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Jill Stein
Education
Jill Stein received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Radcliffe College at Harvard University in 1973. She later earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1998. Stein's medical training has informed her views on health care, public health policy, and environmental issues.
Experience
Stein is a physician and environmental activist who has been involved in various initiatives advocating for sustainable development and social justice. She co-founded the Massachusetts Green Party in 2002 and ran for Governor of Massachusetts in 2002 and 2010. Stein was the Green Party's presidential candidate in both 2012 and 2016, focusing her campaigns on issues such as climate change, universal healthcare, and campaign finance reform. In addition to her political endeavors, she has served as a board member of several organizations dedicated to environmental and social issues.
Family
Jill Stein is married to Richard Stein, an attorney. The couple has two children, who have influenced her perspectives on education and public health. Her family background has played a significant role in shaping her commitment to social and environmental causes.
Personal Statement
As a practicing physician, Jill became aware of the links between toxic exposures and illness emerging in the 1990s. She began to fight for a healthy environment, assisting non-profits and marginalized communities in combating environmental injustice and racism. She helped lead the fight to clean up the “Filthy Five” coal plants in Massachusetts, raising the bar nationally for a cleaner standard for coal plants. She helped close a toxic medical waste incinerator in Lawrence, MA, one of the poorest communities in New England. She played a key role in rewriting the MA fish advisories to better protect women and children, Native Americans and immigrants from mercury contamination.
Having witnessed the power of lobbyists and campaign contributions to block health, environmental and worker protections, Jill became an advocate for campaign finance reform, and worked to help pass the Clean Election Law by voter referendum. This law was passed by a 2-1 margin, but was later repealed by the overwhelmingly Democratic Massachusetts Legislature on an unrecorded voice vote. This sabotage of campaign finance reform by the Democratic Party was a pivotal event in Jill’s political development, strengthening her growing alignment with the Green Party.
In 2003, Jill co-founded the Massachusetts Coalition for Healthy Communities, a non-profit organization that fought for the health and well-being of Massachusetts communities, including health care, local green economies, environmental protection, labor rights, and grassroots democracy. In 2008, Jill helped lead the “Secure Green Future” ballot initiative to move subsidies from fossil fuels to renewable energy and to create green jobs. The measure won over 81 percent of the vote in the 11 districts in which it was on the ballot.
Jill has received several awards for health and environmental protection, including Clean Water Action’s “Not in Anyone’s Backyard” Award, the “Children’s Health Hero” Award, and the Toxic Action Center’s Citizen Award. Jill has appeared as an environmental health expert on the Today Show, 20/20, Fox News, and other programs. She also served on the board of directors for Physicians for Social Responsibility.
She is the co-author of two widely-praised reports, In Harm’s Way: Toxic Threats to Child Development, published in 2000, and Environmental Threats to Healthy Aging, published in 2009. The first of these has been translated into four languages and is used worldwide as a community tool in the fight for health and environmental justice. The reports connect the dots between human health, social justice, a healthy environment and green economies.
Jill was born in Chicago and raised in Highland Park, Illinois. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1973, and from Harvard Medical School in 1979.
Community Involvement and Recognition
Stein has been recognized for her contributions to environmental health and social justice. She is a founding member of the Massachusetts Coalition for Healthy Communities and has participated in numerous community organizations that promote sustainability and public health. Stein has received accolades for her work in advocating for a green economy and equitable healthcare access, including awards from environmental and civil rights groups.
Controversies and Critiques
Stein's candidacy has been marked by controversies related to her stance on vaccines and her promotion of various conspiracy theories. Critics have challenged her views on certain medical and scientific issues, arguing that they undermine public health efforts. Additionally, her presidential runs have faced scrutiny regarding the impact on voter dynamics in the Democratic Party.