30 years ago the place where you learned about other countries was in foreign language class. I learned all about the government, cultures and history of countries throughout Central and South America in Spanish class. It seems incredulous that this has not changed, so many years later and after such drastic changes in the growth…
DetailsApparently I’ve been living under a rock. A couple of weeks ago I expressed surprise at the anticipated Civil Rights violations related to the upcoming election, and sent a call out to get some other perspectives. Thanks to everyone who responded. Despite the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which protects the right to vote, “Americans…
DetailsAt a business networking event recently in 21st century ‘post-ethnic’ America, I noticed the same thing I saw in the high school lunch room 25 years ago, and in the college cafeteria: when it was time to sit and eat, everyone self-segregated: African Americans were in their clusters, whites in theirs, and so on. A…
DetailsWhen I took over as Executive Director of a not-for-profit trade association a few years ago, I quickly uncovered some deep financial problems that preceded my arrival but demanded my immediate attention. To fill the gap of day-to-day staff management while I focused on organizational issues, I delegated ‘being nice’ to the Managing Director. He…
DetailsI got an unexpected lesson in Cross-Cultural Communications last week at the “Almost Home” celebration at Kegel Harley Davidson in Rockford, IL. Looking across the field of hundreds of ‘bikers’ wearing faded Levi’s and t-shirts, I felt consciously aware of my striped Capri pants and tailored shirt. “There are no other children here,” I also…
DetailsThe term intercultural communications refers to communicating with people across lines of difference. As the word implies that can be cultural difference, such as heritage or ethnicity, but it can also be across lines of ability. I am reminded of this as I help to prepare volunteers for an event I have planned for a…
DetailsIn today’s “politically correct” world, many advertisers want to include people of different backgrounds in advertising for products that reach across a variety of markets. The key is to make sure that the images are integrated into the ‘story-line’ of the ad, and to make sure they do not perpetuate stereotypes. One ad that gets…
DetailsI’ve talked a lot about the importance of teaching children language they can use to call out injustice and fight racism when they see it, and I always wonder if my son Dylan,* now 7 synthesizes what I say, when I talk about valuing people for who they are, as opposed to what they look…
DetailsReaching out to diverse audiences is often a discussion heard in the marketing department of large corporations. For companies who have made a commitment to multicultural marketing, this can serve as a platform to promote team building and employee morale by leveraging your external goals to create internal programming. Here’s how: If your company is…
DetailsAs I was getting onto the Kennedy in downtown Chicago this week a billboard caught my attention. It was a 10+ story high image of a tall, presumably icy cold, glass of Hoegaarden beer. Sure, it caught my attention because it was really hot and the beer promised to be very refreshing. But mostly because…
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