Continuing the fight for education and health this Black August

Public education cannot fulfill its promise to our communities when students' basic health needs are unmet. If the air you breathe triggers asthma, the water you drink carries lead, or your grief or long COVID symptoms go unacknowledged, school can quickly become a place of survival, not growth. Right now, that is the reality for too many kids. Today marks 28 years since the creation of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which, alongside Medicaid, has made it possible for millions of children to access health care they would otherwise go without. These programs have been especially critical for Black, brown, immigrant, and lower-income students, whose communities face disproportionate health inequities that affect their ability to learn. Unfortunately, the passage of President Trump's so-called "big, beautiful bill" threatens those programs and guts Medicaid - shifting costs to states and pushing people off coverage to fund tax breaks for billionaires and corporations. These attacks deepen a long legacy of racial injustice in health and health care. For generations, Black communities have faced systemic neglect and exclusion from quality care, with devastating consequences. Today, Black students are more likely to experience asthma, lead exposure, and chronic illness, yet less likely to receive the care they need. Schools should be places where our children grow, heal, and thrive. That means investing in school nurses and mental health counselors, ensuring healthier school buildings, and protecting the programs that meet students where they are. Education and health are not separate, but deeply connected parts of a shared fight for justice. Join us in embracing that truth by taking action this month! Rally with us next Wednesday, August 13, at 11 AM at Foley Square to demand a special session that protects New Yorkers' access to care. Can't make the rally? Join a phone bank held every Wednesday in August at 5:30 PM to demand the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share to protect health care and so much more! Share your story with us about how health systems have shaped your learning - your experiences power this work, so we always love to hear from you! In solidarity, Marina Marcou-O'Malley and Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari Co-Executive Directors, Alliance for Quality Education Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Alliance for Quality Education, please click here.