Thoughts on the Election
Today I shared reflections on the 2020 Election with the New School Community. I’m sharing those thoughts here too.
The world awaits a clear outcome of an election that was riveting, chaotic, and confounding. Though it will be some time before the final results are tallied, we have already seen how this election has foregrounded some of the most important issues of our time. It has also heightened fears, opened wounds, and highlighted deep divisions in our country.
Yet, let us remember that even in this moment of uncertainty, the values that The New School stands for remain as critical today as they have been during any time in our history. And whatever the election outcome, we still have important work to do. As the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall once said to the graduating class of 1978 at the University of Virginia, “Where you see wrong or inequality or injustice, speak out, because this is your country. This is your democracy. Make it. Protect it. Pass it on.”
As we process our responses in the coming days,The New School provides a space to do that constructively and supportively in a culture of learning. As we explore the election outcomes in class discussions or other forums, let’s all please take care to avoid presumptions that particular political ideologies or viewpoints are universally shared at The New School. Divergent perspectives and vigorous debate are welcomed here. Incivility, disrespect, and violence are not. The New School will continue to stand strong as a space where difficult conversations can occur, where opinions can be shared openly, and where problems are presented as invitations to collaboratively create change.
The election adds to a year that has had no shortage of stress, uncertainties, and challenges, both personally and professionally. Please seek support if you need it. Reach out to colleagues and peers to open up, invite sharing, and offer strength and compassion. Students may wish to participate in this Election Reflection drop-in or utilize student mental health services. Faculty or staff who are personally struggling can seek support through the Employee Assistance Program.
Thank you for being part of this most extraordinary university community. Let’s continue to use our distinctive, progressive mission to seek new ways of understanding, new pathways forward, and new ways to build a more equitable and just world.
Onward and upward.