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…

Shoulder Pads, Affirmative Action and Cliched Views of Race

Quick.  Gut answer.  If you see an African American and a Caucasian person debating Affirmative Action, which side of the fence  would you imagine each is on? As students prepare to return to college for the fall, an article on NPR last week explored “Affirmative Action:  How Far Have We Come?” reflecting on the case…

Hey Frank DeFord: Violence Against Women is Not a USAmerican Majority Value

Dear Frank DeFord, meet your new friend, Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, accused of raping a 16-year-old girl.  Perhaps he knows your other friend Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, accused of sexually assaulting a 20 year-old girl, who you defended as just “boys being boys” in your editorial on NPR last week. Okay,…

Swapping Races to Reveal Unconscious Bias and Privilege

  I need to go take a shower. I just caught myself talking to my husband’s kindly Indian colleague over the phone like he was an idiot, plus I read this article by Tim Wise “Imagine if the Tea Party Was Black,” and realized I am guilty. (This is a must read!) One, because looking…

Assume Good Intentions in Cross-Cultural Communications? Sometimes Impossible

My colleague was conducting a training during a “train the trainer” session this week on Intent and Impact, the idea being that in communications, sometimes our Intent does not equal the Impact we intended.  For example: “That sweater you’re wearing is really interesting” (intended as compliment).  Unexpected impact:  “You hate it don’t you?” (Spontaneous reaction: …