constitutions, which are relatively easy to amend, typically grant citizens far more rights than the much more difficult-to-amend U.S. Constitution. Are our state capitals better suited than Washington, D.C., to defend our freedoms? What will happen if a more conservative U.S. Supreme Court majority turns more debates over rights into questions for individual states? Do today’s bitter disputes over election and voter suppression at the state level suggest that it’s time to revisit the Voting Rights Act of 1965—or finally add the right to vote to the U.S. Constitution? UC Riverside Center for Social Innovation founding director and "Citizenship Reimagined" co-author Karthick Ramakrishnan, Cornell University government professor Jamila Michener, and Cynthia Buiza, executive director of the California Immigrant Policy Center, visited Zócalo to consider the past, present, and future of human rights in the 50 United States. This Zócalo/Center for Social Innovation online event was moderated by Richard Kreitner, contributing writer at The Nation and author of Break It Up. Read more about our panelists here: https://zps.la/3cjL6OA For a full report on the live discussion, check out the Takeaway: https://zps.la/31FfJvf Visit https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/ to read our articles and learn about upcoming events. Follow along on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thepublicsquare Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepublicsquare/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zocalopublicsquare

In this CLASP webinar, Dr. Jamila Michener, author of Fragmented Democracy, discusses the current landscape of Medicaid waivers, the lasting negative impact of disparate treatment under Medicaid, and how people’s experiences with work support programs influence their civic engagement. Also, CLASP Policy Analyst Renato Rocha provides an overview of the racially-loaded history of tying receipt of benefits to “work requirements".

JHPPL social media editor Harold Pollack interviews Jamila Michener (Cornell University) about her article "Race, Politics, and the Affordable Care Act." Read the article here: https://read.dukeupress.edu/jhppl/article/doi/10.1215/03616878-8255481/160613/Race-Politics-and-the-Affordable-Care-Act Read "The ACA at 10 (Part 1)" here: https://read.dukeupress.edu/jhppl/advance-publication

View the full webinar from the October 13th, 2020 virtual event, featuring: Dr. Jamila Michener discussing the connection between racial disparities, COVID-19 and Medicaid; Dr. Alpa Patel sharing research from the American Cancer Society about the impact social determinants of health have on cancer patients; and Mike Perry sharing preliminary results from new messaging and polling research about race, health and the pandemic.

Poverty, Power, and Civil Legal Justice, presented by Jamila Michener, Assistant Professor, Department of Government, Cornell University.

Good governance or inclusive populism? Framing questions: What are the root causes underneath the institutional failures of our crises of democratic legitimacy, extreme inequality, and market failure? What kind of policy and governmental structures are needed to govern an inclusive, multiracial society and produce more equitable outcomes? What kinds of politics will it take to shift our foundational institutions toward justice? Can our politics articulate some form of inclusive populism that can shift government responsiveness to grassroots constituents, strengthen governance, and produce greater equity? Is the current populist moment destructive, corrective, both, or neither? In Discussion: Alex Hertel-Fernandez Assistant Professor, International and Public Affairs, Columbia University; Author, State Capture (2019) Jamila Michener Assistant Professor, Government, Cornell University; Author, Fragmented Democracy (2019) Helen Gym Councilmember, Philadelphia City Council; Vice Chair, Local Progress Lorella Praeli President, Community Change Action Moderator Dorian Warren President, Community Change