Dear colleagues,
Yesterday, we saw scenes of unprecedented violence and disorder in Washington, DC. For all the divisiveness of recent years, few of us could have imagined such chaos would reach the halls of government itself, as rioters breached the Capitol building, disrupting the functioning of government just as it was fulfilling a crucial task: counting the Electoral College votes confirming President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. There is so very much to sadden and anger us about what happened yesterday, and it will take time for the country to move forward in a difficult time. As we grapple with this moment and what it means for our democracy, I have found myself reflecting on how it intersects with our work as a public health community and with our mission as a school.
A key lesson of these last five years—indeed, a lesson of history in general—is that divisiveness poses a threat to health. Our health is a product of the connections we share. Your health depends on my health, my health depends on yours. This has been a fundamental fact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has elevated the importance of these connections. We have navigated these challenging months by working towards a collective vision of health, supported by all and for the benefit of all. We have pursued this vision not only through our collective efforts to slow the spread of contagion, but also by engaging with the root causes of poor health—in particular, with the challenges of socioeconomic marginalization and racial injustice. When we turn away from collective engagement, when we embrace the divides which can too-easily characterize our worldview, we undermine our ability to approach health as a public good, sowing the seeds of marginalization, and creating a sicker society.
Read the full article on Boston University School of Public Health.