On the 250th anniversary of US Independence Day, two Penn Nursing leaders call on nurses to embrace their historic roles as advocates for social justice and community health
July 4, 2026 – To mark the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence, two leaders of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing are asking nurses to embrace their historic roles as advocates for social justice and community health.
This month, Penn Nursing Dean Antonia M. Villarruel, RN, PhD, and Professor J. Margo Brooks Carthon, RN, PhD, published pieces in the American Journal of Nursing linked to “Nursing the Revolution,” an exhibit now on display at Penn that tells the stories of diverse 18th-century caregivers.
Villarruel says nurses should build on the work of such past caregivers to address current challenges, arguing that
nursing has never been a neutral profession—it is a calling of continuous innovation, courageous advocacy, and an unwavering commitment to social justice.
Villarruel also reflects on her own immigrant roots to stress that times of social conflict demand active advocacy.
This call to action does not explicitly identify the current U.S. Administration’s efforts to target disempowered communities and undermine global health.
But it would be hard to miss the message that nurses should work to help the nation overcome those efforts and move closer to the Declaration’s ideals of equality and “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
See the Op-Ed “Nursing the Revolution,” by Dean Antonia M. Villarruel, RN, PhD, and Professor J. Margo Brooks Carthon, RN, PhD in the July 2026 edition of the American Journal of Nursing. 126(7):p 7, July 2026. | DOI: 10.1097/AJN.0000000000000324
