tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10963063467470189412024-03-13T22:46:23.398-07:00Raye MitchellDr. Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07964447614295882482noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096306346747018941.post-76047034607492814552015-10-10T08:15:00.002-07:002015-10-10T08:15:40.108-07:00Black Fathers Present for our Girls<br />
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">Are Black Fathers and Sons on the Endangered Species List? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dear Black Men, Fathers, Sons, Brothers, Uncles, Grandfathers and Friends:</span><br />
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October 10, 2015 is the 20<sup>th</sup> Anniversary of the Million Man March.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: start;">Black Fathers Matter for Black Girls. </span>What will you be doing to celebrate Black Fathers and Sons Who are Present for our Black Girls?</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you have a Black father present in your life, stop and thank him how,</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">because there are </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/04/20/upshot/missing-black-men.html?_r=0" style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="cursor: pointer;">1.5 million Black men missing.</span></span> </a></div>
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<a href="https://www.justiceorelse.com/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="cursor: pointer;">The 20th anniversary of the Million Man March on Washington D.C</span></span>.</a> reminds us to take stock and celebrate our Black fathers and sons that are present in the lives of our woman and girls everyday. </div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">If we want to save our Black girls, we need to also save our Black fathers and our Black son</span>s. The concept may be too daunting for some and quite alien to others. We cannot risk leaving our girls emotionally wounded and wanting, and intellectually and sociologically impaired when fathers go missing. <br />
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You really need not ask why we should celebrate our Black fathers as part of our celebration of Black woman and girls, but here is why. Black families need fathers. #BlackFathersMatter. Our children need Black fathers present in their lives. I work with young girls from all economic backgrounds to increase access to educational and life opportunities for them. <span style="color: #262626;">In 2014, the Oprah Winfrey Network aired a summer series called "<a href="http://www.oprah.com/oprahs-lifeclass/Oprahs-Lifeclass-Daddyless-Daughters-Part-1">Daddyless Daughters</a>" that focused on women's relationships with absent or uninvolved fathers and </span>I see firsthand the difference for those children of having a father who is present and engaged. Growing up, I had double the love of a mother and a grandmother because my father was around, but not really present and engaged in my life.. I don't know why and I bear no hatred towards him because I do not know his circumstances.</div>
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I do know that families can survive and even thrive without a father. I do know that families are configured and reconfigured out of whole cloth every day to unite and form a healthy unit. But never undervalue the importance of having a father present in your life. Never.</div>
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Father's Day is a ritual that means very little if you fail to celebrate your father when he is present in your life every other day of the year. Every day should be a day of celebration for the Black father. He is an endangered species.</div>
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<span style="color: #1d1d1d;">"If we don't show and share positive stories about black fathers, then ugly stereotypes will prevail. </span><span style="color: #1d1d1d;">"I realized that while we still have problems in our communities, there have for decades been black men who have been good men, good husbands and of course good fathers. . . . However, this positive picture is rarely shown. It's an oversight that appears to prevent the constructive narrative from bringing changes to our communities," </span><span style="color: #1d1d1d;">says</span>Aaron Paxton Arnold, in <i><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/20/opinions/arnold-black-fathers/"><span style="cursor: pointer;">Dispelling the myths about black fathers</span>,</a> an </i>article appearing in July 2015 at <a href="http://cnn.com/">CNN.com</a></div>
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I am sending this email blog to all the brothers who have a father who is not on drugs, not shot by the police, did not abandon their wives, did not abandon their children, and did not abandon their families.</div>
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I am sending this email blog to all the brothers who call themselves good Black men and good Black fathers, because they too had to learn from someone. This is for all the brothers holding jobs, who are educated, and who are not falling into the all too familiar stereotypes of domestic violence or become deadbeats who do not pay child support or are just "not there."</div>
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This is for the Black fathers who are keeping it together for their sons so that they too have positive role models. This is for the Black fathers who are keeping it together so that their daughters and granddaughters also have positive role models of a "good Black Man" who elects to stay and not leave.</div>
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I am sending this email blog as a wake-up call to each and every Black man who has both a father and a son so that you continue to lead the march toward preservation of your family and their health and well-being. Together the family unit is stronger than when it is separated into fragmented pieces.</div>
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I am sending this email to every woman who is married to a Black man and has a child by and of that Black man. Call your children what you want, but America will call them Black. I am sending this to every mother who has to raise her Black son or daughter in a country where race still comes before character. Your child needs their Black father present in his or her life.</div>
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I am sending this email to all the brothers I know who still have fathers that are not and never were in jail. Celebrate the freedom of being able to see your father without the bars, the guards, and the need to see him humiliated by an unjust justice system that convicts on color before all else. Celebrate his freedom to be present for you then and even now. His ability to stay free to be present for YOU came at a high price you may never know he had to pay. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">My friend Hill Harper wrote the bestseller</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><a href="http://www.incarceratedbrother.com/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="cursor: pointer;">Letters to an Incarcerated Brother</span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;">.</span></a><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white;">Many prominent Black men and women contributed letters of hope to incarcerated Black men. One of the issues that rings clear is that families are in crisis when the father goes missing. It is true for white families as much as it is true for Black families and those who call themselves families without the need to designate their racial identity. Family is family. A father is a man who is present and engaged.</span></div>
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A close friend, Richard F., wrote a contributing section to Hill's book. The submission is available on our website by <a href="http://www.thenewreality.org/">clicking here</a>. Richard F. is a Black man. He is a Black father. He has never been in jail, cheated his wife, done drugs, robbed, stole, or anything else negatively ascribed to our Black men.</div>
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He does not have multiple "baby mommas." He is educated and he ensured his children were educated. He is present and was present for his two sons, who themselves are grown, married and have sons. They are not in jail. They do not have multiple "baby mommas" and they are present in the lives of their children. Real Black men learn from real Black men: fathers, uncles, grandfathers, brothers, and friends. It is not by chance that Richard F.'s sons are not in jail. It is by design, love, and support, and a present Black father, that Richard F.'s sons are not on drugs and not absent from their families.</div>
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The next time you see a Black father and a Black son-give thanks. If you cannot make it to Washington D.C. on October 10, 2015, to celebrate Black men, Black fathers, and Black sons, make your way to the telephone and reach at least 10 Black fathers and sons you know who are present for their sons, wives, and daughters.</div>
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Get on a conference call, Skype, do anything, and unite all the Black men and sons in your immediate family and have your own Million Man March. #BlackFathersMatter.</div>
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<strong>Don't let Black Fathers and Black Sons move from an endangered species to an extinct species.</strong></div>
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Raye Mitchell</div>
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CEO and Founder</div>
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The New Reality Foundation, Inc.</div>
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<span style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: black;"><a aria-haspopup="true" class="Object" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001aNuEffQ5BuEXBw9Kp1wxinNgTESXjEDTYPiE6oJhTvbLQTnBCoZcMTkzn_HQEA55AyjD7P8Hb2SlB1DYqEIthkPg3fau2v8-6tF3qPYIqHxiGq-QqkW3pyB7mvhi-TwFS0VpjTPHYe1Et_uchwE8WphUCPhhi4Kw4-qDNcZ5p_wJ1W55IuSICg==&c=&ch=" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT1954_com_zimbra_url" style="color: #336699; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.TheNewReality.org</a></span> </span></div>
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Dr. Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07964447614295882482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096306346747018941.post-24060948097706095202015-02-24T14:14:00.001-08:002015-02-24T14:15:17.882-08:00Women of Color Play a Vital Role in Leading Silicon Valley Diversity Turn-Around Efforts<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
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<b><a href="http://www.womenleadforward.com/">www.WomenLeadforward.com</a></b></div>
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<b>Will Former Secretary of State </b><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Hillary Rodham Clinton Keynote Address </b></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Set Silicon Valley on Fire?</b></div>
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<i>The Watermark Silicon Valley Conference for Women-On Point or Missing the Mark?</i></div>
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<i>28 women of color will make history with their contributions.</i></div>
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<b>San Francisco, CA</b>: Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is set to deliver the keynote address at the inaugural Watermark Silicon Valley Conference for Women (#LeadOnCA), which opens on Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, California. The conference is the first of its kind from Watermark, a 22 year old women’s leadership organization originating in Silicon Valley that, according to its website, offers “programs that connect, develop, and advocate for women.” The website makes no direct references to connecting, developing, and advocating for women of color to advance in leadership positions.</div>
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As stated in a very well-written February 12, 2015 article by Nicole Sanchez (@nmsanchez), a diversity thought leader who appeared in USA Today, “<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/2015/02/12/women-of-color-diversity-tech-silicon-valley-nicole-sanchez/23298945/">More white women does not equal tech diversity.</a></span>” Women of color are value-added in the tech industry based on both our shared experiences as women and our different experiences as women of color. Being both a woman and a woman of color creates a competitive advantage in the marketplace that is missed when our voices, our stories, and our relevance is subsumed and merged into general terminology and melted into a general pool called “women.”</div>
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Slated to attract over 4,500 women, the primary challenge for the Watermark Silicon Valley Conference for Women is not simply to pull off a woman’s conference; it is to deliver on the growing national and business mandate to transform Silicon Valley from a majority white and male stronghold at the leadership levels and increase global competitiveness by being more diverse and inclusive at all levels of the organization and in all segments and all sectors.</div>
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If Silicon Valley and San Francisco, ground zero for the tech industry and the innovation industry, are to actually make good on implementing more effective diversity and inclusion goals such as Intel Corporation Chief Executive Officer Brian Kranich’s call to make Silicon Valley “less white and less male,” they must directly and meticulously align their actions with their spoken goals and visions for moving forward.</div>
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<b>Women of Color Play a Vital Role in Leading Silicon Valley Diversity Turn-Around Efforts</b></div>
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Without knowing what the content of Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton’s keynote address will be, I can only emphasize that Senator Clinton will need to do more than simply deliver a compelling message about women in leadership and leadership in tech. In my opinion, Senator Clinton must hit a home run in order to set the stage for a diversity and inclusion turn around that expressly, directly, and visibly acknowledges the vital role women of color will play in driving diversity and inclusion in tech, Silicon Valley, and the innovation economy. The conference made a passing reference to diversity and inclusion in its initial press release but has said nothing since about the critical role women of color will play in making this conference a success for increased diversity and inclusion. Women of color are an important economic and political demographic; we are entitled to precision and specificity in the continued conversations about women in leadership in Silicon Valley and the global conversations about increasing the number of women at the leadership table. The presumption that one-size-fits-all when it comes to conversations about women in leadership roles must come to an immediate halt.</div>
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As Sanchez concludes in her USA Today article, if we are to move forward, we have to “[b]e precise with language. When building groups or events for ‘women in tech,’ be honest about the limitations of your network. If a "women in tech" event is going to be comprised of white women, be clear. And if calling an event "white women in tech" makes you uncomfortable, there is more work to do.”</div>
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A lot is riding on the success of this Watermark conference as the first major Silicon Valley woman’s conference of 2015. Will Watermark deliver at this critical moment in the battle to change the Silicon Valley diversity and inclusion narrative and match actions with words? Will the conference shift the energy in Silicon Valley and the tech industry to signal a real climate change that actively includes women of color at the leadership tables? Has Watermark actively marketed its events to women of color by engaging media partners, resource groups, and bloggers that reach into our networks such that they are reaching women of color and millennials of color? Tuesday is opening day and there is nothing on the website that indicates whether or not Watermark has taken the lead on these matters. The jury is still out.</div>
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<b>Women of Color Making History as Pioneers</b></div>
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Despite the conference website’s lack of direct discussion regarding the vital role of women of color in changing the face of leadership in Silicon Valley and tech companies, Watermark has a slate of over 25 prominent women of color set to make history with their contributions to the inaugural conference.</div>
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These women are making history and breaking down some spoken and unspoken color barriers to entry in this field of play. Women of color leaders are showing up and it is akin to calling in the cavalry to help amplify our voices and our contributions. These leaders by and through their visibility and participation confirm that there is a ready and waiting pool of highly qualified women of color leaders willing to lend their personal and professional reputations to a first-time conference event to help make the dream of diversity and inclusion a reality for women and girls of color. While all are amply qualified, only one is named as a keynote speaker: Candy Chang.</div>
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I am very confident that the inaugural Watermark Silicon Valley Conference for Women will launch with much success for women and spark a major after-party celebration for the planning team. The pivotal question, however, remains: will the conference meet the needs of women of color regarding their participation at the leadership tables? One thing is for certain: if there is another conference in 2016, Watermark needs to see more African American and Latina women as featured keynote speakers and more direct engagement and agenda items regarding the unique experiences of women of color as pioneers in leadership in tech and Silicon Valley. Getting real about diversity and inclusion in Silicon Valley means getting real about engaging women of color at the leadership tables and as keynote speakers.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Courier; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Dr.
Raye Mitchell is founder and Chief Innovation Officer of the New Reality
B-corp, a California benefit corporation and The New Reality Foundation, Inc.,
a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt organization that provides leadership training for
women and girls of color to prepare as global leaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She holds an undergraduate degree from
the University of Southern California (USC), an MBA from USC’s Marshall School
of Business, and a law degree from Harvard Law School. She is retired from the
practice of law and works full-time in philanthropy, entertainment production,
and as an author to support programs advancing diversity and leadership for
women and girls.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b>Keynote Address</b></div>
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Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton<br />
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<b>Women of Color of the Watermark Silicon Valley Women's Conference 2015</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN36ROp_XOuLmX16I5sAlyHg6gyfZ7Gs6TBOx8guvuiZ8zjPqA7tvgavEqrQtJkcwyfJw9_RMjFrZ_fYZnncnzEc5sNFGdriNLQN4nLuccIZV33UHyog9VaUtnb3ZJJweLpNW1hKZT56g/s1600/Chang-Candysm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN36ROp_XOuLmX16I5sAlyHg6gyfZ7Gs6TBOx8guvuiZ8zjPqA7tvgavEqrQtJkcwyfJw9_RMjFrZ_fYZnncnzEc5sNFGdriNLQN4nLuccIZV33UHyog9VaUtnb3ZJJweLpNW1hKZT56g/s1600/Chang-Candysm.jpg" /></a><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">CANDY CHANG</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> is the creator of the Before I Die project.</span></div>
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<b>SHELLYE ARCHAMBEAU</b> is the CEO of MetricStream, a Silicon Valley-based governance, risk, compliance (GRC) and quality management software company where she is responsible for running all facets of the business. @shelarchambeau</div>
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<b>DR. GLORIA MAYFIELD BANKS</b> is an internationally renowned motivational success strategist and trainer, who has consistently beaten the odds to achieve extraordinary success. @gloriabanks <b>></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><b> </b></span><b style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;"><</b><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;">JALEH BISHARAT</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;"> is senior vice president of marketing at Elance-oDesk speaks and writes frequently on various topics of concern to working women, including the future of work, flexibility as a talent management strategy, women in leadership and strategies for working parents. @jalehbisharat</span></div>
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<b>KIMBERLY BRYANT</b> is the founder and executive</div>
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director of Black Girls CODE,a non-profit organization dedicated to “changing the face of technology” by introducing girls of color (ages 7-17) to the field of technology and computer science with a concentration on entrepreneurial concepts. @6gems@blackgirlscode <b>></b></div>
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<b>CARLA A. HARRIS</b> is the author of<br />
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“Strategize to Win,” <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">and managing director and senior client advisor at Morgan Stanley. Harris has degrees from Harvard University and Harvard Business School and numerous honorary doctorates. </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">></b></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;">ROSALIND L. HUDNELL</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;"> is vice president, human resources and chief diversity officer for Intel Corporation. @intel</span><br />
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<b>YOKY MATSUOKA</b> grew up assuming she would <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">become </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">a professional tennis player. After obtaining her degrees, she became a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and later at the University of Washington developing robotic devices for rehabilitating and assisting </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">the human body and brain. </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">></b><br />
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<b style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;"><</b><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;">VERNÁ MYERS, Esq</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;">. is principal of Verná Myers Consulting Group, LLC (VMCG). She is a nationally recognized expert on diversity and inclusion within law firms, law departments and law schools. Myers graduated from Harvard Law School and earned a B.A., magna cum laude, from Barnard College, Columbia University. @vernamyers</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvoEMcwKIi649Fr2uyYpGf2LU2EIHw1D-yT73LJw8h5goIwKdLzXYgLk5DpT-CjslG1Q8FIXQy3liqXDP-OUDANntqeSeeI2hyphenhyphena_vTv4j1GLJykHvhAEdkULE22C1ctFDH5pT2Lp52-xQ/s1600/Ruiz-Michelesm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvoEMcwKIi649Fr2uyYpGf2LU2EIHw1D-yT73LJw8h5goIwKdLzXYgLk5DpT-CjslG1Q8FIXQy3liqXDP-OUDANntqeSeeI2hyphenhyphena_vTv4j1GLJykHvhAEdkULE22C1ctFDH5pT2Lp52-xQ/s1600/Ruiz-Michelesm.jpg" /></a><b>MICHELE RUIZ</b> is a bi-lingual entrepreneur and public speaker whose passions are entrepreneurship, empowerment and technology.</div>
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Considered a thought leader, Ruiz has been interviewed and quoted by major news organizations including CNN and The New York Times. @micheleruiz01 <b>></b></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;"><</b><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;">FAYE SAHAI</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;"> has more than 20 years of experience in leading innovation, catalyst for change and strategic initiatives across multiple companies such as Blue Shield, Deloitte, Charles Schwab, Disney, HP, Kaiser Permanente and Toyota. She serves on the Board of Directors for Berger Research Institute and the Alumni Board for Claremont McKenna College.</span></div>
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<b>POOJA SANKAR</b> is the founder and CEO of Piazza, which is changing the way technical students learn and find jobs. Piazza Careers, which was launched two years ago, enables recruiters to source these<br />
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students for technical jobs. @piazza <b>></b></div>
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<b>CHRISTINE TSAI</b> is a managing partner at 500 Startups where she oversees the accelerator program and distribution/growth team. @christine_tsai<br />
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;"><</b><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;">KRISTI YAMAGUCHI </b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;">captured the gold medal in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France in figure skating. Most recently, Yamaguchi has added New York Times best-selling author to her list of achievements by introducing her first children’s picture book. @kristiyamaguchi</span></div>
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<b>KIM RIVERA</b> is chief legal officer for DaVita HealthCare Partners (NYSE DVA), a Global Fortune 500 healthcare services company with 65,000 teammates and operations in 11 countries. @davita <b>></b><br />
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<b style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;"><</b><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;">GUNJAN AGGARWAL</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;"> is head of human resources for Ericsson’s North American region. She is responsible for driving human resources strategy for the U.S. and Canadian region that has an annual revenue of $8.5 billion and an employee base of more than 16,000. @ericsson</span></div>
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<b>TRUDY BOURGEOIS</b> is a renowned and respected authority on leadership development and diversity in today’s corporate America. Bourgeois is a featured blogger for The Huffington Post, writes for numerous trade publications and magazines, and has authored two books on leadership. @trudybourgeois <b>></b><br />
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<b style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;"><</b><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;">SHARON BROGDON</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;"> is the diversity director at Intel Corporation. In this role she oversees the company’s strategic approach to the retention and development of its underrepresented minority and Veteran talent, creates and drives pipeline strategies. She is a recipient of the Navy Commendation Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal. @intel</span></div>
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<b>RASIKA JANARTHA</b> is an account manager with Ericsson, managing sales engagements for End-2-End solutions in network technology. She has an engineering background, having earned an M.S. in telecommunications from University of Maryland. @ericsson <b>></b><br />
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;"><</b><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;">SRIDEVI KONERU RAO </b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;">is an integral part of the Cisco Product and Services portfolio leadership team. Rao earned an M.S. in computer science from SCU, California and an M.B.A. from Wharton, University of Pennsylvania. @cisco</span></div>
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<b>LINDA HARRISON</b> was appointed as the executive director of MoAD in December 2013. Harrison also served on the board of EARN, a San Francisco nonprofit that helps low-income American families achieve financial stability and on the advisory board of Horizons Foundation, a San Francisco nonprofit that actively secures the LGBT community’s future <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">by promoting planned giving. </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">></b><br />
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;"><</b><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;">AISHA IBRAHIM</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;"> received her formal culinary degree while attending the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Born in the Philippines, and an East Coast transplant, she has spent the last eight years working in such iconic Bay Area restaurants as Aqua, Foreign Cinema, Betelnut, before working her way up to executive chef of the Spanish-inspired Ramblas at the age of 24.</span></div>
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<b>SUSAN CHANG</b> is social media manager for Dropbox. Chang realized during graduate school at the London School of Economics that she could actually turn her love for social media into a real career. @sujinchang <b>></b><br />
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;"><</b><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;">MEGAN ROSE DICKEY</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;"> is a former tech journalist turned startup enthusiast, now a producer at KITE. At KITE, Dickey produces content and supports KITE’s Fortune 1000 customers. @meganrosedickey</span></div>
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<b>Small Business Roundtable</b><br />
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<b>JIN ZHOU</b> is the global programs manager for Women 2.0, where she is connecting, building, and inspiring the next generation of women leaders. An avid bookworm and explorer, </div>
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she has traveled to over 30 countries. @soulcandies <b>></b></div>
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Dr. Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07964447614295882482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096306346747018941.post-65515880797492242112014-09-03T10:04:00.000-07:002014-09-03T10:04:35.821-07:00<div style="font-family: Palatino; font-size: 18px;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/colorcomm">The ColorComm C2 Conference is a Work of Creative Genius.</a></i></b></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/colorcomm"><span style="font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><i>Women of color are taking lead in the communications segment.</i></b></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Palatino Bold Italic"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Palatino Bold Italic";">“</span><span style="font-family: "Palatino Bold Italic";">Lightning makes no sound until it strikes.</span><span style="font-family: "ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Palatino Bold Italic"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Palatino Bold Italic";">”</span><span style="font-family: "Palatino Bold Italic";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Bold Italic";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dr. Martin Luther King</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Bold Italic";"><i>Innovation and Creativity in Action</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Raye Mitchell<br />Creative Genius Rules Workshop</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">On August 6, 2014, a dedicated group of women led by the visionary leader, champion and creative guru Lauren Wesley Wilson, President of ColorComm, Inc., struck like lightening when they launched the inaugural ColorComm Conference (“C2”) in Miami, Florida. The emergence of ColorComm and C2 is both the message and the messenger for how creativity can emerge from nowhere, thrive, expand and overthrow the status quo . C2 is an authentic e</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">xample of creativity, innovation and drive to disrupt, bundled into a platform that constructs a new version of what is new going forward.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Why are ColorComm and C2 examples of innovation in motion? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>First</b>, ColorComm has a visionary leader willing to take risks. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Second</b>, it accomplished something no other organization has achieved. It convened the first known national conference for women of color in the integrated communications segment. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Third</b>, it accomplished this feat in record time by capturing the moment, the movement and the market opportunity to meet an unmet need. Less than two years ago, C2 was inconceivable and not on any known radar; ColorComm simply did not even exist in its current shape or form. Just two short years ago, Ms. Wilson had started an invite-only luncheon series of women of color in communications in Washington, DC. Forming an operating network of sisterhood, camaraderie and knowledge sharing, the team soon blossomed into a membership organization. The spark of innovation by Ms. Wilson in Washington, DC, led to the birth of chapters in Chicago and New York, with Atlanta coming soon. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Fourth,</b> ColorComm and C2 attracted committed team players and provided the team an opportunity to make history by rallying behind a common goal. In other words, in order to grow, ColorComm had to expand the leadership ranks beyond Ms. Wilson. ColorComm, still in the infant stages of any organizational life, allowed innovation to find room to incubate and thrive. ColorComm let “like-minded” people in the door and presented an environment safe to take risks and fuel new thinking. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Fifth,</b> ColorComm sponsored an environment where new thought can and did take root by activating the team and putting “boots on the ground.” ColorComm’s growth accelerated because the team actually set a big compass goal and marched forward to do something, moving beyond the </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">safety of the status quo. A fundamental requirement for the expansion of innovation and creativity is experimentation, taking action and taking risk. Something needs to happen if innovation and creativity are to emerge. Often newly formed groups and organizations become distracted or excited by the mere formation of the group. Once formed, the status quo becomes the end goal. “We came, we met and we left” becomes the operating mentality, whether stated directly or indirectly by the activities of the participants. But this proved untrue for ColorComm.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In this case, ColorComm and the leadership team envisioned a national conference to expand, share and capture the moment and interest in its platform. Launching and announcing a goal to convene a national conference of thought leaders in communications is ambitious. In a world where risk and reward are not often extended to women, especially women of color, the leadership team of ColorComm literally put their personal and professional reputations on the line. Even veteran conference hosts will wake to that bad dream of “What if I host a conference and no one comes or I can’t attract star talent and speakers?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Sixth</b>, the C2 leadership team nourished inside relationships to break through the status quo. Hosting an inaugural conference is a “chicken and egg” proposition. To attract top-talent speakers and an audience, organizers must establish <i>street cred</i>.</span><span style="font-size: 8.7px; letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup>2</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">To be heard in an environment of noisy and well-established competition for time, resources and prestige, organizers must be viewed as influencers with “go-to” authority status. However, to demonstrate “go-to” authority status, the organizers of C2 had to establish a track record of action, delivery and the ability to play above the rim. In this case, supported by a small but powerful team of ten talented leaders, C2 disrupted the status quo and delivered an amazing, engaging and groundbreaking conference, hosting 200+ emerging influencers in the integrated communications segment. The talent team of C2 included Mercy Chikowore, Gwen Haynes, Anita Shelton, Tonya Williams, Janina Jeff, Alencia Johnson, Lindsay Wilkinson, Sheila Brooks, Tkeyah Lake and Valarie Wilson.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How did they accomplish the mission? ColorComm and C2 nourished inside relationships and the <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7CB3RspKMHZCtycxW-FTC4njnxEhd2kt9ffuS6OQl8NtSMEdgMHy9SNMtF2UCXyn72mM7JzKtfomeLnbv-WDpKQVQfX_twin3zn-tfJaO5tua3U6DqE_Gw2GopuVHxHTMfI6Lc4PZCHI/s1600/CreativeGenius-CMYK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7CB3RspKMHZCtycxW-FTC4njnxEhd2kt9ffuS6OQl8NtSMEdgMHy9SNMtF2UCXyn72mM7JzKtfomeLnbv-WDpKQVQfX_twin3zn-tfJaO5tua3U6DqE_Gw2GopuVHxHTMfI6Lc4PZCHI/s1600/CreativeGenius-CMYK.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
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willingness of some, but not all, industry leaders to embrace innovation and invest in the unknown. True innovation and disruption can and does evolve with or without financial backers; however, the insightfulness of a few early adopters and true believers transformed C2 from an early stage expansion project into to a true high-quality, high-impact “game changer” event. C2 happened because of the combined sponsorships, partnerships and endorsements of industry leaders and corporate teams such as the Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne), Prudential, Wells Fargo, BET Networks, Web Shandwick, Toyota of America, Edelman, The Coca-Cola Company, CBS TV Network, Publicis Groupe, MSLGroup, Bursin-Marsteller, American Pride, The RLJ Companies, MSNBC and PRWeek. Fueling the development of </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">innovation happening in real time and engagements, this team of sponsors enriched an audience of 200+ emerging millennial women leaders in the communications segments stemming from various entertainment platforms to traditional public relations. In addition, C2 attracted leaders in corporate branding, corporate social responsibility, social and digital media and, of course, established and emerging entrepreneurs.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Seventh.</b> The seventh component of the C2 success story is that they engaged industry thought leaders who were willing to lend their reputational authority to the C2 proposition and vision. Innovation, creativity and disruption bring inherent risks of failure, setbacks and disappointments. In some cases, established veterans will not endorse newness, despite producing numerous corporate branding messages alleging that they embrace innovation and risk taking. In other cases, there exists a limited set of visionary veterans who will endorse newness.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The C2 leadership, relying on established relationships, built its inaugural program by reaching connectors willing to make introductions to prominent women in the communications segment. The process of networking and connecting requires tenacity, perseverance and an element of dumb luck. High profile speakers are in demand, and a “no” response is more likely than not. However, the C2 team executed a masterful plan. They preempted anticipated “no’s” by establishing a compelling reason for prominent speakers to claim the title of ‘founding inaugural speaker’. In other words, there is exactly one chance ever to be among the founding inaugural speakers. Some leaders will embrace the leadership role and others will shrink away. Next, the C2 team established and maintained high standards in the selection of its speakers and thought leaders, and invited speakers with a passion for the mission. C2 had to remain committed to its vision to attract high quality speakers. It is true that the company you keep will determine or derail your creative vision. A roster of status quo speakers, even if accompanied by a big name title, lacking a personal connection to the mission and vision is weak. In the alternative, a roser of innovative speakers armed with credentials, passion, focus and commitment to the mission of C2 is a powerful tool for innovation expansion. The C2 leadership team advanced its creative vision by mastering the discipline of capturing commitment over compliance.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Eighth</b> and last, the C2 leadership team executed brilliant innovation by building into their program a model for sustainability, evolution and expansion. Before, during and after the conference, the C2 team sought 360˚ input and feedback from its target prospective and audience. The C2 team was able to implement real-time innovation and changes to the conference agenda. Program speakers and participants arrived early and were encouraged to observe and interact with the audience in order to be prepared to deliver real-time tailoring of programming materials to the rhythm and temperament of audience engagement. C2 also engaged a worldwide audience in a program segment entitled <i>Go Live.</i> C2 then interacted with </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">both its in-house audience and its entire social media universe to instantly adapt and evolve the C2 program with quality content and materials.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">About Dr. Raye Mitchell:</span></div>
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Dr. Raye Mitchell lead the <b>Creative Genius Rules. Play to Win Workshop at C2</b>. Dr. Raye Mitchell is a<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt;"> an award winning humanitarian</span> and innovation expert who helps people create
breakthrough impacts. As an inspirational speaker, Dr. Mitchell works with
individuals and corporate clients to train and inspire women to lead forward as
next generation global leaders. A successful litigation attorney and graduate
of Harvard Law School, Dr. Mitchell is now acclaimed as an entertainment
producer and social entrepreneur recognized for her contributions in mentoring
girls and young women to become global leaders. She is the author of
several books, most recently “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Laws of
the New Game Changers: How to Make Breakthrough Impacts That Take You Forward”.
</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Mitchell is developing new
entertainment projects and writing her next book on how women and girls can
advance themselves, our community and as global leaders. Click <a href="http://www.drrayemitchell.com/">here</a> to obtain a free copy of the workshop materials.</div>
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Contact Dr. Raye:</div>
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@drrayemitchell</div>
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email: raye@rayemitchell</div>
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Dr. Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07964447614295882482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096306346747018941.post-79702035420302745292013-11-22T11:08:00.000-08:002013-11-22T11:08:38.723-08:00 5 Secrets to Catching Fire and Being a Game Changer. <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 19px;"><b>Are You Hungry?</b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wanted: first-class global game changers that </b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">are on fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><b>Inquire within if qualified.</b></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
today’s global community, there is a thirst for innovation and a call for
global game changers to step up and stand out. Pick up any newspaper and
magazine on the newsstand or read a quick blurb on an Internet site, and you
will discover some form of global obsession with innovation and the need to be
a game changer. The thirst for innovation is not limited to the narrow scope of
innovation in business, technology, and political and social affairs; the demand
to be a game changer extends to improvement in community, improvement in family
relationships, and even self-improvement. How can you get in on this
opportunity? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
true question for you is, what is that inner driving force that makes a game
changer excel? What makes some people keep driving forward, when others lose
steam, give out, and give up? The short answer is: a game changer is on fire
with hope.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
the global blockbuster, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hunger Games</i>,
the seemingly maniacal President Snow warns his followers of the power of hope
as the actions of Everdeen prove her to be a game changer: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">President Snow:</b> Seneca . . . why do you think we have a winner?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://m.imdb.com/name/nm0004747"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Seneca Crane</span></b></a>:
[frowns] What do you mean?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">President Snow</b>: I mean, why do we have a winner? I mean, if we just
wanted to intimidate the districts, why not round up twenty-four at random and
execute them all at once? It would be a lot faster.<o:p></o:p></div>
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[Seneca just stares, confused.]<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">President Snow</b>: Hope.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Seneca Crane</b>: Hope?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">President Snow</b>: Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear. A
little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Hunger Games: Catching Fire</i> is an upcoming movie set to released November
22, 2013, the sequel to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hunger Games</i>.
A true game changer is like the lead character, Katniss Everdeen, in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hunger Games: Catching Fire. </i>She is
driven and hungry for results. She is passionate and unshakable. She has hope
and never stops believing in the vision and the outcome.<o:p></o:p></div>
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5 Secrets to Catching Fire and Being a Game Changer<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Secret #1: Get a Lot
of Tenacity and Audacity (T & A).</b> A healthy dose of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">T & A</i> will take you far in the challenge
of being a game changer. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">T & A</i> is
the hidden force that enables the game changer to create big dreams, to have
hope, and to hold on and hold out to see those dreams to fruition.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Secret #2: Exploit the
Inevitable Element of Surprise.</b> Things change. The unexpected is indeed the
expected, and thus the ability to catch fire is the ability to count on the
element of surprise and to be prepared to exploit the opportunity it presents.
One thing is true about forward thinkers: they know nothing stays the same,
something has to give, and if they hang in there long enough, they will achieve
the goal. There is value in being the last one standing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Secret #3: Be
Prepared to Turn on a Dime.</b> The gazelle, a member of the antelope family,
is small, swift, and known for its ability to run fast and make precise turns
without losing momentum. Often, a game changer is under siege, being chased by
the status quo and running for her/his life to stay in the game. Like the gazelle,
the new game changers never stop believing they can get away from the status
quo. They never stop believing in the mission and they simply run faster, work
harder, and make a few sharp turns and maneuvers to stay in the game.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Secret #4: Stock Up
on “Anti-Dream Killer Spray.” </b>We purchase bug spray to get rid of bugs. We
purchase pepper spray to get rid of those that pose physical dangers. In order
to stay in the game, every game changer needs an ample supply of “anti-dream
killer spray.” Dream killers are the people who infiltrate your life, your
confidence, your vision, and your “can do” and “will-do” attitude. Dream
killers have no dreams of their own and exist to kill yours. Today’s game
changers are all armed with a lifetime supply of “anti-dream killer spray” and
apply it amply.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Secret #5: Fake It until
You Make It</b>. A true game changer never lets others see her sweat. To the
world, she is already the winner, the victor, and the author of something new,
bold, daring, and innovative. The key to staying in the game is not allowing
the status quo to seep inside your mindset and not allowing doubt to see the
underbelly, the soft spots, and the weaknesses. Like rust, once inside the
armor, it is all over.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ultimately,
the ability to be a true game changer, innovator, and global disrupter is the
ability to never stop believing in the power of hope as a tool to create
change. It is the ability to grab hold of a vision and hold on and hold out to
the end. Now go catch fire.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Dr. Raye Mitchell is a
“Top-Idea Maven”, real-life “fixer”, </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">entertainment producer, writer and</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> innovation expert who helps</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> people create breakthrough impacts. A
successful entertainment attorney and graduate of Harvard Law School, Dr. Mitchell
is now acclaimed as an award-winning humanitarian and social entrepreneur recognized
for her contributions in mentoring girls and young women to become global
leaders. In 2007, Dr. Mitchell started The New Reality Foundation, a 501 c (3)
tax-exempt foundation that provides training and mentoring for girls and young
women. Dr. Mitchell is also the co-founder of the M.B.A. Series Executive
Development Program, which provides leadership training for people aged 12–40
(www.thembaseries.org). She is the author of several books, most recently “The
Laws of the New Game Changers: How to Make Breakthrough Impacts That Take You
Forward”. Her work is preparing next gen leaders to be global disrupters and
innovators.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Join the conversation and
send in your leadership questions on our Facebook fan page:</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Laws-of-the-New-Game-Changers/379374315498242">https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Laws-of-the-New-Game-Changers/379374315498242</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Send a friend request to: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/rayemitchell">www.facebook.com/rayemitchell</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Contact
information:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Web:
<a href="http://www.rayemitchell.com/">www.rayemitchell.com</a>| <a href="http://www.about.me/drrayemitchell">www.about.me/drrayemitchell</a> | <a href="http://www.facebook.com/rayemitchell">www.facebook.com/rayemitchell</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>| <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rayemitchell">http://www.linkedin.com/in/rayemitchell</a>
| <a href="http://rayemitchell.blogspot.com/">http://rayemitchell.blogspot.com</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>| Email: <a href="mailto:raye@rayemitchell.com">raye@rayemitchell.com</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p> Tags: Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Leadership, Global, Next Generation, Next Gen, Women Leaders, Harvard Law School, Innovation, Game Changers, </o:p></div>
Dr. Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07964447614295882482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096306346747018941.post-59305672920614957142013-02-19T16:22:00.002-08:002013-02-19T16:22:50.317-08:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD</span></i></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">LEADERSHIP TRAINING</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">MAKING HISTORY. MAKING A DIFFERENCE.</span></b></div>
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www.rayemitchell.com</div>
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<b><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">G.U.R.L.S. Rock Global Leadership Program A</span></b><b><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">dopts</span></b><b><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><br />
Multi-Academy</span></b><b><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Award Nomin</span></b><b><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">ated</span></b><b><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><br />
</span></b><b><i><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Beasts
of the Southern Wild</span></i></b><b><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;"> for
Leadership Training</span></b><b><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">G.U.R.L.S.
Rock</span></b><i><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></i><i><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman";">CEO, </span></i><i><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dr. Raye Mitchell states, “It’s not just a great movie; it is a
great educational training tool about the power of innovation, imagination,
courage, diversity/</span></i><i><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman";">i</span></i><i><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman";">nclusion, self-acceptance/positive images and commitment to
excellence</span></i><i><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></i><i><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman";">”</span></i><i><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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Nationwide: On Sunday February 10, 2013, Dr. Raye
Mitchell, CEO of G.U.R.L.S. Rock Global Leadership Program announced to a
sold-out audience at a Beasts of the Southern Wild (Beasts) movie screening
event in San Leandro, CA that G.U.R.L.S. Rock will utilize the positive
messages and lessons demonstrated in the multi-Academy Award nominated film
in its leadership training program. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The merger of pop culture and
leadership training tools is an emerging leadership training approach
utilized at top law schools and business schools across the country. Harvard
Law School Professor Charles Ogletree bases an entire course on the acclaimed
TV show The Wire for a course on
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justice and equality. Both Harvard and Wharton Business
Schools deliver state-of-the-art leadership training for future corporate
leaders based on The Wire. “We are preparing future global leaders at the
G.U.R.L.S. Rock Global Leadership Program, so it makes sense to use the same
type of leadership training tools employed at leading educational institutions.
Beasts of the Southern Wild is an important tool to help youth and girls
develop their leadership and life preparedness skills. Young actress Quvenzhané
Wallis is an important positive role model for girls of color.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the weeks counting down to the
85th Academy Awards ceremony, the cast and crew of Beasts of the Southern Wild
are enjoying their well-earned recognition. The film has emerged from a small
independent movie and the star of the Sundance Film Festival to a viable Oscar
contender. It has been nominated for four awards, including Best Picture, Best
Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actress (Quvenzhané Wallis); Ms.
Wallis, now 9, is the youngest best actress ever nominated in that category. To
its long list of credentials, Beasts of the Southern Wild can now boast that it
is being used as a leadership-training tool to assist youth, especially girls,
in developing as global leaders and visionary thinkers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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While Beasts of the Southern Wild
is a fantasy, the story delivers important messages about real life. Girls who
view the film can learn much about imagination, change, fear, courage,
self-love, and acceptance. This
movie offers lessons in almost everything a girl needs to develop as a global
leader: diversity inclusion, self-esteem and self-acceptance, motivation,
innovation, perseverance, loss, and recovery. Mitchell states that “this movie
not only contributes excellence to the motion picture industry, it is a tool
that can prepare the next generation of global leaders to use the power of
innovation, imagination, and fresh thinking to open doors and find new
solutions to old problems.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Emmy nominated producer, award winning talk show host and panel
member, Janice Edwards said, "Every day we all have an opportunity to take
steps that determine our destiny. This will illuminate some of those
opportunities that our young future leaders have."<o:p></o:p></div>
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Beasts of the Southern Wild is an
independent film that made it to the top on its own terms. By not necessarily
being an insider, the film teaches girls and girls of color the value of taking
risks and stepping away from following the expected routes to success. It
also teaches important stories
about rejecting the negative stereotypes of girls of color in media and
entertainment. Neither Quvenzhané Wallis nor Dwight Henry, the leading actors
who play daughter Hushpuppy and her father Wink, had prior acting experience.
This makes their achievement all the more impressive. It teaches us all to
dream big and that dreams can indeed come true even for the little ‘gal.’<o:p></o:p></div>
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Next, Beasts of the Southern Wild
is a fantasy, but the wisdom shared by Hushpuppy spills out into the real world
because of her innocent, yet sophisticated observations of reality. The movie
is a fascinating presentation of the skillful use of imagination and fresh
thinking. Because the story is told from the viewpoint of six-year-old
Hushpuppy, it offers an opportunity for any girl, and especially a girl of
color, to envision herself as a leader in a crisis. The movie and the main
character also demonstrate valuable lessons about the management of loss, disappointment,
and recovery.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Furthermore, the movie provides
content suitable for leadership lessons about cultural competency, tolerance,
and diversity. The movie presents people of differing ethnicities and skin
color—both black and white—depicted in circumstances that most would classify
as utter poverty; still, there is harmony in ‘the Bathtub. There is community
in ‘the Bathtub” where one generation engages in the orderly transfer of
knowledge to the next generation. There is almost an organic formation of
alliances in the face of emerging catastrophes and the implication that only by
working past racial, gender, and age-based differences can we not only survive,
but master the catastrophes that lie ahead.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In short, Beasts of the Southern
Wild is an engaging and entertaining leadership-training tool that delivers
spunk, belief in self, and a natural comfort with self-image and acceptance.
Regardless of Beasts’ success at the 85th Academy Awards on February 24, 2013,
at G.U.R.L.S. Rock Global Leadership Program, the movie lives on as a vital
educational and leadership training tool for innovation, diversity inclusion,
fresh thinking, and the power of creating community. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>About G.U.R.L.S. Rock Global
Leadership Program:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Founded in 2010 by practicing
attorney-turned-social entrepreneur Dr. Raye Mitchell, G.U.R.L.S. Rock
Leadership Program is a global leadership-training initiative of The New
Reality Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. As a social
entrepreneur program celebrating the importance of girls and girls of color as
the next generation of global leaders, the Oakland, California-based G.U.R.L.S.
Rock has a different approach to supporting the growth and development of girls
of color, ages 8 to 18. “G.U.R.L.S.” stands for Growth, Unity, Respect,
Leadership, Success. To learn more
about G.U.R.L.S. Rock, please visit <a href="http://www.gurlsrock.org/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">www.GurlsRock.org</span></a>
and <a href="http://www.fb.com/GurlsRockPower"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">www.fb.com/GurlsRockPower</span></a>.
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<b>About Dr. Raye Mitchell</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Dr. Raye Mitchell is a social
entrepreneur, humanitarian, writer, public speaker, and innovation expert with
over 30 years of experience in business, marketing, and branding in the
entertainment industry and the legal profession, leading her own law firm and
related corporate enterprises. Raye Mitchell earned a BS in public policy from
the University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy, an MBA
from USC Marshall School of Business, and a JD from Harvard Law School. Dr.
Mitchell has earned critical acclaim for service to her community and she has
received numerous awards and recognitions. She is the author of The Evolution
of Brilliance: Voices Celebrating the Importance of Women (2011) and the
forthcoming book, The Laws of the New Game Changers: How to make breakthrough
impacts that take you forward (Spring 2013). For more information, visit <a href="http://www.rayemitchell.com/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">www.rayemitchell.com</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>About Beasts of the Southern Wild</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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The 2012 film, Beasts of the
Southern Wild, is an American fantasy <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drama_film"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">drama</span></a> directed by Benh
Zeitlin and co-written by Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar. The film is nominated for
four Academy Awards in the categories of Best Picture, Best Director, Best
Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actress (Quvenzhané Wallis). At the age of 9,
Wallis is the youngest person ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best
Actress. For more information about the film, visit:
www.beastsofthesouthernwild.com.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Dr. Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07964447614295882482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096306346747018941.post-53052487539826294792012-06-17T15:16:00.000-07:002012-06-17T15:16:17.035-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Apple Chancery'; font-size: 16pt;"> Innovate to Educate in STEM<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">Red Tails and Cupcake Wars<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">Dr. Raye Mitchell<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1096306346747018941" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">June 7, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 150%; position: relative; top: -1.5pt;"> I</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; position: relative; top: -1.5pt;">t’s<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">the end of the school
year, and in the past few weeks I have enjoyed the pleasure of speaking about
innovation, diversity, and furthering the expansion of STEM (science,
technology, engineering, and math) initiatives in communities of color. I had
agreed to speak and work with the these programs because they all exemplify a
creative answer to President Obama’s challenge to all Americans to “Educate to
Innovate”—that is, to join the cause of elevating STEM education to become a
national priority. Meeting this challenge, which the President proposed on November
23, 2009, when speaking to key leaders of the STEM community, would dramatically
improve and excel the United States by producing STEM leaders on the global and
community scales. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> My
focus is to reshape our vision of STEM by building engagement through
innovation in communities of color. I believe we can do this by illustrating
that STEM is a root connector in all enjoyable aspects of our daily lives, from
America’s new obsession with cupcakes via the Food Network TV program “Cupcake
Wars<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">” </i>to the technology and science
behind Lucasfilms’ major hit movie, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Red
Tails</i>. In fact, I even concluded my last speaking tour with a final offer to partner with the Oakland Unified School District, TTO and G.U.R.L.S. Rock Leadership Program, which supports STEM programs to celebrate innovation and diversity in STEM.in 2013 for women's history months with a program called Red Tails and Cupcake Wars. We are in the San Francisco Bay Area and can invite Lucusfilms to visit our program and discuss the STEM aspect of the movie <i>Red Tails</i>. For added fun, we reach out to Cupcake Wars and ask that they make one of their shows to focus on STEM and women's history month whereby the winners can display at the Red Tails and Cupcake Wars Celebration of Women's History Month and Diversity. You never know what can happen and I thought
that went something like this: If we think in new ways, take risks, and remember
the mantra, “Red Tails and Cupcake Wars,” we can support President Obama’s call
to use STEM to “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Educate to Innovate”</b>
with our own commitment to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Innovate to Educate.</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">Programs
Celebrating and Achieving Innovation and Diversity in STEM Education</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">BlackGirlsCode 2012 Summer of Code<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;"> The
innovative group of leaders at BlackGirlsCode launched the 2012 Summer of Code
Campaign on June 17, 2012. The goal of the project is to teach computer
programming to 300 boys and girls of color, in 90 days, in over seven cities
across the United States. BlackGirlsCode will take the program from San
Francisco to Oakland, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, St. Louis, and
Las Vegas in order to deliver one- and two-day workshops to students ages 7-17.
The project will culminate with two week-long summer camps in San
Francisco and Oakland.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.BlackGirlsCode.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;">www.BlackGirlsCode.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">Charles R.
Drew University of Medicine and Science, <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">Mervyn M.
Dymally School of Nursing<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I had the honor of speaking
at the inaugural </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Celebration of National
Nurses Week, which was</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> hosted by founding Dean of the Mervyn M. Dymally School of Nursing, Gloria J. McNeal, PhD, MSN, ACNS-BC, FAAN,
and her staff. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this innovative
program, and to have seen their leadership and change in action. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.cdrewu.edu/school-of-nursing"><span style="font-family: Arial;">http://www.cdrewu.edu/school-of-nursing</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Teach Tomorrow in Oakland (TTO)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">On June 4, 2012, I spoke with an excited group of new
STEM teachers and prospective STEM teachers at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Teach Tomorrow in Oakland (TTO), </i>a dynamic program that brings to
life the mission and opportunity to increase diversity in the pool of
professionals teaching in a diverse community such as Oakland, California.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.teachtomorrowinoakland.net/"><span style="font-family: Arial;">http://www.teachtomorrowinoakland.net</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">West Oakland District 3-Lafayette Elementary School-STEM<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> On
June 7, 2012, I met Lafayette Elementary School Principal Karen Hayne and Director
Jumoke Hinton Hodge, and an energetic group of youngsters, parents, school
staff, West Oakland residents, and community leaders at the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">End of the Year Celebration of STEM at
Lafayette Elementary, West Oakland District 3</i>. I was pleased to see that </span><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;">leaders in STEM education at West Oakland, part of the Oakland Unified
School District (OUSD), are continuing to build a dynamic, state-of-the-art
STEM program. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.Thrivingstudents.org/"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 200%;">www.Thrivingstudents.org</span></a><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;">As the Chief Social
Entrepreneur and Founder of the G.U.R.L.S. Rock Leadership Program, a training
program supporting girls and girls of color as the next generation of global
leaders, (</span><a href="http://www.gurlsrock.org/"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;">www.gurlsrock.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;"> and </span><a href="http://www.fb.com/gurlsrockpower"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;">www.fb.com/gurlsrockpower</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;"> ), I urge
you to support the BlackGirlsCode 2012 Summer of Code Campaign at </span><a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/BlackGirlsCode?a=685383"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;">http://www.indiegogo.com/BlackGirlsCode?a=685383</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;">. G.U.R.L.S. Rock also looks forward to exploring partnerships and
programming activities with Charles R. Drew University, Teach Tomorrow in
Oakland, and the Oakland Unified School District to continue its efforts to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Innovate to Educate </i>that will benefit
ALL communities<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;">Cheers,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_hyphenhyphenbVaI7uL0MbsklIvhCwidX39qnXBRrWeJRi3m7LzIGbwdK4RFjwAsYzb_xfpbukf5AZd3ohO2uksQXlYH6p8kp21XhlmET1JNaCIw7KKBB3vEk16oUgKwGlvHVNQ9LLNSMIPwgQsQ/s1600/signature+1+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_hyphenhyphenbVaI7uL0MbsklIvhCwidX39qnXBRrWeJRi3m7LzIGbwdK4RFjwAsYzb_xfpbukf5AZd3ohO2uksQXlYH6p8kp21XhlmET1JNaCIw7KKBB3vEk16oUgKwGlvHVNQ9LLNSMIPwgQsQ/s200/signature+1+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 200%;">Dr. Raye Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“A
movement always starts with movement. Change the world. Do something bold. Do
something new.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>Dr. Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07964447614295882482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096306346747018941.post-27837447564340378542011-09-02T07:54:00.000-07:002011-09-02T07:54:06.625-07:00"Teens Girls Tell Stanford Law School Professor: Your Message Fosters Teen Bullying and is Demeaning to Girls” <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Group of Interracial Girls say Professor Ralph Rich Banks Book Pits White Teen Girls Against Black Teen Girls in Competition for White Boys.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Here we go again. Professor Ralph Richard Banks should take a lesson from JCPenney and be more mindful of the impact of his message on teen and listen to them as the generation impacted by his new book. Less than two days ago, JCPenney withdrew production of a sweatshirt that simply sent the wrong message to girls that: (<a href="http://www.huliq.com/10178/jc-penney-pulls-im-too-pretty-do-homework-tee-after-online-petition">http://www.huliq.com/10178/jc-penney-pulls-im-too-pretty-do-homework-tee-after-online-petition</a>). Professor Banks’ book also sends the wrong message to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>teen girls and a Change.org petition has posted to share their views.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Professor Ralph Richard Banks<span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> of the Stanford Law School</span> released his debut book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Is Marriage for White People? How the African-American Marriage Decline Affects Everyone</span></i><span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span>yesterday. Articles discussing and promoting the book prior to its publication include a feature story in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Essence </i>magazine September 2011 issue, a special report by Demetria L. Lucas entitled “Dating Beyond the Color Line,” and Banks’ article in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wall Street Journal</i> entitled “An Interracial Fix for Black Marriage<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">?<a href="" name="_GoBack"></a>”</i> Banks argues that it all boils down to numbers and the theory that “for Black women, interracial marriage doesn’t abandon the race; it saves the race.” The articles have, as anticipated, generated a vibrant discussion about interracial marriage and Black women. However, the voices of teen girls (Black and White) as the current and future generation impacted by marriage and dating trends appear missing from the discussions, so I asked some girls to share their viewpoints. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I lead a mentoring program called G.U.R.L.S. Rock Leadership (G.U.R.L.S. stands for growth, unity, respect, leadership, success), and girls in groups and one-on-one interviews, Black, White, and Latina, recently sounded off on how Banks’ theory impacts them. They shared that they were aware of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Essence </i>article.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked if they believed that Banks’ research and book applied to them as teen girls since he appears to have interviewed and spoken to adult women only.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The unanimous reply was, “OMG [oh my god], yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will be a women ready to marry one day.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The results of the interviews are not favorable for Professor Banks’ book and message.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, what is presented in Banks’ new book is well-written and scholarly, but it sends the wrong message to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all </i>teen girls. The message is divisive: it tells girls to engage in gamesmanship to get a boy and pits Black against White in competition for a boy—a White boy at that.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rather than focusing on healing what is hurting Black marriage, in the end Banks simply pits Black women against White women in a competition for White men. The girls said that his theory applies to them because they will be “grown women one day.” What is he doing, he is pitting Black girls against White girls in a competition for White boys” said one girl. While he labels the concept of his book “empowerment for Black women” and offers “alternatives to women of color to marry,” Banks’ message, ironically, undermines the power of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> teen girls to build mutual trust across racial lines.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By the overemphasis on race, Banks’ message creates a perfect storm for increased instances of mean-girl syndrome and bullying by ostracizing, and separating young Black girls and White girls and inflaming the racial divide amongst teen girls with increased racial competition over boys. In the end, the overemphasis on the racial aspects of relationship development lowers self-esteem and confidence for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> girls.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">During the interviews, the girls stated that they felt that Banks’ theory was “insulting,” demeaning,” and “not empowering, but stupid.” “He acts like a girl can’t figure out on her own who she should like.” One girl, who happens to be White, stated: “Why does he bring race into it anyway? If he is saying there is a problem with Black marriage, he is just playing the race game. It’s divisive. Does he have a daughter, anyway?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another young Black girl stated: “It makes it harder for me to fit in and succeed in an all-White school, and it makes me afraid. I go to a majority White school and now they think I am trying to steal their boyfriends. It gives them a reason to bully me, like its not hard enough being in these schools anyway.” A Latina girl stated, “why do I have to use my race to get boy or man to marry me, can’t I just decide on my own. That professor needs to respect that I’ll know when and how to make my choices: like stay single, marry a Mexican or even a White-guy—let me decide and not make a big deal about it.” Yet another White girl said, when referring to her friend’s ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My Black is Beautiful’</i> t-shirt, so now you have to say,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘My <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">White</i> is Beautiful.’” The young White girl said: “He [Banks] owes us an apology. He should not use race to divide us and to try to get men to do something. We have enough to do and learn, and now he wants us to play race-related games. Is that what they teach you at Stanford Law School?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To White teen girls, Banks is telling them to be fearful of “increased” competition from Black girls for White boys. He is signaling that Black girls are needy, desperate, and thus deserving of sympathy and/or ridiculed because they cannot get a “Black boy.” For girls of color, Banks is sending a message that they cannot attract and keep a Black boy unless they engage in gamesmanship. Further, he is communicating that if you want to marry a man of your same racial identity, you should not dream big, you should not work for success, and you should not work to advance yourself or your community.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The irony of Banks’ message is that in advocating interracial marriage, he is actually creating the potential for a racial divide amongst Black and White girls in a competition for White boys to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fix</i> Black marriage. While the reply argument may be that his book is not intended for teens, and they cannot comprehend the scope of his scholarly work, that argument sidesteps the practical impact of his work and ignores a new generation impacted by his work and theories. Furthermore, Banks’ message fosters the prospects for a new level of teen bullying based on racially based competition for dating and simply undermines the mission and work of programs like G.U.R.L.S. Rock Leadership to eradicate demeaning, gender-based gamesmanship behavior that lowers the self-esteem of all girls.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Banks’ book simply sends the wrong message and encourages women, therefore also girls, to engage in a form of race-baiting to try to encourage Black men and boys to be more committed to Black women and girls. However, there is no difference: whether printed on a mass market t-shirt or promoted in a scholarly work, a sexist message to teen girls is still a sexist message to our teen girls. Like the JCPenney sweatshirt design, the message in Banks’ book is misogynist, sexist, and demeaning. Do women and girls really need to have a book tell them what they already know? They know they have options, including interracial dating. The message from interviewing the girls is a rejection of the overemphasis on race and race as a means to solve and resolve cultural issues.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I am doubtful that a Black Stanford Law School Professor set out to offend White teen girls (or White women). I am also hopeful that a Law School Professor did not set out to demean Black girls or to excite and ignite racial division and competition for White boys. But as presented and as promoted, that is exactly what his aforementioned book is accomplishing. In an effort to promote his scholarly work, our girls, both Black and White, are being hit with the message and have become causalities of the war. It is a return to the old stereotype that having a man and being married validates a woman’s worth.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Just as JCPenney acted without due regard for the impact of its message on teen girls, so has Professor Ralph Richard Banks. He is sending the wrong message to girls. We need to put a stop to messages that demean our girls. Our girls deserve better from a company like JCPenney and from a Stanford Law School Professor.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Professor Ralph Richard Banks’ book hit the bookstands yesterday. As was done in the JCPenney case, the girls requested that I initiate a petition so that they are heard and to send a powerful message to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Professor Ralph Richard Banks,</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Stop Promoting Racial Divide Amongst Teen Girls With Competition for Boys</b>. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Girls Deserve Better.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Indeed, they added that we should unite to convince JCPenney to design and promote a G.U.R.L.S. Rock sweatshirt that says: “Respect My Ability to Choose for Myself”, or, “I Am a Girl and I Am Smart, Confident, Capable, and Beautiful, and I Don’t Need to Play Relationship Games to Attract a Boy.” “We can send the first ones off the line to Professor Ralph Richard Banks at Stanford Law School.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Endnote:<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank you to all the girls that lent their passionate, honest and thoughtful comments and two petitions have been posted:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Both White and Black Girls Find Your Work Demeaning and Want an Apology.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/stanford-law-school-professor-ralph-richard-banks-promoting-racial-divide-amongst-whtblk-teen-girls-to-fix-black-marriages?share_id=vGjftuGYjJ&pe=pce"><span style="color: #00087a; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://www.change.org/petitions/stanford-law-school-professor-ralph-richard-banks-promoting-racial-divide-amongst-whtblk-teen-girls-to-fix-black-marriages?share_id=vGjftuGYjJ&pe=pce</span></a></span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">JCPenney. An Apology is Not Sufficient, Do Something Affirmative to Show Respect Girls-<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/jcpenny-produce-products-that-focus-on-respect-and-build-self-esteem-for-teen-girls?share_id=omFMrqaqtG&pe=pce"><span style="color: #00087a; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">http://www.change.org/petitions/jcpenny-produce-products-that-focus-on-respect-and-build-self-esteem-for-teen-girls?share_id=omFMrqaqtG&pe=pce</span></a></span><!--EndFragment--> Dr. Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07964447614295882482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096306346747018941.post-1696252118087206932011-08-24T12:42:00.001-07:002011-08-24T12:42:14.039-07:00Interracial Fix to Black Marriage: The Lighter Side of the Debate<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Have We Forgotten to Laugh at Ourselves?</span></em></strong></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://awkwardblackgirl.com/" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #d24641; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl</span></a>- Episode # 7 to the Rescue.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> My close friend Rick Banks, officially known as Professor Ralph Richard Banks</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> of the Stanford Law School,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> poses a serious question in his forthcoming book </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Is Marriage for White People? How the African American Marriage Decline Affects Everyone</em></span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> to be published by Dutton on Sept. 1.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Banks and I have engaged in a few robust and passionate discussions over the years about the general subject of his book and even the book itself. I always tried to toss in a little humor about the subject when our conversations got heated, but I’m not sure it was always effective. We’re both passionate about our opinions and our work.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Join the Discussion.</em></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> In my very last conversation with Banks, however, he invited me to join the discussion. I haven’t yet read the actual book, and nothing in this essay is to be construed as a book review. For the record, I expect nothing less than a well-written book from him.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> For full disclosure, <strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">yes,</strong> I’m one of those single, highly educated Black women whom I assume Banks is referring to in his book who should drop their interest in Black men and go in search of the “other” in order to get a Black man to marry them. N<strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">o</strong>, I am not one of the women Banks interviewed for his book. For a book review, go </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/non-fiction/ralph-richard-banks/marriage-white-people/#review" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">here</a> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">f</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">or a review from <a href="http://www.kirkusreviews.com/" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="color: red; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Kirkus</span></a></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Go to the review at The Root.com (</span><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">h</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.theroot.com/views/book-proposes-solution-black-women-s-marriage-woes" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="color: red; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">ere</span></a>) by <a href="http://www.theroot.com/users/jeneedesmondharris" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><u style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="color: red; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Jenée Desmond-Harris</span></u></a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> I can’t say that the subject of interracial marriage or the prospects of getting married are hot topics on the agenda of life for me other single Black women I know. I vaguely recall this discussion first erupting back in the mid-80s when I graduated from business school. Nothing seems to have changed. Some Black women get married and some don’t. Some have elected to marry interracial and some haven’t. I don’t see a lot of us jumping off buildings in despair over our marital status.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> I have read the </span><span style="color: #f81919; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.essence.com/2011/08/09/real-talk-are-white-men-the-answer/" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Essence</em> magazine</a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">September 2011 issue feature and special report “Dating Beyond the Color Line” by Demetria L. Lucas. She provides an excerpt from Banks’s new book that urges Black women to consider crossing the color line for practical reasons and to gain more “leverage over black men.” Banks also authors an article in the</span><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903454504576486492588283556.html" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #f81919; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Wall Street Journal</em> entitled “An Interracial Fix for Black Marriage?</span></a><span style="color: #f81919; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> He argues that it all boils down to the numbers and the theory that “for Black women, interracial marriage doesn’t abandon the race, it saves the race.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">So, I Guess I have Officially Joined the Conversation (Maybe)</em></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> My first response after reading the articles, dozens of posts, comments, and more is, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">What the %#$!@?</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Have We Lost Our Ability to Laugh at Ourselves?</em></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Every good public speaker knows that he or she is supposed to open a discussion with a joke, some humor, an icebreaker, or something to get the ball rolling. So, in discussing the is-marriage-for-white-people and interracial-fix-to-Black-marriage debate, why have we forgotten how to laugh at ourselves? Have we taken ourselves too seriously or not seriously enough? Can we lighten up the discussion? (No pun intended.) Of course, a little laughter now doesn’t prevent a serious discussion later.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Good News: Finally, Some Intelligent Entertainment on the Subject.</em></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Here she comes to save the day! Thank goodness we have <a href="http://awkwardblackgirl.com/" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #d24641; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl</span></a> to come to our rescue. Whether by design or coincidence, Episode # 7: “The Date”was posted in August 2011 at about the same time of Banks’s Wall Street Journal article. “The Date” is a comical peek into the first date for Black women if Banks’s theory were to grow widespread roots.</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.issarae.com/blog" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #3300fb; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Date.</strong></span></a></div><div class="first graphic-container wide center" style="-webkit-user-select: none; clear: left; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="graphic Movie svx-dragging-destination" style="-webkit-user-select: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="figure-content" style="-webkit-user-select: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="VideoElement" style="-webkit-user-select: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><div class="video" style="-webkit-user-select: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><iframe class="svx-size-bound graphic" frameborder="0" height="337" id="youtube" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ELMgw3FToXY?rel=0" style="-webkit-user-select: none; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="YouTube video player" width="600"></iframe></div></div></div></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> About a week ago, I read an inspiring story on <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/issa-rae/kickstarter-awkward-black-girl_b_922966.html" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Huffington Post</a> about Issa Rae, producer/writer/creator of <a href="http://awkwardblackgirl.com/" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #d24641; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl</span></a>. Visit her official website <a href="http://issarae.com/" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #d24641; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">here</span></a>. I was drawn into the article because of her amazing story of creativity, spunk, and can-do attitude about raising money for her creative project through a </span><span style="color: #f81919; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1996857943/the-misadventures-of-awkward-black-girl" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Kickstarter campaign</span></a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #f81919; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"> <a href="http://awkwardblackgirl.com/" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">is a web series about, well, an awkward black girl. However, as Rae states in her <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/issa-rae/kickstarter-awkward-black-girl_b_922966.html" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Huffington Post</a> article, it’s much more than a web series: “it is an affirmation that 1) people are tired of mainstream media's limited and confined portrayal of people of color; 2) they are very much willing to unite behind a project they believe in to change that limited portrayal; and 3) people are willing to support and watch web series as a legitimate form of entertainment.“</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Rae’s work is relevant and timely regarding the issues raised in Banks’s aforementioned book</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">After all, isn’t thedebateabout individual choice and finding the person who fits all your important relationship criteria, including or excluding racial preference, if that is important for you?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> I find Rae’s work cleaver, engaging, inspirational, intelligent, and even poignant as we deal with people and their individual right to choose. I applaud that she addresses the humor in the human condition and does not focus on people as “issues.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> I hope we will see as many and even more posts and articles on <em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Essence.com</em>, in the <em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Wall Street Journal</em>, and in other mainstream media engaging and supporting clever, intelligent, creative, and thought-provoking content from women of color like Issa Rae. Her efforts to move The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl forward should inspire us to continue to push for content that rejects stereotypes of who we are as women of color, want we need, and what is good for us.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <a href="http://awkwardblackgirl.com/" style="color: #f81919; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl</em> </a>is an example of how people of color can reject efforts in the mainstream media to exploit women of color with single sensational coverage of stale and irrelevant issues and discussions about our condition. In short, I would love to stop being talked about and start being talked to. I would love to see us as women of color take back our agenda and define the issues we find relevant and reject the issues predefined by the media and others.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> For the record, I am neither for nor against interracial marriage. I am pro choice, pro love, and pro respect for women of color. Regardless of whether we as women of color marry, I have no concern that we will not continue to evolve in our brilliance. Our value and our power exist independent of whether we are validated by marriage, Black marriage, or interracial marriage.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Let’s just take an important lesson from Issa Rae’s creative work: We all have something to laugh about, including interracial dating.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Tags: Huffington Post, Awkward Black Girl, Ralph Richard Banks, Kickstarter, Raye Mitchell African American, Black Women, Essence.com, Wall Street Journal, Essence.com, Issa Rae,</span></div>Dr. Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07964447614295882482noreply@blogger.com0