The Rev. Barber to keynote APHA 2022 opening
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* Michele Late

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The Rev. Dr. William Barber speaks at a university in Washington, D.C. in 2019. Barber, a dedicated advocate for the poor, will keynote the opening session of the Annual Meeting 2022.

Photo by Michael Brochstein, via SOPA Images/LightRocket Getty Images

APHA 2022 attendees will have an opportunity to learn from and be inspired by a social justice powerhouse at this year’s event.

The Rev. Dr. William Barber II, MDiv, a renowned orator and dedicated advocate for the poor, will keynote the opening session of APHA’s 2022 Annual Meeting and Expo in Boston, APHA announced in June.

Barber is well known for his role as a pastor and bishop. He is co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, an economic justice and equity movement that takes its name from the 1968 Poor People’s Campaign organized by Martin Luther King Jr. The modern-day campaign is working to address systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation and “the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism,” among other issue.

In June, the campaign brought its message to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., gathering thousands of supporters for the Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March, which raised awareness of the challenges faced by low-income Americans.

From voter suppression and inequitable education to low wages and unequal housing opportunities, “the regressive policies which produce 140 million poor and low-wealth people are not benign. They are forms of ‘policy murder,’” Barber said during his speech at the march. He cited recent findings that more than 335,000 lives could have been saved during the pandemic if the U.S. had universal health care instead of a system that leaves millions without insurance.

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Public health professionals attending APHA 2022 can also take part in special activities involving APHA’s 150th anniversary.

Photo by Alvarez, courtesy iStockphoto

“This level of poverty and greed in this, the richest nation in the history of the world, constitutes a moral crisis and a fundamental failure of the policies of greed,” said Barber, who is also senior lecturer and president of Repairers of the Breach and a 2018 MacArthur Foundation Genius Award recipient.

Barber will bring his insights to APHA 2022 in Boston, during the Sunday, Nov. 6, opening session, which is the official kickoff of the four-day event. APHA 2022 will bring together over 10,000 public health professionals for panel and poster scientific sessions, roundtables, general sessions, business meetings, social hours and networking opportunities.

Registration and housing are now open. Discounted rates are available for students, early-career professionals and other APHA members. Public health professionals unable to attend in person can opt for a digital version of APHA 2022, which will be available Nov. 14-16. The digital event will include recordings of more than 120 sessions as well as live access to the opening session. The digital meeting will be free for all Boston attendees.

APHA 2022 will also serve as a celebration of APHA’s 150th anniversary. Special activities throughout the meeting will weave together APHA’s past, present and future role in public health, coinciding with the APHA 2022 theme of “150 Years of Creating the Healthiest Nation: Leading the Path Toward Equity.”

To register for the Annual Meeting, reserve housing and browse FAQs, visit [www.apha.org/annualmeeting](http://www.apha.org/annualmeeting). For questions, email annualmeeting{at}apha.org.

*   Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association