I hope this will be received in the same spirit in which it’s offered: the t-shirts are great, support a great cause, and build camaraderie. At the same time, we should understand that donating to charity isn’t the same thing as building political power or public trust.

That’s okay! It’s fantastic to raise money and have fun doing it. But as we think about how science and epidemiology act within and against existing power structures, the “charity vs. justice” distinction is highly relevant!

Charity addresses the effects of injustices — for example, that millions of people in the US can’t afford food after they’ve paid for rent. A justice-focused approach seeks to remedy the root causes: why are people poor? How do we change social policy so that no one is poor?

I think we obviously need both: to address root and fundamental causes AND to provide direct and immediate relief to people who need it *now.* anyway, just something to think about as this conversation unfolds