“I don’t know if you watched it or not, but this year’s Dr. Martin Luther King Day celebration at Ebenezer Baptist Church here in Atlanta was awesome,” I said to Deborah Levine, Founder/Editor-in-Chief of the American Diversity Report. Continue reading Recharging African and Jewish American Dialogues – by Terry Howard
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About the American Diversity Report
Leadership in Our Challenging Times – by Deborah Levine
I often hear that leadership is greatly needed in these challenging times. But what does leadership mean? Is it a matter of personality? Is leadership defined by mission and goals? Are leaders inspirational figures who leave the nuts and bolts to others? The more we try to define leadership, the more the concept undefinable. “There are almost as many definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept,” said Ralph Stogdill, a Professor of Management Science and Psychology known for his research and publications on the Personal Factors Associated with Leadership.
Continue reading Leadership in Our Challenging Times – by Deborah Levine
Ukraine requests holiday support: Light in the Dark – by Deborah Levine
originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press
I just got a message from Yuri Bova, mayor of the Ukrainian city, Trostyanets. He wanted to catch me up on their wartime situation and get my support. Trostyanets is just 20 miles from the Russian border and was high on Putin’s list when Russia invaded Ukraine. The city was devastated by Russian troops that Putin intended to lead parades celebrating the Russian takeover of Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. That didn’t happen. What did happen was the wrecking of schools, hospitals, roads, and stores along multiple murders and thefts of everything of value. Horrifying!
What to do? That’s what I asked myself when Mayor Yuri came to Chattanooga to visit Mayor Tim Kelly and Sister Cities. It was heartrending to hear about the destruction then, and still is. I was so moved that I wrote a column about Ukraine for the Times Free Press in March 2025. And I included stories about my friend Angelika Riano who had recently returned from Ukraine where she supported the International Ukrainian Crisis Fund. Her involvement in the Fund’s humanitarian aid was inspiring then, and remains so today.
Continue reading Ukraine requests holiday support: Light in the Dark – by Deborah Levine
Holocaust Ethical Implications – by John T. Pawlikowski, OSM, Ph.D.
The academic study of ethics, in light of the experience of the Holocaust, has witnessed rapid development in the last decade. In addition to research into ethical decision making during the Holocaust itself in such volumes as Rab Bennett’s Under the Shadow of the Swastika: The Moral Dilemmas of Resistance and Collaboration in Hitler’s Europe, more general reflections on the significance of the Holocaust for contemporary ethics have come to the fore from Jewish and Christian scholars alike. There have also been voices such as Herbert Hirsch who have questioned whether we can learn anything from the Holocaust in terms of the moral challenge facing us today given the sui generis nature of that event as well as the immense complexity of a modern, global society.
Continue reading Holocaust Ethical Implications – by John T. Pawlikowski, OSM, Ph.D.
TV Pilot Script: The Liberator’s Daughter
LOGLINE
LOGLINEA World War II Liberator’s daughter honors his legacy by battling disabilities, discrimination, and hate in her journey from being disabled and homeless, to repairing our broken world.
6-part TV Series
32+ FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS
The Liberator’s Daughter has 32 WINNER AWARDS at international film festivals including:
1) WRPN Women’s International Film Festival, 2) Hollywood Blvd Film Festival, 3) Cineplay International, 4) Dallas Shorts, 5) Indiefare International, 6) Airflix Film, 7) Multi Dimension International, 8) Bright International, 9) EdiPlay International, 10) Magic Silver Screen Festival, 11) Medusa Film Festival, 12) Movie Play International, 13) Red Moon Film Festival, 14) Krimson Horyzon International Film Festival, 15) Cult Movies Festival, 16) Crown International, 17) Swedish International, 18) NYC International Film Festival, 19) London New Wave Cinema Awards, 20 & 21) Indie Cine Tube Awards, 22) 4th Dimension Independent film Festival, 23) Cooper Awards, 24) Tokyo Shorts, 25) 8 & Halfilm Awards, 26) New York Neorealism Film Awards, 27) Golden Giraffe International film Festival, 28) Liber Films International film Festival, 28) Cooper Awards, 29) ASAA Abdolrahman Sarraei Academic Awards, 30) Sofia International Film Festival, 31) Your Way International film Festival, 32) Alpine IFF.
Defining the Role of Language, Culture, National Identity – by Deborah Ashton
Introduction
On December 21, 2025, The Harvard Crimson published an article reporting that the Harvard Salient’s board of directors suspended the conservative student magazine in October 2025 due to racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric. In addition, a Harvard Salient author claimed, “Germany belongs to the Germans, France to the French, Britain to the British, America to the Americans.” When confronted with evidence that this statement echoed Adolf Hitler’s 1939 speech, the author defended himself by citing ignorance. This incident showcases the use of patriotism as a veneer for alt-right nationalism, recalling Samuel Johnson’s 1775 assertion that “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” While this does not necessarily label the young writer as a scoundrel, the situation raises important questions about who defines national identity and underscores the need to differentiate nationalism from far-right or white nationalist movements.
Continue reading Defining the Role of Language, Culture, National Identity – by Deborah Ashton
10 Personal Anti-Racism Intentions for 2026 – by Sharon Hurley Hall
I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions, which makes it ironic that I’m writing for this particular feature of the ADR website. But I DO believe in setting intentions, and following them up with focused, purposeful action, and the start of the year is a great time to do that.
As an activist, author and educator, these intentions guide how I show up in the world in line with my values of integrity, empowerment, transparency and equality and my commitment to community as we fight oppression together. That said, here are my intentions for the coming year.
Continue reading 10 Personal Anti-Racism Intentions for 2026 – by Sharon Hurley Hall
AI Trapped in The Matrix – by Lee Webster
Why Your AI Models Are Living in the Matrix (And How RIG Gets Them Out)
[RIG = Retrieval Interleaved Generation using LLM]
Ever wonder why that AI model that was exceptional and genuinely intuitive six months ago is now increasingly making questionable decisions? Welcome to the Matrix.
AI Decay of Search Engines/News Feeds. You search for the best phone this year, but the top results are from 2022! The search suggestions show models that are now discontinued! And the news feed keeps showing you articles about topics you read three (3) months ago, but doesn’t show the major breaking news happening today.
From Crisis to Comeback – By Sabrina Sanchez, Yeruwelle De Rouen
A CEO’s Journey Back to Restorative Leadership
A Case Study
Abstract
This case study explores how TGTHR, a Boulder, Colorado-based non-profit working to end youth homelessness, navigated a period of acute organizational crisis through restorative leadership and courageous self-awareness at the executive level. Rather than offering a traditional turnaround narrative, the story highlights the CEO’s willingness to lead vulnerably, acknowledge ruptures, and engage deeply in restorative work even as conditions worsened. Through its partnership with Intersectional Innovations, a leading EBI consulting firm, TGTHR stabilized not by bypassing conflict, but by embracing a relational, equity-rooted approach to repair and culture-building. As the organization enters its next chapter, the CEO is intentionally returning to restorative practices: underscoring their value not just in recovery, but in long-term cultural stewardship.
This case study offers rare and practical insight into what it looks like when active restorative leadership chooses transparency, humility, and restorative over performance and perfectionism. It explores TGTHR’s transformation through a restorative lens and centers Annie’s personal journey as CEO highlighting her emotional toll of the crisis, the self-reflection required to show up differently, and the courage it took to choose vulnerability when conditions continued to worsen. This article exposes the messiness of true cultural change and how restorative leadership rarely looks clean and tidy and how returning to the “why” after conflict can rebuild trust one conversation at a time.
Continue reading From Crisis to Comeback – By Sabrina Sanchez, Yeruwelle De Rouen
Renewing Diversity Part 12: Diversity and the AI Frenzy – by Carlos Cortés
During 2025 few trends, if any, received more attention than developments in artificial intelligence. You can hardly pick up a magazine or listen to a newscast without hearing something about AI. However, I have encountered relatively little addressing the intersection of AI and diversity.
What might AI mean for diversity? What can diversity advocates do to address the implications of AI? Questions range from the ethical to the practical. In this column I will focus on one question: what are some of the diversity implications arising from the creation of AI databases and the resulting “information” that they supply when prompted?
Continue reading Renewing Diversity Part 12: Diversity and the AI Frenzy – by Carlos Cortés