Category Archives: The Arts

Multicultural Art and Poetry

The Hundred-Handed Purpose Connector – by Donley Ferguson

Cultivating the Path of Purpose

If I were to tell my story—the story I’d share with the world—it would start with echoes of loss, shadows of hope, and a path carved through trials no one could have foreseen.

The only memory I carry of my father, whose name I bear, is of new Hush Puppies on his feet and the soulful loop of Friends of Distinction’s “Going in Circles” reverberating through the night. I watched his silhouette diminish into the darkness, an untouchable fragment of my life that unraveled into a tragic tale—the stories of his empty pockets, hollow eyes, and the lifeless repose on that frayed couch in a den of broken souls. The whisper of overdose. The finality of it.

In 2020 alone, nearly 70,000 lives were lost to overdoses, a reminder that the pain of addiction reverberates through countless families. My father’s story is one of many, yet it marks the beginning of my journey—a path paved with loss but leading to the discovery of purpose.

Continue reading The Hundred-Handed Purpose Connector – by Donley Ferguson

A Survivor’s Story of Neo-Nazis: Part 2 – by Kathleen Sullivan

neo-NazisOur country’s government is again in danger. The white supremacists and neo-Nazis who conspired to meet Hitler’s long-term goal of Ordis Templar, Circa 2000 are mostly long-gone. But many of them have recruited, groomed and brainwashed next-generation children and other recruits to fulfill their insanely grandiose goal – specifically, of taking over the US government from the inside-out. And making it an Aryan-run government that would eventually lead the world. 

I have watched many of the brainwashing and so-called “mind control” techniques that were perfected on us as human Guinea pigs, being used regularly by White supremacist and neo-Nazi leaders and media representatives. Those techniques include Ericksonian hypnosis, Neuro-Linguistic programming, wearing down listeners’ mental resistance in a variety of ways, triggering their midbrains and knocking their frontal lobes offline via messages of fear and disgust, and much more. 

Continue reading A Survivor’s Story of Neo-Nazis: Part 2 – by Kathleen Sullivan

Waymakers: Celebrating and Protecting Diversity in Appalachia – by Joe Tolbert Jr.

The Waymakers Collective is dedicated to supporting community arts and organizations in the heart of Appalachia that are historically underfunded: those led by BIPOC (Black, indigenous, and people of color), youth, LGBTQIA+, and non-English speakers/immigrants. Earlier this month, we held our Annual Gathering to celebrate our community of Appalachian artists, culture workers, organizers, activists, doers, and creatives who are committed to building a just and equitable Appalachian future.

Continue reading Waymakers: Celebrating and Protecting Diversity in Appalachia – by Joe Tolbert Jr.

The Deion Effect: Part Two – by Terry Howard

As Deion Sanders continues to hold the fascination of college football, even when his team loses, something else is happening wrote USA TODAY’s Mike Freeman:

“It may not make headlines, but it’s happening all across the country. In Black homes. In Black businesses. Black fathers and sons, Black moms and daughters, Black friends and workmates  so many in the Black community are talking about Sanders. They are saying that Colorado is Black America’s team.”

With that jaw-dropper segue from Part One of “The Deion Effect,” we turn to views from several sports enthusiasts who I asked to weigh in on this issue. And weigh in they did.

Continue reading The Deion Effect: Part Two – by Terry Howard

The Deion Effect: Part One – by Terry Howard

Fine, go ahead. Write off football coach Deion Sanders as an aberration, the latest fad or distraction from stuff that really matters in the world today. 

And while you’re at it, for reasons of curiosity if nothing else, read about the “Deion effect” on the city of Boulder’s revenue bumps ($18 million from the team’s first home game) and sold-out games at home and away. And if you decide to replay recent games, good luck because your attention may get sidetracked by starstruck, sunglass wearing celebrities strutting up and down the sidelines snapping selfies while chortling …. “Primetime,” “Primetime,” “Primetime!”  

Love him or loath him, over a short period of time, Sanders has managed to jettison national disasters, an auto workers’ strike, political finger-pointing and the latest on an ex-president from front page news and dinnertime conversations.  

Continue reading The Deion Effect: Part One – by Terry Howard

Diversity and Speech Part 45: Writing about Someone Else’s Culture – by  Carlos E. Cortés and Ellen Estilai

Co-Authored Interview

Carlos:  Ellen, we’ve taken creative writing classes together for a number of years, so it’s nice to discuss your fascinating new book, Exit Prohibited (Inlandia Institute, 2023), about your family’s escape from revolutionary Iran.

Ellen: Yes, Carlos.  I love talking about memoir with another memoir writer.

Carlos: So, let’s start from the beginning.  How did you become part of Iran?

Continue reading Diversity and Speech Part 45: Writing about Someone Else’s Culture – by  Carlos E. Cortés and Ellen Estilai

Black college athletes: Listen to the NAACP – by Terry Howard

That’s the headline of a column in a recent issue of USA Today. It was written in the form of an open letter to Black athletes and extensively quoted NAACP Board director and Chairman Leon Russell and President and CEO Derrick Johnson in their letter to Charlie Baker, head of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Now since it appeared just a few days after I’d started developing the piece you’re now reading, of course it got my immediate attention and, like a mosquito in a nudist colony, it provided me with lots and lots of stuff to cherry pick from. 

Continue reading Black college athletes: Listen to the NAACP – by Terry Howard

Women GroundBreakers Storytelling: Serving Diverse Communities

On March 7, 2024 we celebrated Women’s History Month with a panel of Women Groundbreakers whose work locally and globally serving diverse communities will Inspire & Instruct. Facilitated by Deborah Levine and sponsored by the American Diversity Report and G100 Women Leaders, the panel shared their expertise and experience. CLICK to hear their WUTC interviews.

**CLICK for PANEL RECORDING**

Continue reading Women GroundBreakers Storytelling: Serving Diverse Communities

BLACK HISTORY MONTH BOOK REVIEW – by David Grinberg

Elwood Watson “Keepin’ It Real: Essays on Race
in Contemporary America”

 

James Baldwin, the famous 20th century American intellectual, once observed:

“History is the present. We carry our history with us.
To think otherwise is criminal.”

This is an important point to ponder during the annual Black History Month observance during February in the United States. Baldwin was an iconic and outspoken figure of his time who was internationally recognized as a leading voice of the African American experience.

Thus, as Baldwin reminds us posthumously, we should not only focus on trailblazers of centuries past, but also consider more recent history when assessing the state of racial progress.

Continue reading BLACK HISTORY MONTH BOOK REVIEW – by David Grinberg

New Trends in Social Awareness: Audiobooks – by Rose Joneson

Listening Impact: How Audiobooks Drive Social Awareness 

Technology has become an integral part of society, driving innovation and empowerment in many ways, including social awareness. Information and resources on social issues from various perspectives and cultures are now easily accessible to many, and one way such knowledge is spreading is through audiobooks. Audiobooks, once perceived as mere entertainment, are increasingly recognized for their unique potential to cultivate social awareness. This medium has great potential, as audiobooks have been increasing in popularity; Statista reports that audiobook publishing and consumption have increased tenfold in recent years, meaning more people are willing to listen and learn something new through these books. This immersive format offers distinct advantages in fostering empathy, understanding, and engagement with diverse perspectives and challenging issues. Here’s how audiobooks can drive social awareness:

Continue reading New Trends in Social Awareness: Audiobooks – by Rose Joneson