Thread by @ashvasnyc

THREAD Pre-2016, aside from voting and protesting the Iraq War, I would not have characterized myself as “politically engaged”.
Like many I know in public health/global health, esp in academia, I felt like my work spoke for itself, and that I was “on the right side of things” 1/n

https://twitter.com/Swatipedia/status/1323669146077294592

But inspired by friends like .@AbdulElSayed, I saw working in health could also mean public service. So I left the tenure track and went to @nycHealthy in 2016 where we built work at the intersxn of health, care, and policy failures like the justice system and homelessness 2/n

We accomplished a lot in a short time, but I also saw how smart technocrats were forced into poor strategy and poor choices by political decisions and resource allocation made by electeds with little knowledge and even less interest in the health impact of their decisions 3/n

And then Nov 2016 happened, and like many of us, I was sacred, angry, and confused. A father of two small kids, and I awoke on Nov 9th in tears, worried for their future. Later that day I went to clinic, and several pts asked me if they would lose their insurance now. 4/n

That was enough for me. I decided that day, though I knew nothing about campaigns nor much about the mechanics of our political system at all, I was not going to sit quietly by, like a good doctor, a good desi immigrant boy just happy to be “on the right side of things” 5/n

I somehow found myself in Dec 2016 at the first @arenasummit in Nashville. I was a fish out of water. Everyone seemed to have “worked for Obama” or “ran digital” for someone, and I was just some public health doctor nerd learning a new language. 6/n

But I also sensed, behind the slickness, was a yearning, a searching and a solidarity. We were in this together, in an existential way. 7/n

It would prove to be transformative, w new friends and networks that continue today. I met @davidchasecohen and @VickyHausman and was lucky enough to be an early supporter/advisor to @ForwardMajority, which has changed the game for state races and is going to help flip Texas! 8/n

I met current and future public servants of real integrity, like @LaurenUnderwood, @BenShuldiner, and Madhuri Kommareddi, who showed me that a deep love of country and commitment to servant leadership still exists. 9/n

And I went back home to NYC and vowed to stay engaged. I have been lucky enough to interact with a host of local elected leaders in my role at @nycHealthy and now @FountainHouse47 and I know that there are a lot of good ones here, who care deeply for our city. 10/n

I participated in amazing trainings, if only to learn the basics. @BoldProgressive was an eye opener and met a hero there, .@SenWarren. And @NewAmericanLd was a game changer, esp for 2nd gen folks like me not always taught how to speak up and speak out. Thx @SayuBhojwani

I’ve been lucky to put my public health and health policy background to work advising campaigns, learning from rising stars like .@rgunns as she put together the most interesting and comprehensive state single payer healthcare plan for .@AbdulElSayed 11/n

And this cycle, I had the honor to work w amazing folks like @SonalRShah, @miller7 @ItsMsPortia and so many others as they compiled the most thoughtful, well crafted, visionary and executable policy agenda I’ve ever seen for @PeteButtigieg, for whom I was also a NYS delegate 12/n

And of course, since 2016, I gave! I hate that our political system is driven by money, and my parents raised me to think that it was a little unseemly. But “thems the rules”, and my checkbook has come with me on this political journey, and will continue to do so 🤑 13/n

And now at a nat’l nonprofit @FountainHouse47, we’re fighting to make mental health a political issue, w folks like @IAmInseparable, where I’m a proud advisor. I’m still in health, but this time, with know how and skills I didn’t have in 2016. 14/n forbes.com/sites/graisond…

We just launched a voter guide so folks can #Vote4MentalHealth and this is just the beginning of our work in political action and advocacy for mental health and public health, nationwide. fountainhouse.org/2020-voter-gui… 15/n

So that’s my political journey, and just getting started. I’m going to sit down now and watch the returns with my family, esp my 7 year old daughter, who is old enough to see the importance of voting, and what good service and stewardship of our country looks like @JoeBiden. 17/n

And she gets to see her Kamala Chitthi show her she can do anything she wants w her life if she has love for herself, her family, her community, and her country. @KamalaHarris @meenaharris @mayaharris_ 18/n #RepresentationMatters

@realDonaldTrump you got a public health doctor nerd like me off the sidelines 4 years ago. You’ve done a whole lot of damage to this great country of ours, and I’ll be glad to see you go, but if you don’t, you can bet I’m going to be fighting back on the field of play .END