Dear Roosevelt Community,
Today is a long-awaited day: finally, a declared winner for the 2020 election. President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in as this nation’s 46th president, and Kamala Harris will make history as vice president elect. With this victory, I am once again hopeful for the future of our country, democracy and the promise of the American dream for all people living within its borders. This election reinforces our core values as Americans and demonstrates to other nations that democracy is a powerful tool for social and political change.
I am proud of our community for coming together to show that our voices matter by registering and showing up to vote. Many of you also spent time volunteering in your communities to ensure the integrity of voting facilities, driving those without transportation to their polling place, and advocating for change by working to elect politicians who align with your beliefs. I am grateful for your activism and proud to lead an institution that produces such civic-minded individuals.
This marks a new beginning for us as a country and an opportunity for our Roosevelt community to continue to create positive changes in our society. We have witnessed from events over these past few years and prior that meaningful work needs to take place to address systemic racism, oppression of marginalized groups, poverty, immigration and access to the American dream. And this is just a short list of the social issues our country continues to face.
I look forward to President-elect Biden’s plans as a leader for all Americans, and I hope that his administration will bring our nation and community together to deal with the challenges ahead. I encourage all of us to embrace this opportunity — get involved, let your voices be heard and be a meaningful part of a solution for real change. This is our mission at Roosevelt, to be socially conscious citizens who are leaders in their communities.
Together, I am confident that we will make a difference at Roosevelt University and in our communities.
With Warm Regards,
Ali R. Malekzadeh, Ph.D.
President