The theme of this year’s Annual Meeting is “Social Justice: A Public Health Imperative,” and community health workers have a vital role to play in addressing social justice issues.  For one important perspective, we can turn our attention to a recent commentary in the American Journal of Public Health, “Community Health Workers: Social Justice and Policy Advocates for Community Health and Well-Being,” by Leda M. Pérez, PhD, and Jacqueline Martinez, MPH.

This commentary addresses how CHWs are resources to their communities and to the advocacy and policy world on several levels, connecting people to care and gathering information from their communities to help shape better public health policy, acting as advocates for social justice. Please read this important article at Am J Public Health. 2008;98:11–14. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2006.100842.