At the Inauguration: BUSSW Alumni Witnesses History

–Farha Sandhu (COM ’09)

On Tuesday, January 20, BUSSW Alumni Tfawa Haynes (SSW’07) joined the two miles of people who crowded the Mall in Washington, DC, for the Inauguration of 44th President. The inauguration of President Barack Obama, was an experience Haynes described as “rejuvenating,” leaving him with a newly restored “sense of hope,” a greater feeling of connection with [his] fellow Americans, [and] a stronger sense of connection to the citizens of the world.”

Jamaican by birth, Haynes became a Naturalized Citizen of the United States in January 2008. The Certificate of Naturalization he received identified him as ‘formerly’ Jamaican and acknowledged his new US citizenship. Although conflicted with his new status in the US, Haynes said he was thrilled to think that he would finally have the opportunity to vote; and remembered, on Election Day, he “turned in [his] ballot after minutes of feverishly checking it for mistakes.”

As soon as Obama was elected, Haynes quickly made plans to head to Washington, D.C: “I had no intentions of letting anything interfere with these plans. This event was a once-in-a-lifetime occasion and I was not going to allow it to pass me by without witnessing it firsthand.”

“It was a great experience,” Haynes added. “It was for people in general, not only for Obama supporters. It was an experience for all and for all who felt different, isolated, and unconnected.” View photos from the event.

Haynes emphasized the sense of hope and community that has been reintroduced to the workplace as a result of Obama’s election. There is a greater sense of “us,” he shared, “and a greater sense of ‘we’re all in this together.’”

Haynes is currently a board member of The Association for the Advancement of Social Work for Groups (AASWG), as well as a social worker for Brookline Community Mental Health, a center that offers counseling, mediation, residential, and human service programs to the Greater Boston and Brookline communities.

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.