Why I donated to Wharton now. TLDR: To Stop Donald Trump.
Last week was a truly awful week in America. Images and videos of death streamed across social media and television, with a fresh horror appearing every time I opened a new app. Shock, mourning, emotional withdraw, fury — I felt like I was drowning in a ugly, curdled, emotional soup of injustice.
On Saturday morning, I turned to my wife to say: Thank god our son is only six months old, because I don’t have the words or even the courage to explain what this injustice means. Fortunately, it will be at least five years before I have to fake a coherent answer to the question: “Dad, why?” On Twitter last week, many parents of older children shared their stories of having to deal with this question. Others are not as fortunate: our families are safe at home in our beds.
We are the fortunate ones. And even more so because my son — a white male with a father who graduated from Wharton and lives in Silicon Valley — is, by every measure, privileged. That privilege will afford my son the freedom to ask questions like “What can I do to stop this from happening?” without being forced to confront questions like “What do I need to do to stay safe?” and “Do they hate me?”.
Because of that infuriating, frightening, confusing, soul-crushing week, I was deeply inspired on Saturday morning to stumble upon the Open Letter to Donald Trump from members of the Wharton community circulating online.
For those consciously avoiding the 2016 Election, Donald Trump routinely explains to the world that he graduated from Wharton; and when he does, many alumni (myself included) cringe. As a 2011 Wharton MBA graduate, I am proud of my school. And like many graduates with a dresser full of Wharton-branded clothing, I know all too well the pride and joy my parents experienced when their son was admitted to the world’s best business school. (Or at least one of the best schools, if you want to business school on a Farm, or not “um, quite in Boston, but near Boston”).
Mr. Trump trumpets his Wharton degree in an attempt to prove that he is a business genius and to establish as fact the support of the world’s corporate leaders. Rather than argue these HIGHLY DEBATABLE points, the Open Letter (signed by over 2,000 alumni, students, and staff as of this writing) juxtaposes Wharton’s core values of inclusion and diversity with alumnus Donald Trump’s campaign and ideology of fear, racism and bigotry. Here is one paragraph from the letter:
The Wharton community is a diverse community. We are immigrants and children of immigrants, people of color, Muslims, Jews, women, people living with or caring for those with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ community. In other words, we represent the groups that you [Donald Trump] have repeatedly denigrated, as well as their steadfast friends, family, and allies.
I would ask every Wharton community member — student, alumni, and staff — to read the letter in full and to add their name and support. Clearly the letter is having an impact: @SteveEder of the NYTimes just covered it in the issue, among others.
On Saturday morning, coming off the dreadful week of constant violence in cities across America, I was grasping for anything to reaffirm the idea that we, as a country, are united by our cultures, our institutions, and our belief in the greater good. I found these values and more through this Open Letter to Donald Trump, reminding me that that progress is coming, however slowly. Some of signers of this letter will graduate from Wharton undergrad in 2019 — in the 3rd year of a potential Trump Presidency.
As an aside, really consume the idea of a Trump Presidency for a moment: our younger siblings, our children, and our nieces and nephews could potentially graduate from college during a Trump Presidency. In a Donald Trump Economy, where exactly would our college graduates find jobs? I imagine the University of Pennsylvania’s stellar economics faculty will predict full employment, but only for casino owners, reality TV show hosts, and those who with a particular talent for judging swimsuit competitions.
Returning to the material point: these Wharton graduates who signed the letter rejecting Donald Trump will go on, in Mr. Trump’s words, to have HUUUUGE careers. They will of course run (and hopefully improve) financial institutions, launch new startups, create and fund nonprofits, and serve their country in the military or in government. Many other signers of the Open Letter graduated from Wharton decades ago. They may have already made significant contributions to their communities and helped businesses that have employed thousands.
And because of these accomplishments and accomplishments to come, I was deeply inspired to find my community—my Wharton community — standing up to Mr. Donal Trump, the world’s most obnoxious bully.
Progress is happening, and at an increasing pace. As we have seen recently with technology companies pulling out of states like North Carolina that pass hate legislation, corporate leaders are no longer staying silent on issues of social justice.
They — we — can actively rally to the side of progress. Collectively, we — Wharton alumni, students, and faculty — are prominent voices who should have the courage to knock the piss out of a fraud like Mr. Trump. We can be allies who stand arm-in-arm with our friends, family members, and colleagues who face discrimination. We can become donors to campaigns and causes that unite against injustice.
And, as voters, we can understand that fighting for a stronger, more inclusive America is not only the right thing to do, but even in the best interests of our individual business interests. Or to put it another way: a global economy run by Donald Trump is bad for everyone, including and perhaps especially for the Wharton community.
Today, after a week lacking in inspiration, I was inspired to be a member of the Wharton community — as proud as I have ever been, actually. And so, I donated to Wharton — a school that selects and nurtures truly incredible people who have the wisdom and courage to stand up to a bully. Especially at this moment, when our values are being tested, I would encourage the entire community to first sign the letter and then donate to Wharton to silence the alleged billionaire and Wharton’s honey badger, Mr. Donald John Trump.
