In the immediate aftermath of the 2016 election, I struggled with how to address my school community. As Dean of the Boston University School of Public Health, I am part of a school that cares deeply about the social, economic, and environmental conditions that shape the health of populations; conditions that are closely tied to the state of our politics. As an immigrant to this country, the election took on an even more personal relevance. Informed by both perspectives, the following is a version of a note I sent to our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Like me, it is sad, but hopeful.
The results of the 2016 election are historic, and largely unexpected. The negative tenor of the political cycle we have just witnessed, the nature of Donald Trump’s candidacy and his troubling statements about a range of issues and groups have left many of us anxious about what his victory could mean for the country and the world. My own reaction has been deeply informed by my experience as an immigrant to the United States, and as a father trying to explain an often distressing world to his children.
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