Oluwaseun Babalola is a Sierra Leonean-Nigerian-American filmmaker who founded DO Global Productions, a video production company specializing in documentaries and docuseries in Africa. Her focus is to create and collaborate on projects across the globe, while providing positive representation for people of color. She is a co-founder of BIAYA consulting, a consulting firm that bridges resource and knowledge gaps for Africa entrepreneurs in emerging industries. BIAYA’s first project was a convention in Lagos, Nigeria to help build a sustainable creative industry that can grow and export content.
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Future of Diversity Amid Pandemic – ADR TOWN HALL
The American Diversity Report (ADR), an award-winning digital multimedia platform, offered a virtual Town Hall featuring a distinguished panel of experts to discuss the future of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in education and employment amid COVID-19. We thank the many donors who made this event and ADR’s next year possible. CLICK to see List of ADR DONORS
“For 15 years, ADR’s dozens of writers from around the U.S. and the world have provided Inspiration, Instruction, and Innovation expertise. We recognize that COVID-19 requires an innovative approach to Diversity, Equity Inclusion,” said Deborah Levine, ADR’s Editor-in-Chief and award-winning author of 15 books.
CLICK SEE THE TOWN HALL VIDEO.
Continue reading Future of Diversity Amid Pandemic – ADR TOWN HALL
Education & Equity – ADR Advisors
Hear from our distinguished ADR advisors on what to expect and what is needed in education today. Their experience in education, diversity, and social justice makes their perspectives invaluable.
A new generation takes to the streets – by Deborah Levine
Originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press
Should I laugh or cringe when reporters say that today’s protests aren’t new and similar protests go all the way back to the civil rights movement? They have now labeled those of us involved in the movement back in the 1960s as ancient history. First, it wasn’t that long ago in America’s 400-year history regarding race. Second, let’s be clear that I was very, very young.
I got a call from a high school classmate to come downtown and join a protest. Not sure that I’d get permission, I told my dad that I was going for a walk. It was hours before I returned home, but no one commented on my absence. I was busted the next morning when dad picked up the newspaper saw our protest on the front page with the caption, Pimple Politics. I held my breath as he turned purple, expecting to be squashed for life. But I’m forever grateful for his response: “How dare they insult you!” I suddenly saw my future as a leader and advocate for civil rights, women’s rights, human rights, and, in those days, for the end of the Vietnam War.
Continue reading A new generation takes to the streets – by Deborah Levine
A STEM Woman’s Story – by Deborah Levine
Don’t Bother Trying to Fit In
When my family moved to America from British Bermuda, I was still in elementary school, having completed first form, the equivalent of first grade, at the Bermuda High School (BHS) for Girls. Uniform and uniformed, I marched in step with the other girls, just as my mother had done through her entire schooling at BHS. Yes, I did stand out as the only Jewish girl in the school, or anywhere on the island. But generations of my family were well known on the island, so the singularity was tolerable. Inserted into a New York City suburb, I was delighted to find that this particular oddity was completely irrelevant. For better or worse, I still stuck out and a confidence crisis set in.
Tribalism and The Vote – by Deborah Levine
Some have called our “Me & Us First” politics as nationalism but I prefer to apply the label ‘tribalism’. In this COVID-19 environment, racial lines, regional preferences, current events and heavy political advertising, are not shaping public opinion as much as the identity of a specific community and the resonance of a leader to that community. Communities are built on religious and ethnic values, family preferences, housing patterns, and health habits. Their political choices have always been shaped by those cultural traits. With the economic fallout and the growing disparities in jobs and education, politics will become a complex mix of leadership styles that symbolize communities along with the body language, word choice, and facial expressions that resonate specific communities. Policy positions and biographical details will be less relevant as they are filtered through the lens of each group.
Black-Jewish Cultural Exchange
Chattanooga’s Black-Jewish Dialogue
CULTURAL EXCHANGE: MUSIC
Chattanooga’s Black-Jewish DialogueSee what our dialogue members have chosen to share as their favorite iconic cultural expressions. The list will include: Poetry, Recipes, Humor, Readings, Movies/TV and begins with Music. CLICK for more information about our dialogue.
- Herbie Hancock – Maiden Voyage https://youtu.be/hwmRQ0PBtXU
- Israel 1979 Eurovision – Hallelujah – Winning song https://youtu.be/C33kO3fvjkI
- Baba Olatunji & his Drums of Passion – Odunde: https://youtu.be/zMuA-E–aWU
- Mable Hillery: How Long This Train Been Gone
https://youtu.be/r94bJ2mYxs0
- Rana Choir – Chad Gadya (English Subtitles)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dsW1JTCByOs
- Hava Nagila -Israeli jewish folk song / dance
https://youtu.be/hmFBAyhPvOY
- Bobby McFerrin Richard Bona Gil Goldstein y Omar Hakim pt 5https://youtu.be/NbLPc-4fiKg
- Leonard Cohen – Dance Me to the End of Love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGorjBVag0I
Please fill out the form if you’d like to submit an item to
CULTURAL EXCHANGE
CULTURAL EXCHANGE
Thanking our ADR Donors
Our virtual Town Hall, The Future of Diversity Amid Pandemic, took place on Sept. 14, 2020 with help from multiple donors. Your generous support of our mission to Promote Diversity, Foster Inclusion and Counteract Hate is much appreciated. I can’t thank you enough for joining me in these DEI efforts to make a lasting real-world difference – needed now more than ever.
- Cindy Steede Almeida
- Lori Strauss Bantz
- Sandra Benson
- Earl Berkun
- David Blair
- Bill Bond
- Garnet Chapin
- Stephen Crevoshay
- Alnoor Dhanani
- Lakweshia Ewing
- Roslyn Gerwin
- Vivian Hershey
- Terry Howard
- Janice Jacobs
- Marilyn Kallett
- Elizabeth Keenan
- Martin Kimeldorf
-
Gene Konsavage
- Miki Leischner Levine
- Carole Long
- Ronald Lake
- Cathy Light
- Sharon Riegie Maynard
- Susan McCuistion
- Frank Miller
- Gay Moore
- Janet Cooper Nelson
- Jennifer Rose Norred
- Nicole Sloane
- Sandy Norris Smith
- Janet Thal
- Elwood Watson
- Barbara Weitz
- Richard Zachary
Why Black-Jewish Dialogue Now? – by Deborah Levine
Our Virtual Dialogue – Background
The online Black-Jewish Dialogues began in the summer 2020 and quickly went global. The monthly Dialogues were recorded, and placed on individual pages in the American Diversity Report as ongoing resources.
CLICK on video to hear the presentation by Deborah Levine for Chattanooga’s Mizpah Synagogue that initiated the Dialogues. Hear the video and see excerpts of the transcript.
Scroll down for links to the Dialogues and related podcasts.
TRANSCRIPT EXCERPTS: It’s a true challenge to talk about issues involving African Americans and Jews in these turbulent times. The murder of George Floyd and COVID-19 have put a spotlight not just on monuments and law enforcement, but also on festering issues of economic, social and healthcare inequities. The issues echo the 1960s civil rights era but with the internet, terminology, quotes, memes and comments are constantly morphing. And spreading. Two weeks ago, a Black-Jewish woman messaged me, worried about how the words of Louis Farrakhan were being blending with those of local White Supremacists. (See Farrakhan) Will the words of our nonviolent sixties icons, James Baldwin and Martin Luther King Jr., successfully counteract this trend? I hope that celebrating the life of the civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis will re-emphasize the impact of non-violent activism. (See John Lewis)
Continue reading Why Black-Jewish Dialogue Now? – by Deborah Levine
Music and NeuroCommunication: Part 2 – by Deborah Levine
Neuro Communication with James Brown
My musical neurocommunication with Ravi Shankar ended with his deep bow. The burst of applause was startling after the stillness, as was the quick dash of movement to the bathrooms. I turned to Cousin Sam, thanked him, and started to put on my coat. Sam didn’t move, ”We should stay for the next act.” I whined at that, “I’m tired and it’s a long schlep back to campus on the bus.” “Trust me. We should stay,” he said softly, but firmly. And so, mildly kvetching (complaining in Yiddish), I was still seated when the curtain re-opened.
Continue reading Music and NeuroCommunication: Part 2 – by Deborah Levine