Like many of you in the UMBC community, I am watching the post-election situation with a deep hope that our democratic institutions and calmer heads will carry us through this transition period. It is often said that democracy can be messy and I am truly hopeful that this is one of those messy times that we’ll get through sooner than later.

It is stressful enough to live through the most important election in our lifetime, but we are also living through a once in a century public health crisis that continues to sweep through our country. And as some in our country mourn and protest the murders of Black people due to senseless police brutality and mistreatment of people of color, we continue to reckon with the undeniable truth of systemic racism. 

It is a lot to handle. And it is important to acknowledge that. Yet, it is at times like this that we look to our UMBC community to share and be heard, and to find common ground where we can.

I am generally an optimistic person, but this year has tested my brighter nature. The missed family gatherings (including my parent’s 50th anniversary celebration), birthday parties, and time with my family and friends have taken a toll, but I know that these are temporary losses. What has affected me more deeply, because I know it reaches beyond the lifespan of this global health crisis, is the trauma of witnessing continued racial injustice, the loss of so many lives, and my sadness at seeing our country so divided. I am fully vested in everything that is happening and want to do my part while also feeling fatigued by the conflict and chaos I see on my computer and TV screen and cell phone for hours each day. 

But even during these challenging times, my optimism somehow finds its way to the surface and I find myself looking for opportunities and solutions to the big challenges that we’re grappling with--like I’m looking for the sun that cracks through the dark skies after a summer thunderstorm. So, I want to share some of the reasons for my optimism and why I remain hopeful. 

I remain hopeful because I interact with students, faculty, and staff members who are committed to addressing injustices and solving this country’s big problems. 

I remain hopeful because I watch young people of all races, religions, political beliefs, identities, and cultures stand up for what’s right.

 

I remain hopeful because I watch dedicated scientists work with haste to deliver a safe vaccine. 

I remain hopeful because I hear Dr. Hrabowski and Dr. Rous talk about “demonstrating the moral leadership necessary to unite our nation in true pursuit of both liberty and justice for all.”

I remain hopeful because I see our democracy grinding away towards certifying a true and fair election. And then because I think about how many young people in our UMBC community and beyond exercised their right and voted. 

I remain hopeful because I talked with my daughter, a college junior, who after standing in line for two hours in 38 degree weather to vote in Pennsylvania said, "We're ready to do our part too, mom.”

I was recently reading an excerpt from President Barack Obama’s new book, “A Promised Land”. He says, “In [a] world—of global supply chains, instantaneous capital transfers, social media, transnational terrorist networks, climate change, mass migration, and ever-increasing complexity—we will learn to live together, cooperate with one another, and recognize the dignity of others, or we will perish.”

I’m committed to doing my part—for my daughter and her future, for our democracy, and for all of you. 

And so I encourage you to continue to raise your voices against injustice, continue to stand for the truth and what is right, continue to work on real solutions in collaborative ways with others in our campus community and beyond, and continue to make time to listen to each other.

Let’s strive to live in a world where we can celebrate what makes us unique while acknowledging our similarities. As my favorite poet and activist, the esteemed Dr. Maya Angelou said in her poem, Human Family, “I note the obvious differences in the human family…[but] we are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike. We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”