Today we’d like to introduce you to Winston Wright.
Winston, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Brothers in Public Health was founded as an official 501c3 non-profit in 2023 by four young professionals based across multiple cities in the southeast. All of us finished our Master of Public Health programs right before or after COVID-19, entering an rapidly transitioning .. digitally dependent world, and met each other through linkedIn. We began meeting via Zoom in 2021 to create the organization and in 2024 launched our first official chapter in Boston, and have worked to establish chapters in Nashville, Atlanta, Providence and now Houston. Nationally, we leverage our social media presence to raise awareness regarding public health issues impacting communities but also to influence young men of color to pursue careers in public health.
Public Health is the study & practice of applying policy, medicine, data analysis, history and community engagement to improve the health outcomes of populations. Members of Brothers in Public Health (BiPH) have a vested interest in tackling health issues that are experienced widely in communities, identifying why these issues exists, and how we can play our role in eliminating them.
In Nashville, our chapter centers around advocacy and volunteerism. Like many non-profits across the city we have hosted several community clean ups, mostly in the North Nashville and Madison areas. One central advocacy effort we have pursued has been centered around supporting the fight against the Proposed Fisk University data center in North Nashville. We have canvassed residents in the Metro housing community of Andrew Jackson, created awareness material in the form of t-shirts and flyers calling action to “No data centers in 37208”, and have spoken at public hearing meetings in support of the local ordinance BL-2026-1391. Additionally we created a publicly accessible map using public health data & research to show the communities that would potentially be harmed if the proposed data center was constructed.
We aim to equip the community with the knowledge and insights we have as professionals, and to be able to bring the lens of what we see as brothers in public health. The membership of the entire organization spans 42 cities, and realistically we are still only in our infinite stages of development. Brian (the chapter lead for Nashville) is a doctoral student at TSU and a TSU grad for his entire public health education. Myself (Winston, one of the co-founders of the national organization) am a Fisk University graduate and Nashville transplant via Philadelphia on/off since 2007. We are both still based in the city and both have advocacy portfolios outside of Brothers in Public Health, and are looking for others like us to help us grow.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
At times capacity has been the biggest roadblock. We both still work and Brian is also a full time dad! We participate in / lead a variety of community initiatives so at times it can be tricky balancing everything & staying consistent. Other than that I would say how we envisioned our growth at a national level, cascading into city chapters has been okay. Our Boston chapter has been the most successful to date and has established a formal presence within the public health scene. Here in Nashville we have strong relationship with the behavioral health division of the Metro Department of Health, Tennessee State University and the Black Mental Health Village, hosting or sponsoring several events. But finding young professionals who are comfortable enough or committed enough, has been a challenge admittedly.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Public Health is a broad field / industry. Brian primarily does research as his 9-5 and I work for a major academic health system as a consultant for health equity and belonging & inclusion work. The way we approach issues outside of work is rooted in our public health lens, which is: community engagement, policy analysis, evidence based research, social media awareness. Our branding as Brothers in Public Health is very much intentionally focused on centering our perspective as young men of color coming from all kinds of divested, historically marginalized backgrounds. Our past and current lived experiences enhance our ability to be in community and form genuine relationships with the neighbors and residents we advocate for. Additionally, our appeal to aspiring public health professionals has also been a strength we’ve leveraged as we’ve grown.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
hmmm this is a tough one. I would honestly say don’t force it. When I first started working it seemed like there was pressure to keep up with people just in case you ever wanted to a job with them. While I understand the strategy in that, I personally found more value consistently connecting with those that I had a genuine & mutual interest. Sometimes your mentor doesn’t have to a senior leader at your organization or even in your industry. And sometimes that relationship with a mentor can develop organically.
Networking wise: be outside. I’m in an era of going on solo missions like it’s no ones business and have met countless people. I think it’s important to be where you see yourself being. That will take you get you far.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://brosinpublichealth.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brothersinpublichealth/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brothers-in-public-health
