The 2024 Presidential election has been decided by the American people. Despite her best efforts, Vice President Kamala Harris did not prevail. Her gracious concession speech clearly stated, however, that the fight her campaign started must not and should not come to an end.
The misogyny, racism, and ugliness demonstrated by her opponent and his followers have left many of us feeling defeated, saddened, and wondering how this could have happened. What is even more frightening is how these behaviors have been normalized and become acceptable to so many of his followers.
Rather than dwell on these feelings of helplessness, we must channel our efforts and energy into getting up, getting out, and making the positive differences on our campuses and in our communities that we accomplished every day before this election and which are even more important to accomplish now. Let us do this together.
We know the tidal wave of attacks are heading our way. Project 2025 stated these in stark and no uncertain terms. Higher education and our students face threats of cuts to public funds, loss of academic freedom, and efforts to revise our history, as checkered as it has been and continues to be.
But we are stronger. We know what is coming and together we are ready to fight against these impending attacks and preserve as well as strengthen our university, union and democracy. We will need allies in this fight, including our students, colleagues, administrators, elected officials, and our community members.
Let us pick ourselves up, talk to one another, and keep on doing what we do best so we can alter the landscape to one which is tolerant of all people and commit to working together to benefit and lift everyone up. The next four years will challenge all of us, but we can work together and emerge four years from now to a kinder and decent future.