On November 10, 2020, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed joined the Global Scholar Program's ALA 470 Course: Organizing for Global Justice for a Q&A session with third year students on the Advisory Council as well as other GSP students and faculty interested in attending.
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is a physician, epidemiologist, progressive activist, educator, author, speaker, and podcast host. He is formerly the Health Director for the City of Detroit and candidate for Governor of Michigan in 2018. He is the Chair of Southpaw Michigan and a Political Contributor at CNN. He is the author of Healing Politics, calling for a politics of empathy to cure our epidemic of insecurity, and the forthcoming Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide with Dr. Micah Johnson. He is the host of “America Dissected,” a podcast by Crooked Media, which goes beyond the headlines to explore what really matters for our health. He is the DeRoy Visiting Professor at the University of Michigan and a Scholar-in-Residence at Wayne State University and American University, teaching at the interaction of public health, public policy, and politics. He is also a fellow wolverine, Class of 2008, and social justice advocate. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed brings a much needed public health perspective into the political discourse, and we are grateful to have had to opportunity to speak with him.
Dr. El-Sayed's message greatly contributes to the objectives of the GSP ALA 470 course. Part of this course is centered on creating sustainable change. Sustainable social change requires a strategic vision that balances multiple stakeholders' interests, encourages collaborations, cultivates high levels of motivation, and accesses necessary resources. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed's visit reminded us of the benefits of calling-in people so we can better engage different stakeholders whose background and viewpoints differ from our own, this refocuses us on working towards "winning the future" instead of trying to "win the conversation." This clip from the conversation offers an insightful answer to the question "What advice do you have for students interested in transforming our world to be a more just and equitable place?"