Beyond Liking on Facebook: Taking Action for Social Change and The Montessori School of Englewood

Below are two stories, one about taking action for social change (like really taking action—not just liking something on Facebook) and the other story is about how media can perpetuate negative stereotypes (and how important it is to see something firsthand before passing judgment.)  Both stories are interwoven here because 1.) The stories converge, albeit…

Transforming the Racial Paradigm: Discussions and Action to Inspire Change across the US and BRAZIL (2012)

(Leia em Português) How would you like to join the Illinois and Sao Paulo Chapters of Partners of the Americas and Brazil in Chicago in a new event across the Americas, committed to Transforming  the Racial Paradigm:  Discussions and Action to Inspire Change across the US and BRAZIL (2012). Slated for mid-November 2012, this week…

Intercultural Communications + Inclusion + Improvisation = Action

This may look like I accidentally posted a private e-mail to my blog. I won’t deny it, I really do want to introduce artist Chris Jordan, author of Running the Numbers to Brenda at Kinship Circle  (and to Janet at SHARK). But it’s really about Intercultural Communications. Intercultural communications looks at our similarities and differences, evaluating…

Hopefully You Complained About Obama AFTER Your Own School Speech

Obama’s school visit this week is very reminiscent of a program we have in Chicago, called the Black Star Project–the project is all about black male adults serving as role models for black children.  In fact, that’s Secrectary of Education Arne Duncan in the photo above in 2008 in Chicago, participating in the Million Father…

Politically Correct Language Does Nothing for Blatant Racism

Comedian Elon James White’s take on Pool Racism In intercultural communications, the emphasis is on cultural understanding and appreciating that sometimes people might unintentially offend because of unconscious bias. Such was not the case with 60 African American children who were kicked out of a pool at a private club in Philadelphia, being told that…

Person to Person Diplomacy for Cross-Cultural Appreciation

“Getting to know you” is a lyrical description of the premier event that took place in Chicago this past weekend.  Partners of the Americas (POA), one of the largest volunteer organizations in the Western Hemisphere, hosted the first Midwest Regional Conference on volunteerism that featured the power of citizen diplomacy, the primary force in bringing…

5 Easy Steps to an Honest and Equitable Judicial System

  In less than 30 seconds on the Internet I can find what Casanova’s job was in 1798, what Darwin had for dinner on January 3, 1834, 1,500 recipes for banana cake and how to add water to a sub-pump.  What I can’t find is how two judges could “choos(e) to treat children as commodities…