On Eve of Presidential Inauguration, BUSSW Community Reflects Hope

–Rachel Wasserman (’10)

The upcoming inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama offers a dramatic new chapter in the history of the United States. As the 44th President prepares to take office, members of the Boston University School of Social Work community shared their expectations for his presidency, and reflected the hope that the Obama Administration has inspired.

"His election represents a new direction in American politics," said Macro Professor Lee Staples. “While it’s unrealistic and naive to view him as a savior, he can make a real difference. The economic crisis presents opportunities to move towards progressive tax reform and tougher regulation of financial institutions. The breakdown in the health system opens the doors for fundamental change leading to national health insurance. Global warming, high oil prices, industrial pollution and shrinking resources provide impetus for rejuvenation of the environmental movement and smart growth. The increasing gap between rich and poor nations around the world requires the United States to change its role dramatically on the international stage."

Indeed, as President-elect Obama takes the stage, he also brings a greater awareness of the roots of social work: community organizing. Shared Macro Professor Melvin Delgado, “Although Obama is not a social worker, his experience with community organizing brings to the White House a perspective that stresses key social work values, such as participatory democracy, empowerment, and communities addressing social justice issues. This perspective, I believe, will permeate how this administration addresses issues that are important to the profession.”

Also reflecting on the importance and unique background that the President-elect brings to the White House, Dean Gail Steketee said, “His election marks a huge step forward in the public’s thinking about who can and should occupy the halls of political power in the United States. We elected a very smart man who is thoughtful, interested and considerate of a wide range of viewpoints, collaborative, mindful of the future, and who has many other qualities that social workers value highly. His history of community organizing is shared by many of our own faculty and students and social workers around the world.”

While his presidency has given hope to many, Dean Steketee tempered expectations. “We must realize that he cannot possibly accomplish all the country and the world desperately needs,” she said. “I hope that we at BU, and especially BUSSW, continue to support our new president’s many goals that resonate with our own values, and also hold him to task, as we would any public servant who merits our strong support. Especially in these challenging times, we must continue to provide strong service to the many who will desperately need it.”

Agreeing, Staples added, “[As the economy declines], unfortunately, we can expect more cutbacks in human service programs." However, he shared, "I would expect Obama will bring a genuine commitment to affordable housing, adequate funding for public education, increased support for college loans and scholarships, immigration reform, workforce development, economic and social justice that’s been sorely missing in the Oval Office for many years. I’m encouraged by his history as a community organizer and hope that he will embrace more initiatives that are bottom-up and community-driven, rather than top-down approaches. I do believe that he will attempt to bridge many of the societal differences that have been exploited by cynical elected officials who recently have gained power via the politics of division. He has the potential to be a unifying force in this country."

First-year student Francis Chen shared, “My hope is that President-elect Obama’s constituency of community organizers will help us turn a corner towards much higher levels of civic participation. Our democracy is in dire need of the wisdom, diverse opinion, and involvement of every resident of this country. Mr. Obama’s leadership could inspire such a change.”

The School will gather on January 20 to watch and celebrate the Inauguration at Conant Lounge and room 121, 264 Bay State Road. MSW and PhD students, faculty, staff and BUSSW friends are invited to attend. For more information, please contact Cate Solomon at csolomon@bu.edu.

About BUSSW:
Distinguished by its urban mission and clinical and macro practice focus, the Boston University School of Social Work is committed to educating masters’ and doctoral level students who will become leaders in a multicultural environment. The School offers the MSW and PhD degrees, as well as continuing professional education, and its nationally recognized faculty has been ranked 8th among schools of social work with doctoral programs. Located in a diverse and academically rich community, the School offers almost unlimited opportunities for urban social work practice and research. Visit bu.edu/ssw for more information.

About Boston University:
Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 30,000 students, it is the fourth largest independent university in the United States. BU consists of 17 colleges and schools along with a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes which are central to the school’s research and teaching mission.