Shared Justice.

Before beginning today’s Note, an acknowledgement of the start of Black History Month. Black history is very much American history. To observe Black History Month, then, is to reflect on where we came from, how we arrived at our present moment, and where we might be going next. Reflecting on this moment, I am both inspired and provoked by the words of James Baldwin, who said during a similarly uncertain period in the life of this country, “American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it.”

在

Th

Th

“[I]f the War on Poverty means anything, it is a statement that we must look, not just to the poor—but to the whole cloth too—and even to the loom. The whole fabric of our society must be rewoven, and the patterns we must weave are patterns of justice, opportunity, dignity, and mutual respect.”

Ultimately, the initially popular War on Poverty, and LBJ’s larger, overarching project of building a Great Society, would spark a backlash, helping to catalyze the Reagan era of “limited government,” and the trend of federal deregulation that continues to this day, and may accelerate under the Trump administration. Even so, many of the programs that were passed as part of the War on Poverty—including Medicare, Medicaid, and Head Start—remain ongoing, a testament to the durability of LBJ’s call for justice.

哈

聚氨酯

The degree to which justice—both shared justice and economic justice—informs how we structure our society is also, more often than not, the degree to which members of that society can expect to live full, productive lives, free from the burden of disease. The clearer we can make this, the more we can bring about focus in pursuit of healthier populations at this divided political moment. This means that those who wish to be well must work—regardless of age, sex, occupation, or political party—to make such a world a reality. To mobilize all those who wish to be well—a potentially vast coalition—in pursuit of a healthier, more just world is an electrifying prospect, and one that is worth working toward, collectively, in the months and years ahead.

I hope everyone has a terrific week. Until next week.

Warm regards,

Sandro

Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH
Dean and Robert A. Knox Professor, Boston University School of Public Health
Twitter: @sandrogalea

Acknowledgement: I am grateful to Eric DelGizzo for his contribution to this Dean’s Note.

Previous Dean’s Notes are archived at: /sph/tag/deans-note/