All posts by Deborah Levine, Terry Howard, Carlos Cortés

LEVINE is Founder/ Editor-in-Chief of the American Diversity Report, a Forbes Magazine Diversity and Inclusion Trailblazer, award-winning author of 18 books, and creator of a World War II documentary. HOWARD is an ADR Advisor, award-winning writer, storyteller, contributing writer with the Chattanooga News Chronicle, The Douglas County Sentinel, and Blackmarket.com. He is co-founder of “26 Tiny Paint Brushes” writers guild, recipient of 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Award, 3rd place winner of 2022 Georgia Press Award. CORTÉS is a retired history professor and diversity speaker, educator, trainer, and consultant for 45 years. His books include: The Children Are Watching: How the Media Teach about Diversity; his memoir, Rose Hill: An Intermarriage before Its Time; and Fourth Quarter: Reflections of a Cranky Old Man which received honorable mention for the best book of poetry in 2017 International Latino Book Awards. He also edited the 4-volume Multicultural America: A Multimedia Encyclopedia.

Our Divisive World Part 1: Conversation with Deborah Levine, Terry Howard, Carlos Cortés

Deborah: I’m getting multiple emails and phone calls disturbed and distressed about today’s divisive world. Colleagues ask about what can and should be done to counter the current trends. One of the emails that stands out is from Terry Howard, one of our American Diversity Report Advisors. 

Terry: “Hey Deborah, considering the on-going Israel-Hamas conflict and its seismic increases in acts of antisemitic and Islamophobia in the United States, what are your thoughts about developing something highlighting divisive/hurtful words and language that divides? For example, I’m not sure that many people are familiar with the history behind the expression, “From river to sea,” and language used to disparage Palestinians.”

Deborah: Talk about controversy! For the Jewish people, the phrase “From river to sea” means the elimination of Israel and replacement by a Palestinian nation. For Palestinians, I believe it means freedom from occupation. What prompted your interest in this difficult subject?

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