Rev. Al Sharpton’s words echo what is already in our hearts. He spoke not to us but for us as we again gathered to bury one loved by family and friends, another victim of injustice. We listen to his words of compassion, solidarity and love, words that call for change, words that call for a response to injustice. Listen, and allow his eulogy for Tyre Nichols at his funeral in Memphis to resonate what we  know what must be done.

By Yara M. Asi

Ms. Asi is an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida’s School of Global Health Management and Informatics.

As published in The New York Times, December 29, 2022.

As a Researcher, I study the health of Palestinians. The blockade of my hometown, Nablus, this past October devastated the Palestinian community there in ways that are hard to measure.

This year, during the lead-up to the Israeli elections, I returned to my hometown, Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, to work on a research project and spend time with my family there.

Dear sisters, dear brothers, 

I never thought that one could long for lights. When I got off the Kyiv train in Warsaw, I was surprised by the festival of brightly lit streets, buildings, and, above all, colorful Christmas decorations. When you add to it the snow that just fell in Poland in abundant supply, it all looked like a New Year’s fairytale. In Ukraine, the last couple months have been getting colder and darker. The longer this lasts, the more I squint my eyes in disbelief when looking at the bright streets and storefronts as well as entering warm houses and priories abroad.