Dear colleagues,

On the morning of the 2016 election, after it had become clear Donald Trump had won, I wrote a note to the school community expressing concern about what his election would mean for the country, for the world, and for the health of populations. I concluded the note with the hope that he would govern differently than he campaigned, and that his administration would not prove as hostile to health as his rhetoric and promises suggested it would. Sadly, his administration was indeed harmful to health in many ways, doing much to undermine the foundations of a healthy country and world. With the election of 2020, it was possible to hope we had, as a country, moved beyond a vision of politics rooted in division and hate, and which posed such challenges to health.

With today’s 2024 election concluding, it is clear that we still have some way to go before this hope is fully realized.

While this outcome was always a possibility, it can still feel shocking to many, just as it did in 2016. As in 2016, this feeling is deepened by the contrast between the hopes generated by a candidacy with the potential to give the US its first female president and the feelings of deep disappointment at this prospect being again frustrated by the victory of a candidate with a history of misogyny.

Over the past year, I have done a fair bit of writing about what we owe each other in times of challenge and uncertainty. In such moments, it is our responsibility to reach out, with compassion, in support of one another, to acknowledge the emotions in our community, to listen and reflect before we speak. This is more important than ever, as we navigate the coming transition back into an era of American history of which many hoped we had seen the end.

To the members of our community who are feeling particular anxiety due to factors like race, gender, sexual orientation, or immigrant status: please know you are seen and supported. No matter what happens in the coming years, our school remains centrally committed to a vision of diversity, inclusion, and equity for all. This commitment will stay core to all we do. Regardless of what happens in the country and the world, these remain our values. They have guided us through times of challenge before and they will continue to do so. For students, staff, or faculty who would like additional support at this time, resources and information can be found here.

Yesterday it was possible to think the road would not be as long as we now understand it to be. The next four years will likely be challenging. But we have been here before, and we have found within ourselves the capacity to create positive change in times of challenge, to generate light in moments of darkness. None of this, of course, is to downplay the disappointment and fear many are feeling.  We shall today be hosting an open community forum in Hiebert lounge starting at 3pm for anyone who wishes to join. In addition, on November 20, we will come together as a community for a conversation to reflect on these feelings, the election, and the role of public health in this moment.

For now, many are wondering, understandably, what comes next for our country and our world. There is much that is uncertain. What is not uncertain, however, is what we will do as a school. We will continue to support each other and the local, national, and global community, come what may, in pursuit of our mission of heath for all. We will remember that making history, shaping the arc of the moral universe, is not just the privilege of presidents. We make history too, every day. We have agency, no matter who is in power, to make a difference in the moment, with hope for a better future ahead. Thank you for your commitment to this work, for providing hope even in times of challenge.

Warmly,

Sandro

Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH
Dean, Robert A Knox Professor

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