k.chavez@setonhill.

edu

26 November 2021

President Joe Biden

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

As Americans watch the nightly news and scroll through Facebook, we are consistently
presented with stories exemplifying systemic racism in America. As a white middle-class female,
I didn’t realize the power of these beliefs until living with an Indian American roommate my
sophomore year of college. I received many discriminatory comments about this, such as “Does
she pray to Mecca in your living room?” and “I bet she’s going to be a doctor.” Acknowledging
my own discomfort in these situations made me realize the toll they had on my roommate’s
mental health and how they affected her normal daily activities. My roommate and I have
become best friends after living together in college and have had many deep conversations about
how people immediately make assumptions about her simply because of the way she looks and
the religion she chooses to believe in. As her friend, I feel that it is my duty to create change and
I am asking for your help in generating an anti-racism movement in America.

I know that you are frequently bombarded with letters asking for change, and I deeply
appreciate you taking the time to listen to my ideas. The popularity of the Black Lives Matter
movement fueled growing awareness and change throughout our nation, but there is still much
work to do before we can say that we have eliminated systemic racism in America. I am asking
you to fuel a similar movement that not only addresses racism against African Americans, but all
types of Americans. Given your strong support for the BLM movement, I feel that your voice
can be extremely influential in continuing to support some of the changes made in response to
this movement. By raising awareness through speeches, publicly addressing specific instances of
racism, and publicly speaking to those who have been most affected by racism, we can influence
the behaviors of others. Beginning another movement now would be like adding gasoline to a
fire that is already burning. Americans want change, and more than anything, we want to see that
our leaders want to be forces that will make that change happen.

The Black Lives Matter movement began in 2020 and is still causing societal changes a
year later. In the 2020 book, Racism in America, Annette Gordon-Reed explains that “the United
States is, apparently, living through one of those punctuation points in history that, seemingly out
of the blue, arrive to spur societal change” (Harvard University Press, 2020).1 It is now the time
to choose how we continue to enact that change. Not only in the case of my roommate, but also
in many other cases, it is evident that racism and discrimination deeply affect the overall mental
health and self-perception of the person. Biologically, it has been shown that “exposure to racism

1
Harvard University Press. (2020). Racism in America: A Reader. The President and Fellows of Harvard
College. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/features/racism-in-america/9780674251656-Harvard-University-Press-
Racism-in-America-A-Reader.pdf
or racial discrimination precipitates a chronic stress state, supported by studies showing higher
levels of PTSD and increased disease risk” (Bale & Jovanovic, 2021).2 As we have seen during
the COVID-19 pandemic, different populations are disproportionately affected by disease rates.
For decades, scientists have accepted the idea that high stress levels weaken a person’s immune
system, making them more susceptible to sickness (Bale & Jovanovic, 2021). With COVID-19
still circulating in America, it has become increasingly important that we address racism as it
relates to Americans’ health.

The 8 themes of Catholic Social Teaching are essential in teaching us how to respect one
another, the world, and God. Although they are commonly cited by Catholics, I think they are of
relevance to the larger world by teaching us principles of ethics. The CST theme “Rights and
Responsibilities” teaches us that we have a duty to protect the rights of other humans simply
because they are creatures made by God. In America, we emphasize the importance of human
rights and the dignity of each person, and by beginning this movement to end racism, we are
directly showing our care and diligence in respecting the rights of all Americans. The Corporal
Works of Mercy theme “Give Drink to the Thirsty” is also especially relevant when discussing
racism. This movement will allow us to provide those who may be different than us the
acceptance and love that they need to succeed so that they no longer “thirst” for these things.
These ethical principles allow us to connect with one another on a deeper level and show how
much we care for each other and our country. By incorporating these ideals into the reasons for
this movement, we will be able to root our actions in love. It is impossible to consider the
importance of this movement without considering how much we truly care for other Americans,
and these themes will be influential in convincing others to join us as we eliminate racism.

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I hope we get the chance to work
together in the future to eliminate systemic racism in our country. Thank you for all you continue
to do, and I wish you a good holiday season and continued health.

Sincerely,

Kaylene Chavez
k.chavez@setonhill.edu

22
Bale, T.L., Jovanovic, T. (2021). The critical importance in identifying the biological mechanisms underlying the
effects of racism on mental health. Neuropsychopharmacol. 46(233). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-020-00801-w