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Date and Location

March 12, 2026
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM ET
L-166

Contact

617-495-1360
Mayor Tishaura Jones Study Group: Backlash, Bias & Politics of Public Health

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis was appointed as the first Black woman physician to lead the City of St. Louis Department of Health. Her tenure unfolded at a time when public health became one of the most politicized arenas in American life. This session explores how backlash, politics, and misinformation transformed routine health decisions into ideological flashpoints—and what that means for democratic institutions moving forward.


VIRTUAL GUEST: Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer of the Missouri Foundation for Health


AUDIENCE: These conversations are open to members of the Harvard community. Please RSVP with a valid Harvard email address.


OFF-THE-RECORD: In keeping with our long tradition at the IOP to ensure honest and candid discussions of politics, all IOP study groups are off-the-record.


Please register for this study group with a valid Harvard email address.

Speakers and Presenters

Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer of the Missouri Foundation for Health;
Mayor Tishaura Jones, IOP Spring 2026 Resident Fellow; Former Mayor of St. Louis, MO

Organizer

Institute of Politics (IOP)