Urban Antrhopology, Cultural Tourism and Discovering ‘Americana’

Dave Barry was always able to just take vacation and run old columns.  For me, I’m entering a new world that is based in economic disparity and developmental disabilities–absolutely at the top of the engagement and inclusion/social exclusion list, but new territory that hasn’t quite gelled.  So in the meantime, I’m periodically re-running posts that…

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Activities to teach 5 year olds to stand up against prejudice and institutional bias, in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

5-years-old seems really young to explain to a child about racism, prejudice, inclusion and exclusion.  Yet we know that even at that tender age our kids are already barraged by images and messages on TV and media and have possibly already experienced being left out or made fun of for being different themselves. Just ask…

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Home for the Holidays: Why Diversity & Inclusion are Easier at Work than at Home

There was a story on NPR last month that showed that despite sharing the same genes, siblings can be completely foreign to each other from a personality perspective.  Not only do they share the same culture, they come from the same gosh darn family….and still sometimes can’t get along.  You’d think applying some of the…

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West African Dance and Culture Through the Eyes of Brazil: Public Events

The Illinois-Sao Paulo Chapter of Partners of the Americas is proud to present a 10 day exchange with Sao Paulo-based African Dance and Drumming performance artist Fanta Konate’s cultural mission to Chicago December 1-10. Fanta will reach out to 1000’s in the Chicago area with dance and rhythm workshops showcasing Guinean influence on Brazilian music,…

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AFRO-BRAZILIAN CROSS-CULTURAL JAZZ FUSION HEATS UP CHICAGO

Brazilian-Guinean singer and dancer Fanta Konate will bring her African Sensory Experience to Chicago from December 1 to 10, 2010 as part of a cultural exchange program sponsored by The Illinois-Sao Paulo Chapter of Partners of the Americas.  A native of Sao Paulo Brazil, Fanta’s public performances of music and dance in schools, with dance…

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Mama Stamberg’s Cranberry Relish A Multicultural Tradition

   I realized as I mixed together onion, fresh cranberries, sour cream, sugar and horseradish tonight that is is not the actual cranberry relish I love, but the tradition of Susan Stamberg slipping her recipe for Mama Stamberg’s Cranberry Relish into on-air conversation, every year since 1972. I’ve heard her suggest it to foreign heads…

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