02/07/2026
Dear America,
I was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in a single-parent household. As a child, my mother, sister and I relied on food stamps to survive. We stood out in lines in the cold for hours for a block of government cheese and a box of powdered milk called KLIM. I was on Medicaid, and as a child I was admitted to the hospital on several occasions with severe uncontrolled asthma and respiratory failure due to our living conditions in apartments infested with cockroaches and mice. Our apartment in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, was plagued by robberies, gun violence and crack co***ne. Despite these challenges, not only were we able to survive, but we were able to thrive.
I share this not for sympathy, but to express gratitude.
I am proud to live in a country where someone can come from humble beginnings and still earn an education, pursue a dream, and serve others. That is part of what makes America special.
And yet, despite my degrees and my profession, I still encounter people who judge me, and sometimes hate me, based solely on the color of my skin. I find that painful, but what I find even more troubling is how often discrimination and violence are witnessed and met with silence.
If we claim to value faith, family, and community, then we must also value dignity, compassion, and basic respect for one another—regardless of race, gender identity, or religious beliefs.
I reject racism, sexism, and violence in all forms.
And I believe we, as a country, can do better.
Accountability matters. Compassion matters. Empathy matters.
Silence has a cost and our country is worth the work it takes to heal. This country and its value system, opportunities and empathy saved me. Speak up against injustice, racism and hate because the next child saved may be yours.
Even though I don’t recognize you right now, I still believe in you America! Thank you for the life you have given me, and may God continue to bless you!
With sincerity, thanks and hope,
Adrian L Burrowes, MD