A day in the life of a public health professional, podcaster, and human being. Roll with me to Gaylord Michigan for the 2026 Michigan Suicide Prevention Community Technical Assistance Conference.

“Social work isn’t a profession.” “

Public health isn’t a real field.”

“Your degree doesn’t matter.”

Every time society dismisses a field, it affects funding, pay, and the people doing the hardest work: social workers, public health professionals, educators, and caregivers who sustain our communities.

In this episode of Equity Matters, Dr. James Bell III explores the history and politics of professionalism, showing how traits like formal education, licensure, and hierarchy were historically built to exclude women, Black and Brown professionals, and working-class communities. We dive into the consequences of structural inequities, including undervalued labor, disposable workforces, and narratives shaped by outsiders rather than the people doing the work.

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“Social work isn’t a profession.”

“Public health isn’t a real field.”

“Your degree doesn’t matter.”

These statements might sound like casual opinions, but they reveal something deeper about how society decides which professions deserve respect, funding, and power.

In this preview of the upcoming Equity Matters episode “Respeck on My Name (Work To Do)”, Dr. James Bell III explores the history and politics of professionalism and why fields like social work and public health are often dismissed even though they are essential to the health and stability of our communities.

This full episode will look at:

• The history of professional status in the United States
• How race, gender, and power shaped who gets to be called a “professional”
• Why care professions are often undervalued and underfunded
• The impact this has on the public health and social work workforce

Subscribe and stay tuned for the full conversation starting this Wednesday.