February 23 In Our America, Thoughts from Tulane Scholar, Dr. Julie Hernandez

In Our America

By Dr. Julie Hernandez

Since yesterday, lots of people have been asking me if I was planning on leaving the U.S now that “this” had happened?

So, I went for a long run and an inner chat with 12 years old me (who’s largely responsible for my presence in this country in the first place) and we talked about how betrayed, shaken and scared we felt, about how puzzled we were by the obscene level of confidence in one’s democracy it takes to rock the boat we’re all in like this.

And then we talked about how we’ll most likely be spared the brunt of what’s coming, but maybe someday we’ll be asked for more than words if we genuinely want to protect those who are never spared.

So, we decided to stay.

Because in our America, every woman is a lady and a queen, and good men stand up to bullies.

In our America, every single child is a promise and teachers wake up at 5 am every day to uphold it

In our America, we believe that it should always be about the contents of your character and not the color of your skin, the shape of your reproductive organs, the side of your tracks or which bathroom you use.

In our America, we’ll argue the hell out of guns, football, barbecue sauce recipes, are the Walking Dead too violent and is Beyonce not country enough? But we never ever forget that the right to openly disagree with those in power, the right to scream “enough!” is a luxury we can only repay by remaining civil.

In our America, we try every day to bend the arc of justice with a million minuscule acts of kindness, grace and respect.

In our America, no religion breathes evil, no religion owns good, and the endless task of doing the right thing is forever mortgaged on all of us.

In our America, a Muslim father brandishing the Constitution is exactly who Lincoln had in mind when he asked us to honor those who gave the last full measure of devotion.

In our America, immigrants don’t need a red hat to be reminded that this country is great. Don’t you know we all left our homes, our childhood stories, our families, and gambled our lives on this unshakable dream?

So, no, I’m not leaving.

Dr. Julie Hernandez previously worked as a faculty at the Payson Center for International Development and has been a Research Assistant Professor with the Global Health Management and Policy Department at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine since 2015, although she has been part of the Tulane family for even longer. Promptly falling in love with New Orleans after coming to study in June 2005, she worked with several non-profits in the years following the storm. Soon after, she completed her PhD on Civic Engagement in post – Katrina New Orleans. During that time, she reflected on issues of urban development, culture and resilience. Her work on Geographic Information Systems, community development, monitoring and evaluation, and women's health issues has since taken her to a dozen countries in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, where she currently focuses on projects to improve access to family planning services in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A product of mixed French and Spanish heritage who grew up in the culturally diverse neighborhoods of Paris’ suburbs, Julie Hernandez is also a shameless fan of great jazz and even better food, a runner and a self-described geek with her heart hopelessly grounded in New Orleans and her legs always ready to jump on the next plane.