Dorothea Fox Jakob (1946 – )

Inspiration for Activism!

American-born public health nurse; emigrated to Canada in 1973.
Strong social justice advocate, particularly anti-child poverty advocacy.
Dorothea Fox-Jakob
Played a key role as public health nurse in Toronto, in identifying electric kettles as a key factor in elevated lead levels among infants. Reporting of her observations led to safety standards for electric kettles across the country.
Wrote letters to editors in newspapers, lobbied elected officials as well as the professional nursing association (RNAO) regarding the impact of child poverty on health.
Represented RNAO in a meeting on child poverty that led to the establishment of Campaign 2000, a public education and anti-child poverty advocacy group that still exists today.
As a member of the Nurses for Social Responsibility, participated in various protest and educational activities focused on the advancement of health equity.
Strong believer that the essence of nursing is to bear witness to what we see and speak truth to power.

Elizabeth Berrey (1945 – )

Inspiration for Activism!

Active in nursing organizations throughout Baccalaureate program (Baylor University) and master’s program (University of Maryland), including serving as president of Texas Nursing Students Association.
Featured speaker at nursing conferences and conventions on the importance of nurses as agents for change and advocates for better healthcare.
First nurse appointed to the MetroHealth Hospital Board of Trustees (1985-1990).
First private practice in nursing in Ohio (1980-1986).
Appointed to the Ohio Board of Nursing (1987-1992) advocating for nursing autonomy and control of our own practice.
Only nurse to serve on the Governor’s Commission on Ohio Health Care Costs.
Advocate for LGBTQIA health, and reducing healthcare disparities based on ethnicity, gender, and sexuality.
New Mexico Nursing Education Consortium Leadership Team & founding member.
Interviewer for the Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Project, preserving stories in the Smith College Archives of lesbians over 70 from all walks of life.
Coordinator of the New Mexico OLOC chapter (Old Lesbians Organizing for Change); sponsor forums for women candidates from all political affiliations.
Voter Registrar in New Mexico.
The Resistance since Nov. 2016.
Actively working on the Michelle Luhan Grisham campaign for Governor and the Deb Haaland campaign for US Congress.

Read text of Elizabeth’s speeches!

Inspiration for Activism!

American citizen with strong ties to Philippines.
Also known as Mother or Ibu Robin.
Maternal health activist.
Became a midwife after several personal/family tragedies.
Initially volunteered services in Bali to help local low-income women birth babies.
In 2003, founded Yayasan Bumi Sehat clinics (Healthy Mother Earth Foundation) – clinics have helped deliver >5000 babies.
Strong parental rights advocate.
Awarded 2011 CNN Hero of the Year Award.
Author of a number of books on maternal/infant health.

For more information, see here and here

Inspiration for Activism

Esteemed nursing “leader with vision, insight, and wise counsel who had a major impact in the advancement of nursing, health care, and academic programs“
inspired to become a nurse because of her mother, who wanted to be a nurse but could not because of her race
Strong advocate for Black women and Black nurses, urging baccalaureate education for all
First nurse to conduct clinical experiments that evaluated nursing practices
First African-American woman to be named as a Dean of Nursing, University of Michigan (1981). Subsequently appointed as Vice-Provost of the University, serving until her retirement.
First woman and first nurse to serve as deputy director of the National Institute of Mental Health 1979-1981
As President of the American Academy of Nursing (1987-89), led the establishment of Expert Panels to develop strong policy statements based on nursing expertise

More information here and here

Rhetaugh Dumas with Peggy Chinn, 2005

Inspiration for Activism

A group of nurses, mostly from Toronto, ON who organized to become a distinct and unified nursing voice to speak out on social issues that
Nurses for Social Responsibility

influenced health
Lobbied professional nursing organizations to take action on a range of issues, such as multilateral nuclear disarmament and child poverty
Formed coalitions with like-minded non-nursing activist organizations advocating for women’s health, gender equality, peace
Demonstrated support for controversial issues, e.g. abortion rights, needle-exchange programs
Engaged in civil disobedience to shut down, temporarily at least, an “arms fair” protest the selling of arms to brutal dictatorships
Took positions opposed to violence against women, economic globalization, racism
Exposed nursing workplace issues, such as nursing cutbacks, preferential treatment of physicians over nurses, and racism
Published a newsletter initially, then later a magazine sold in news outlets across the country – “Towards Justice in Health”