Diversity

20 Minutes in the Day of a Brown Man in America

Today was a good day…I guess. A cop followed me for 15 minutes as I drove from small-town Illinois to next small-town Illinois…staying 5 yards behind me consistently, while I, wary and weary, locked the cruise control to exactly the speed limit. First 30 miles per hour, then 40, then 45, then 55, then back to 30. The Past The last time I had been followed for that long for that distance—that time in medium town Illinois—I had locked the cruise to 5 miles per hour above below the speed […]

Act of Kindness: Healing is Possible

An act of kindness… An open letter to the white lady at Subway… You don’t know how you made me smile. When I went to check out and pay for my sandwich, the cashier informed me that it had been taken care of by the lady who had just left the store. Involved in my order, I didn’t really take note of you, beyond seeing that you were maybe 60-ish year’s old and had smile lines on your face. When the cashier told me my sandwich was free, and why—I […]

We’re in this Together

If you’re reading this, you’re likely disappointed that events of recent months have revealed apparently deep societal fissures. If you’re reading this, you’re likely feeling uncertainty and fear about this country’s future. Even as the holiday season approaches, you may be wondering what new bad tidings the new year may bring. If you’re reading this, you might be asking yourself, “How can I make my part of the world a better place? How can I address looming challenges that seem much larger than they did only a few months ago […]

We Need to Know This

We Need to Know This (by Tirien Angela Steinbach, exec. director of the East Bay Community Law Center, Berkeley, CA) We got here because of fear and hate and anger – powerful motivators. They drive our economy, our media, our consumption culture, and our laws. We need to know this. We got here because of the continued legacy of bigotry motivated by power – real and imagined, held and craved. When people have privilege – even a thin thread of it – equity feels like oppression, and people will clutch […]

Kids Lives Matter

Here’s a link to a recent op-ed piece in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch by camp director Kevin Gordon detailing the importance of interaction among children of different backgrounds: Kids Lives Matter.

9 Ways to Maximize Development of Social Awareness

At our girls-only and boys-only summer camps in the Midwest, we model and emphasize ways for our campers to maximize the development of social awareness. A recent article by Katie Duper has some great ideas on how to raise a child to develop social awareness. Bullets below, with the whole article at this link. Developing Social Awareness Address privilege — and do it early. Talk to your child about how these differences often make things more difficult for certain groups of people and continue to talk about privilege when real-life […]

Son of Jamaican Immigrants Tells His Tale

Originally posted in the Chicago Tribune on April 29, 2008 Kevin Gordon is the Canadian-born son of Jamaican immigrants. He has lived half of his 40 years in Canada and half in America. He has the unique perspective of seeing how both countries have handled and mishandled race. This is Kevin Gordon’s essay about immigrants: Over the years, I’ve been a bartender, furniture mover, bus driver, blackjack dealer, and garbage man. I’ve traveled to Europe, Africa, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. I have a BA from Harvard University, […]

8 Ways to Respond to Bigoted Words

As this month continues in recognition of National Bullying Prevention Month, we look at we as adults can respond to situations where a bigoted bully might be acting wrong. Below is advice verbatim from the Anti-Defamation League about bigoted words. Challenging bigoted and offensive remarks are critical to ensuring dignity and respect for all people. Below are step-by-step strategies that can assist you if you find yourself in situations where such remarks are made. Think Explore your understanding of the situation. Take a moment to reflect on what was said […]

Why We Need to Be Inclusive and Culturally Competent

Everyday, it’s easy to pick an example of a stereotype being perpetuated; we seem to continually forget the lessons of history and repeat discriminatory behavior—and rationalize to ourselves why it’s okay. Today it’s Muslims and homosexuals, yesterday (in historical terms) it was blacks and Jews, the day before interracial couples and Protestants, you get the drift… At our girls-only and boys-only camps, we exist for children as they are so they imagine the women and men they can become. To do that, we help them celebrate and appreciate their own […]

“Reverse” Stereotypes In My Life (Part 3)

[Continued…] There’s a perception that African Americans have only one manner of speaking–reinforced on TV, music, and media. Ghetto-speak, “Black English”, other derogatory terms are often used to describe it. In meeting a brown person who does not speak that way, sometime a well-meaning white person might say that brown person is well-spoken or “articulate.” It may be intended as a compliment, but…if someone were to tell you that you were “articulate,” how would you interpret that? Would you understand that as saying that others of your background cannot speak […]

Pondering “Reverse” Stereotypes (Part 2)

By living in northern Illinois, Iowa and Spain, my experience has been that (in general) people from small towns generally have limited worldly exposure. Most have not traveled much, lacking the opportunity to broaden their horizons due to lack of finances, time, desire, or opportunity otherwise. Therefore, their worldview is often shaped by mass media portrayals. My experience has been that the media often portrays negative images of certain races and ethnicities, and rarely shows successful members of those communities. Local television stations often air African-Americans only when their mug […]

Is There Such a Thing as “Reverse” Stereotypes?

(This is the first excerpt of a multipart blog to unravel during the coming weeks.) My life hasn’t been much different from any other life of a young adult from northern Illinois. Since I was young, my family supported me in all of my decisions and always pushed me to be my best and pursue my aspirations. Because of my family’s influence, I always strove to be the best both academically and outside of the classroom with extracurricular activities. As high school in a different, yet similar small town to […]