Category Archives: Social Issues

Social causes, activism, and projects

Advisors, Authors A-H, Politics, Social Issues

Political Violence & Inclusion – by Deborah Ashton

Throughout history, political discourse in the United States has oscillated between civility and conflict. There were notable times when individuals from opposing perspectives engaged in constructive debate, exemplified by the 1965 exchange between author James Baldwin and conservative commentator William F. Buckley Jr., as well as the bipartisan relationships of leaders such as Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill during the 1980s. Yet, it is important to recognize that political violence is deeply rooted in the nation’s origins. The American Revolution itself was marked by actions that, had they failed, would have been deemed treasonous. As we complain about masks being worn to hide the perpetrator’s identity, colonists dressed up as Native Americans when they engaged in the Boston Tea Party. Hiding one’s identity is not new.

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Advisors, Inclusion, Social Issues, Teams & Leaders

Confessions of an unashamed DEI Hire – by Terry Howard

BREAKING NEWS: Recent Department of Labor statistics show that nationwide, Black women lost 319,000 public and private sector jobs from February to July this year compared to 142,000 and 176,000 increases, respectively, by white and Hispanic women. White men saw an increase of 360,000 over that same period of time. 

Now that I got your attention, denial, urge to fact check me or fire off a letter to the editor look, just chill out as we turn our attention to all those unqualified “DEI Hires” we’ve been hearing about. If you believe the pundits, those “DEI Hires” have infiltrated every organization, taken over our nation and taken our jobs, that is except the thousands of (“DEI Hires”?) who, out of fear of deportation, have abandoned the backbreaking jobs picking fruit and vegetables in California, mopping floors in hospitals and putting in long hours in restaurants and on construction sites leaving their employers desperate for new workers.  

Okay readers, let’s peel back the onion on the who and why behind all the “DEI Hire” shenanigans, shall we? 

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Authors A-H, Social Issues

A Brief History of Humankind – by William Hicks

A RACE TO FRUITION OR A FIGHT TO THE DEATH?

In chapter one of his book, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, Eckhart Tolle writes about “The Flowering of Human Consciousness”, using as a metaphor the appearance of the first flower on the planet as a seminal event in the evolution of the flora with which we humans are most familiar and, nowadays, take almost universally for granted. But the event, deemed somewhat insignificant in the history of the planet, is monumental in that it signals a growth in a direction of fantastic beauty and presence that enhances the very being of the planet itself and its human occupants.

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AI, Social Issues

As We Code, So We Reap – by Debanjan Borthakur 

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The  Roots of Biased AI

Human prejudice stretches back millennia, and the seeds of racism and bias that we sowed long ago have now taken root and flourished within artificial intelligence. Bias existed long before machine learning algorithms emerged; whenever society invents a new technology, it inherits the prejudices and discrimination of earlier eras. In the nineteenth century, redlining maps dictated who could receive loans—systematically denying Black Americans access to mortgages, insurance, and other essential financial services. Today’s credit-scoring algorithms still mirror those same exclusions. As AI extends into recruitment, administration, medicine, and the media, alarm bells are sounding: if we do not imbue our machines with ethical values, they will merely magnify our deepest biases.
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Authors A-H, Education, Make a Difference, Social Issues

Intergroup Relations – by Debanjan Barthakur

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Lessons from Life and the Classroom

This year, I had the opportunity to teach Intergroup Relations at the University of Toronto as a part-time instructor. It was a new and enriching experience. While at the University of Rhode Island, I once took a course titled Non-Violence and Conflict Reconciliation—at the request of a friend. Since then, I’ve been deeply interested in issues of social harmony and justice. The question of how we can build peace in our society has often occupied my thoughts. Initially, the plan was to teach a different subject. But quite unexpectedly, I found myself teaching this course at a time when divisions between groups—across the world—are becoming sharper. Conflicts based on ideologies, religions, and identities continue to shape current political realities. The urgency of improving intergroup relations is not just felt in North America, but equally in India and elsewhere, I was born in India and I closely observe the socio-political issues pertaining to both societies. 

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Advisors, Authors A-H, Social Issues

The Mysterious Woman in the Polka Dot Dress – by Terry Howard

Dear readers:   Before you bid au revoir to this side of planet Earth, add Little Rock in Arkansas and, a few blocks away, the Little Rock Nine Museum, to your must-do bucket list. And if you get there, before leaving town take the walk down South Park Street – alone like I did years ago – in front of the imposing fortress of Little Rock Central High School. Hold that possibility until the end of this narrative and, with it, a recommendation.

But before the anti-DEI history erasing crowd comes gunning for my noggin, snatches me off a street corner and handcuffs me for a one way government expenses paid one way trip to a prison in El Salvador, I figured that I’d try to stay one step ahead of them with another little-known bit of history they’d prefer that you didn’t know about, namely that of one Grace Lorch. 

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Authors I-Q, Social Issues

Beyond Earth: Outer Space – by Papa Balla Ndong

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Bridging Cultures, Economies, and Ethics for Humanity’s Next Frontier in Space

As humanity sets its sights on space, we are not just pushing the boundaries of science and technology, we are testing our ability to build equitable and sustainable societies in uncharted territory. Space exploration presents both extraordinary opportunities and profound ethical dilemmas: Will our expansion beyond Earth mirror historical patterns of exploitation, or will we seize this moment to create a more inclusive and cooperative future?

The global space economy is projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2040 (Morgan Stanley, 2022), fueled by innovations in satellite technology, asteroid mining, and interplanetary travel. But who will benefit from this new frontier? Will space be dominated by the wealthiest nations and corporations, or can we establish frameworks that ensure shared prosperity?

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Authors R-Z, Holocaust, Social Issues

A chance meeting – by Regina Sën

Are there ever such things?
Or threads in the universe strumming, at just the right moment, to begin a new song? These were the thoughts floating through my mind, after connecting in a circle of grandmothers last weekend.

Enter stage right
A few hours pass with nine blessed souls: lives connecting for but a moment on the timeline of our lives. Yet profound, they rang as music to my ears, struggling to help loved ones understand the danger of our day, and the need to prepare.   I heard about a World War II veteran, one woman’s Father, whose study by commission during and after World War II was to find out, among the Nazis, 

“How did it happen? How did so many steer so far awry? And what was the state of mind of the German population by and large, immediately after?” 

Coincidence? Perhaps? 

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Advisors, Authors A-H, Social Issues

Renewing Diversity #5: Wrestling with History – by Carlos Cortés 

In his new book, A Century of Tomorrows: How Imagining the Future Shapes the Present, historian Glenn Adamson muses, “every story about the future is also a demand to intervene in the present.”  I should also add that every story about the present has its roots in the past.

I was trained as a historian, receiving a Ph.D. in Latin American history way back in 1969.   I taught history for twenty-six years at the University of California, Riverside.  Different kinds of history.  Latin American history.  Chicano history.  Film and history.  History of the mass media.

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Authors I-Q, Social Issues

Catalyze Change and Empower Your Community – by Julie Morris

Try These Purposeful Actions

Are you driven by the desire to create a positive impact in your community? Whether your focus is on social justice, environmental sustainability, or educational reform, there are countless avenues to make a meaningful difference. Engaging in community initiatives not only empowers you but also inspires those around you to contribute to lasting change. By taking deliberate steps, you can transform your passion into tangible outcomes that benefit your community and beyond.

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