Public Health and Civil Rights History Vocabulary

Vocabulary-style flashcards defining influential figures, legal precedents, and historical eras that shaped public health and civil rights policy in the United States.

Hippocrates

“Father of Medicine”; created ethical standards for doctors (Hippocratic Oath)

FDR

Used Fireside Chats to calm public during crises; created social safety nets (Social Security) improving public wellbeing

MLK Jr.

Led Children’s March; fought for equal access to healthcare and public spaces for Black Americans

Malcolm X

Promoted Black Power and self-sufficiency, including community-controlled healthcare

Cesar Chavez

Led Grape Boycott; fought for farmworkers’ health/safety and fair conditions

Betty Friedan

Wrote Feminine Mystique; pushed for ERA and women’s rights in healthcare/workplace

Harvey Milk

First openly gay elected official; advocated for LGBTQ+ health rights

Yuri Kochiyama

Opposed Executive Order 9066; highlighted health harms of Japanese American incarceration

Clyde Bellecourt

Co-founded AIM; fought for Native American rights and access to healthcare

Public Health

Government’s role in protecting community health through policy and prevention

Natural Rights

Life, liberty, property — foundation for health as a human right

Declaration of Independence

Established right to “life” as basis for public health protection

Constitution

Framework for health-related laws and federal health authority

Bill of Rights

剰Protects individual freedoms that intersect with medical autonomy

Manifest Destiny

Westward expansion devastated Native health through displacement and disease

Social Darwinism/“Laissez Faire”

Belief government shouldn’t intervene; led to poor public health conditions

Industrialization/Urbanization

Overcrowding and unsafe labor caused major public health crises

National Market/Pure Food & Drug Act

First federal law regulating food/drug safety for consumers

Progressive Era

Reform movement that pushed for sanitation, labor laws, and public health improvements

Flexner Report 1910

Standardized medical education; shaped modern healthcare training

Wellness areas

Holistic health model (physical, mental, social, etc.)

Great Depression

Mass poverty caused widespread hunger and mental/physical health collapse

New Deal (3 Rs)

Relief, Recovery, Reform; created programs supporting public health and economic stability

WPA

Built public infrastructure (hospitals, schools); employed millions improving community health

Hippies

Counterculture movement promoting alternative medicine and mental wellness

Dred Scott vs. Sanford

Denied Black citizenship, reinforcing health inequality and lack of legal protection

13th, 14th & 15th Amendments

Abolished slavery, granted citizenship/equal protection, and voting rights — foundation for health equity

Black Codes

Laws restricting freed Black Americans, limiting their access to resources and healthcare

Jim Crow Laws

Enforced racial segregation, including in hospitals and medical care

Plessy vs. Ferguson

“Separate but equal” legalized segregated and inferior healthcare for Black Americans

Brown vs. Board of Education

Overturned school segregation; precedent for desegregating medical facilities

24th Amendment/Voting Rights Act

Removed barriers to voting, empowering communities to advocate for health policy

Affirmative Action/Prop 209

Increased diversity in medicine; Prop 209 rolled back those gains in California

Mendez vs. Westminster

Desegregated California schools; early win for Latino civil and health rights

Roe vs. Wade

Established women’s right to abortion as part of reproductive healthcare autonomy

Title IX

Prohibited sex discrimination in education, including medical schools

Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Org.

Overturned Roe; eliminated federal protection for abortion access

AIM (American Indian Movement)

Fought for Native sovereignty and access to culturally appropriate healthcare

ADA (5 Sections)

Prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities; ensured healthcare/workplace access

Civil Rights Act

Banned discrimination in public places, including hospitals and clinics

“War on Poverty” Programs

Created Medicaid/Medicare and other programs expanding healthcare access for low-income Americans