What connects civil rights gains, women’s suffrage, marriage equality and the rise of progressive candidates? The answer is timing and advocacy – persistent advocates challenging the opposition and strategically responding to the greatest challenges of our time. Advocacy is an integral aspect of social change.

This year’s theme, Advocacy for Change: Celebrating Past Successes and Planning for the Future, honors how advocacy efforts are instrumental in advancing the health of minorities. We honor past activist successes and set the stage for communities to continue their work as advocates or as changemakers.

Public health is an active and integral actor in these movements for social change. As a field, public health must intentionally shed light on disparities that persist due to structural and social inequalities and provide pathways to promote better health for all. The Minority Health Conference has curated a forum that sets the stage for more effective and engaging advocacy efforts in our communities, far and near.

The conference aims to raise awareness around health disparities and mobilize students, academics, and community members to take action for change. Participants will hear from a diverse array of local speakers on the intersections of health, policy, art and social activism. UCLA's conference will also host a poster presentation session highlighting research that challenges the status quo of health disparities in our nation.

Register to enjoy a day of learning, discussing and networking and activating our inner advocate!

To present your research, submit an abstract to https://bit.ly/2Huu2Lr by February 1st.

Abstract submission guidelines can be found here -> https://bit.ly/2WgsjfR.

Light refreshments will be provided!

The Minority Health Conference at UCLA is an extension of the largest, longest running student-led health conference in the country at UNC, and co-organized by FSPH's Center for the Study of Racism, Social Justice & Health.