In our fifth episode, we introduce our final topic, Public Health, as seen through the eyes of Taneka Hye Wol Jennings, an adoptee and immigrant rights activist. Jennings was born in Cheongju, South Korea. As a Korean American and a transracial, inter-country adoptee, she is dedicated to adoptee and immigrant rights work, as well as building authentic solidarity with others who have been marginalized by systems and structures that perpetuate injustice. She is a Campaign Director with Adoptees for Justice, a project of the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) and an active volunteer for intersectional justice causes. For Jennings, citizenship is a public health issue, determining who does and doesn’t have access to health care. In the photo she shares, Jennings stands in front of the US Capitol Building, about to be willingly arrested as part of a Citizenship for All protest. 

Interviewer Kaylen Brandt is a rising senior at Lindblom Math & Science Academy in Chicago’s West Englewood neighborhood. When she’s not interviewing community members, the aspiring Chicago alderperson is busy applying for colleges. 

Music: Malci

Artwork: Dan MacDonald Studios

Audio Producer: Samantha Gattsek

Executive Producers: Mareva Lindo & Elissa Yancey

This podcast is brought to you by Public Narrative and A Picture’s Worth.

Resources and Links

• Adoptees for Justice: http://adopteesforjustice.org/
• National Korean American Service & Education Consortium: http://nakasec.org
• Beyond Speaking Out, a blog post by Jennings: https://www.wearekaan.org/post/beyond-speaking-out