Dr. Abdul El-Sayed: Identity, Travel, and Healing Politics

Techawat with Benjamin Morse

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is a physician, epidemiologist, educator, author, speaker, and podcast host. We first met back in 2017 while I was competing in a pitch competition for a start-up I had at the time, Abdul was the keynote speaker. He told an incredible story about his time as Detroit’s Health Director, where he often worked directly with kids who faced uncertain futures because of the health risks present in the communities. From that moment on, I’ve been a huge fan of Abdul’s work and his overall outlook on life. Better yet, only a few days prior to that speech he announced his historic candidacy for the Governor of Michigan, which would have seen him become America’s first Muslim governor. While he didn’t win this race, he earned tremendous support from progressives all over the country led by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and touched the lives of thousands of people across Michigan and beyond with his vision for a better future and his unique brand of progressivism. Abdul and I have stayed in touch over the years and I’m always inspired by his ability to capture and articulate the moment, and help chart a collective path forward.

In this episode, we talk about the role that travel plays in developing and defining one’s identity. He shares his experiences traveling between the United States and Egypt as a child and how these trips continue to shape his life today. We also talk about his time living in the United Kingdom as a graduate student, and what lessons from abroad he’s been able to bring home to Michigan. We touch on his 2018 run for the Governor of Michigan, his reflections and current thoughts on the Covid-19 pandemic, and what the future of travel looks like as we begin to engage in exploration again. We end the conversation in a similar manner to when I first met Abdul, with him speaking about the future of the progressive movement and where he views his role going forward.

Follow along with Abdul's work:

His newsletter, "The Incision," cuts to the heart of the trends shaping our moment. He is a commentator at CNN. His two books include "Healing Politics," calling for a politics of empathy to cure our epidemic of insecurity, and "Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide" with Dr. Micah Johnson. He is the host of “America Dissected,” a podcast by Crooked Media, which goes beyond the headlines to explore what really matters for our health. He is a Senior Fellow at the FXB Center for Health & Human Rights at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, and a Scholar-in-Residence at Wayne State University and American University, teaching at the intersection of public health, public policy, and politics. He is formerly the Health Director for the City of Detroit and candidate for governor of Michigan in 2018. Follow Abdul on Instagram and Twitter.

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