Dear colleagues,

This was always going to be a day of many emotions. No matter how the trial of Derek Chauvin was decided, the decision was going to be one which affected us all. We have thought about this day—about what it would mean for our country and world—for nearly a year, hoping for justice, fearing new cause to mourn its miscarriage.

Now that we know the just outcome, we also dawn to the clear realization that regardless of the outcome of a single trial, even one as significant as this, there remain profound challenges to the health of communities of color in the United States. Black Americans still live shorter, sicker lives than white Americans, still have less wealth, less security, and experience more stressors. These problems are long-standing, driven by structural racism and socioeconomic inequities. They will not be solved by any one legal decision, policy, or election. Solutions will take our collective effort, applied over the course of many years. It is the work of public health—our work—to help make this effort, to advance this progress. Anything less would be to fail our mission, our history, our neighbors, and ourselves.

Over the last year, I have been inspired by how our community has engaged with this challenge, turning grief into steps towards a better world. Thank you to everyone for the work you have done, and do every day, on this front. While this trial may be another key moment in our collective reckoning, a ray of hope in an otherwise difficult time, it also reflects how far we still have to go. Whether or not we get to a better future was never going to be decided by any jury. It is a decision we ourselves must make. Racism and injustice have the power to do much harm, but they do not have the power to take this choice out of our hands.

The sad time of the year following the killing of George Floyd has weighed heavily. We have seen divisions, violence, and further victimization of the marginalized. Today, it seems appropriate to be honest about our emotions, to continue the long overdue conversation about racial injustice in the US, and to apply to our ongoing work the clarity that comes with facing tragedy, and finding occasion for optimism.

Please join us for a community conversation, facilitated by Dean Craig Andrade, about this moment, on Thursday: Race and Policing: Continuing the Conversation. We realize that no one conversation will fully grapple with the emotions of the moment, but it is one conversation at a time that builds our shared vocabulary for a better world. I look forward to listening and learning from our community as we slowly come to terms with the moment, and what it portends for our mission, for the creation of a better world.

Warmly,

Sandro

Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH
Dean, Robert A Knox Professor
sgalea@bu.edu

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