Awaiting the Election Results Together

November 4, 2020

Dear Pratt Community,

2020 has challenged our world, our community, and our democracy like no other year, and now we await the votes for the next President of the United States to be counted and officially announced.

I know this is a trying period, one that is testing us all in different ways, but I encourage everyone to be patient while the election process is underway. We find ourselves in this period of uncertainty because we live in a functional democracy. Accepting the process and uncertainty is our responsibility as citizens, and familiar to us as creatives and scholars.

This unprecedented election cycle has provided us with many meaningful opportunities to reach out and connect with local partners, as well as national organizations, with a message to get out the vote. Through our creative practice, activism, and insightful dialogue, I have witnessed the Pratt community work to raise voices that cannot be heard, envision a more inclusive future, identify where the opportunities exist, and mobilize action around the local, state, and national elections. In the days and weeks to come, whatever the outcome, we respect one another’s democratic right to voice our concerns. Should you choose to speak out, I encourage you to join your community partners, to share your concerns peacefully, and protect your own safety and the safety of the communities in which we live.

As a global community, joining together digitally during the pandemic, we must keep the momentum, awareness, and healing moving forward. Resources are available on pratt.edu, where you can learn more about voting education and civic action, participate in a post-election dialogue at the Center for Equity and Inclusion on November 5, and seek wellness and stress-management support at events that week.

Through all of the turmoil of the past ten months, the Pratt community has continued to reflect the Institute’s values to create a more just, civil, and equitable world. I am inspired by how we have come together to meet the challenge of the moment, with civility, understanding, and a deeper sense of community. We are anchored in projects rooted in deliberative and democratic processes. Our judgment, professional knowledge, collaborative skills, and technical expertise are being called upon now in the most heightened way imaginable. As always, we will continue to ‘show up’ and create work that will move us towards a more equitable and inclusive future.

Sincerely,

Frances Bronet
President