Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Monday, January 2, 2017
Parenthood: Week 185 & 2016 People Of The Year: Part 6 - Black Lives Matter: Natalie Braye, Sophia Byrd, Eva Lewis, and Maxine Wint
Dear Ollie.
You have come to understand that there are things that you cannot do until you are older. Yes, when you are older, you can drive, you will be able to use the stove and you can get a tattoo like Maui (we might have to see about that last one). However, there are things that you don't have to wait until adulthood to do. You don't have to wait to have a possible impact on the lives of people around you, you don't have to wait to fight for the rights of others and you don't have to wait to change the world.
I've been reflecting on people in the past year who have inspired me to be a better person and a better dad to you. There's Bayley who proved that being kind and working hard bring success and joy to others. Sgt. Hawkins reminded me that it takes bravery to be oneself. Kate McKinnon helped me laugh but also cry while Dan Savage taught me how to work through tragedy and show me a way forward through understanding and embracing differences.
President Obama proved that real men fight for the rights of woman and are feminists. Lin-Manuel Miranda continued to create amazing art that helped me understanding that the values of anti-racism, diversity and inclusion must be at the heart of all that we do in order for our lives to be meaningful, beautiful and inspiring. Michelle Obama revealed all of who she was, reminding me of the power of words to both humiliate and inspire. Asma Khalid brought understanding and thoughtfulness into a political world that showed far too much hate and intolerance. And Secretary Hillary Clinton inspired millions to fight and continue to work for a vision of America where we all celebrate all of the facets of your identity.
More than all of these amazing people, there is a group of four whose actions touched me more deeply, brought me more pride, and inspired me with more hope than any other people or group of people this year: Natalie Braye, Sophia Byrd, Eva Lewis, and Maxine Wint, members of the Black Lives Matter movement.
These four African-American teenagers organized peaceful protests in Chicago last summer to bring attention to the continued injustice against members of the African-American community. In response to the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, which is sadly only part of a pattern of injustice in our country, these four women decided to do something. By focusing more on community than division, peace than violence and hope over hate, they worked with police, community members and the press to create a peaceful rallies. Their will, clarity message and hard work resulted in an event that had no arrests, and brought together over 1,000 people for the cause of justice for all.
The founders of the Black Lives Matter movement, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi are to be admired for their contributions and continued work. It is their commitment to social justice that reminded our entire country of the tradition of protests and activism that is central to the success of our democracy. There are those who react to this movement negatively, and it is important to remember that these reactions are only a reflection of people’s insecurities, guilt and irrational fears. For it is in the Black Live Matter movement that we find our conscience.
It is in these four woman that we see the future. So many dismiss young people as being apathetic, selfish and shallow, but they are no more so than adults. These four women, like many of the young people I have worked with throughout my life, prove these assumptions wrong. Like these women, you have the potential to see things adults refuse to acknowledge, and say things adults don’t want, but need to hear. These woman and you are important and we need your strength to improve our society.
If these four black women, with the limitations of their age, lack of white privilege, and society’s lack of positive expectations, can put together these amazing protests, what excuse do the rest of us have?
We as adults have no excuse and if we do not take action against injustice this year, we are letting you down. 2016 was a difficult year but the work of Braye, Byrd, Lewis, and Wint, showed us that we can do better. And we will do better, I promise.
Love,
Dad
*****
Check out these articles for more information on these protests:
How Four Teenage GirlsOrganized This Week’sHuge Silent Protest by Bettina Chang from Chicago Magazine
Teen Activists Shut Down Chicago Streets With Peaceful Black Lives Matter Protest by Eval Lewis from Teen Vogue
You have come to understand that there are things that you cannot do until you are older. Yes, when you are older, you can drive, you will be able to use the stove and you can get a tattoo like Maui (we might have to see about that last one). However, there are things that you don't have to wait until adulthood to do. You don't have to wait to have a possible impact on the lives of people around you, you don't have to wait to fight for the rights of others and you don't have to wait to change the world.
I've been reflecting on people in the past year who have inspired me to be a better person and a better dad to you. There's Bayley who proved that being kind and working hard bring success and joy to others. Sgt. Hawkins reminded me that it takes bravery to be oneself. Kate McKinnon helped me laugh but also cry while Dan Savage taught me how to work through tragedy and show me a way forward through understanding and embracing differences.
President Obama proved that real men fight for the rights of woman and are feminists. Lin-Manuel Miranda continued to create amazing art that helped me understanding that the values of anti-racism, diversity and inclusion must be at the heart of all that we do in order for our lives to be meaningful, beautiful and inspiring. Michelle Obama revealed all of who she was, reminding me of the power of words to both humiliate and inspire. Asma Khalid brought understanding and thoughtfulness into a political world that showed far too much hate and intolerance. And Secretary Hillary Clinton inspired millions to fight and continue to work for a vision of America where we all celebrate all of the facets of your identity.
More than all of these amazing people, there is a group of four whose actions touched me more deeply, brought me more pride, and inspired me with more hope than any other people or group of people this year: Natalie Braye, Sophia Byrd, Eva Lewis, and Maxine Wint, members of the Black Lives Matter movement.
 |
| Photo: Colin Boyle, Chicago Magazine |
The founders of the Black Lives Matter movement, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi are to be admired for their contributions and continued work. It is their commitment to social justice that reminded our entire country of the tradition of protests and activism that is central to the success of our democracy. There are those who react to this movement negatively, and it is important to remember that these reactions are only a reflection of people’s insecurities, guilt and irrational fears. For it is in the Black Live Matter movement that we find our conscience.
It is in these four woman that we see the future. So many dismiss young people as being apathetic, selfish and shallow, but they are no more so than adults. These four women, like many of the young people I have worked with throughout my life, prove these assumptions wrong. Like these women, you have the potential to see things adults refuse to acknowledge, and say things adults don’t want, but need to hear. These woman and you are important and we need your strength to improve our society.
If these four black women, with the limitations of their age, lack of white privilege, and society’s lack of positive expectations, can put together these amazing protests, what excuse do the rest of us have?
We as adults have no excuse and if we do not take action against injustice this year, we are letting you down. 2016 was a difficult year but the work of Braye, Byrd, Lewis, and Wint, showed us that we can do better. And we will do better, I promise.
Love,
Dad
*****
Check out these articles for more information on these protests:
How Four Teenage GirlsOrganized This Week’sHuge Silent Protest by Bettina Chang from Chicago Magazine
Teen Activists Shut Down Chicago Streets With Peaceful Black Lives Matter Protest by Eval Lewis from Teen Vogue
Friday, December 30, 2016
2016 People Of The Year: Part 5 - Hillary Clinton
2. Hillary Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton did the impossible.
As one of most qualified Presidential candidate ever, she faced a ridiculous amount of sexual harassment and the most sexist, racist and xenophobic candidate in modern times. She never wavered from holding herself with an exemplary level of poise, professionalism and dignity.
The political story of the year is not how a privileged, unqualified, 'businessman,' fooled Americans into believing his lies. The political story of the year is how a woman, did the impossible, rose higher than any other in American history and inspired millions of Americans to believe once more in hope, optimism and themselves.
Her impact can be seen at Susan B. Anthony’s gravesite the day of the election, covered in “I voted” stickers. You can see her inspiration in the girls dressed up in pantsuits and the millions who continue to struggle with the trauma of her loss.
This was not a normal election and Secretary Clinton was no normal candidate. She challenged us to be the best part of ourselves while her candidate allowed his supporters to be the worst. His words were offensive and disgusting, and his sentiments were reflected on logos printed on shirts that were sold at rallies that are too obscene to restate here. Secretary Clinton displayed a higher level of virtue against a candidate who had none.
I was lukewarm about Secretary Clinton when she first entered the election. The decades of smearing about her character and accomplishments had affected my view of her as a politician. As time passed, the more she spoke and the more I was reminded of what she stood for, fought for and accomplished, I began to feel inspired.
This wasn’t just about the guy that she faced, but it was about who Secretary Clinton was and what she represented. Her story is the continuation of what makes America special. She is part of the counter-balance against those who would limit rights, which is the very thing that pushed our country to became a country with more freedom and liberty for all.
Respectful disagreement with Secretary Clinton’s political viewpoints is fine. It is however irrefutable her importance to our country and the positive effect she has had country. If you do not, or cannot acknowledge this, I encourage you to examine why. Demonization, hate and sexism towards Secretary Clinton are more an expression of what’s inside of us, than her own actions.
Secretary Clinton, lost the election, but like comparing the battle to the war, this struggle isn’t over. Her most powerful effect on our country, will be seen years from now when women flood capital hill, when the rest of our country embraces a progressive movement and when all of us celebrate diversity over fear and inclusion over division.
This will be Secretary Clinton's legacy.
Hillary Rodham Clinton did the impossible.
As one of most qualified Presidential candidate ever, she faced a ridiculous amount of sexual harassment and the most sexist, racist and xenophobic candidate in modern times. She never wavered from holding herself with an exemplary level of poise, professionalism and dignity.
The political story of the year is not how a privileged, unqualified, 'businessman,' fooled Americans into believing his lies. The political story of the year is how a woman, did the impossible, rose higher than any other in American history and inspired millions of Americans to believe once more in hope, optimism and themselves.
Her impact can be seen at Susan B. Anthony’s gravesite the day of the election, covered in “I voted” stickers. You can see her inspiration in the girls dressed up in pantsuits and the millions who continue to struggle with the trauma of her loss.
This was not a normal election and Secretary Clinton was no normal candidate. She challenged us to be the best part of ourselves while her candidate allowed his supporters to be the worst. His words were offensive and disgusting, and his sentiments were reflected on logos printed on shirts that were sold at rallies that are too obscene to restate here. Secretary Clinton displayed a higher level of virtue against a candidate who had none.
I was lukewarm about Secretary Clinton when she first entered the election. The decades of smearing about her character and accomplishments had affected my view of her as a politician. As time passed, the more she spoke and the more I was reminded of what she stood for, fought for and accomplished, I began to feel inspired.
This wasn’t just about the guy that she faced, but it was about who Secretary Clinton was and what she represented. Her story is the continuation of what makes America special. She is part of the counter-balance against those who would limit rights, which is the very thing that pushed our country to became a country with more freedom and liberty for all.
Respectful disagreement with Secretary Clinton’s political viewpoints is fine. It is however irrefutable her importance to our country and the positive effect she has had country. If you do not, or cannot acknowledge this, I encourage you to examine why. Demonization, hate and sexism towards Secretary Clinton are more an expression of what’s inside of us, than her own actions.
Secretary Clinton, lost the election, but like comparing the battle to the war, this struggle isn’t over. Her most powerful effect on our country, will be seen years from now when women flood capital hill, when the rest of our country embraces a progressive movement and when all of us celebrate diversity over fear and inclusion over division.
This will be Secretary Clinton's legacy.
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
2016 People Of The Year: Part 4 - Michelle Obama & Asma Khalid
[Click here for part 1, part 2 & part 3]
4. Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama has broken the rules and surpassed the expectations for people of color, women, and the First Lady of the United States of America. As Leslie Odom, Jr. from Hamilton fame celebrated in the character of Aaron Burr, Michelle Obama has shown all of her colors, with beauty, depth, dignity, and pride.
Mrs. Obama continued the tradition of capturing an feeling of Presidential royalty carrying herself with exemplary hospitality and grace in formal state dinners and other important Presidential events. She was never hesitated to humanize the highest office in with fun, humor, often poking fun at herself. This trip to CVS with Ellen DeGeneres is one example of many of her humility and sense of humor.
In the greatest date movie of the year “Southside With You,” we saw the First Lady’s younger self. In this film, we saw her struggle with her identity and her aspirations. Through the film, we saw her insecurities, and her flaws. Not many people would be willing to let others show the world their origin story.
The most powerful moment of Mrs. Obama’s incredible year, wasn’t just an expression of one part of herself, it was a speech that showed the world the whole spectrum within herself. It was a speech that brought together her grace, dignity and insecurities. It was courageous, powerful, and humanizing. It was the speech where she spoke out against him.
After that guy's most offensive words were leaked, the reactions from our society were disheartening. While many were outraged, far too many were slow to criticize him and we watched in confusion as people who defended him, revealed their own sexism.
In all of the confusion, one voice rose above them all, Michelle Obama. She transformed a campaign speech in support of Secretary Clinton into a remarkable display of her intelligence, her thoughtfulness and her empathy. This speech in New Hampshire in October was unforgettable.
Mrs. Obama started talking about her pride she had in her colleagues, but as she reflected on her feeling about his words, her voice changed. We could hear in her voice how she was “shaken to the core,” and she uncharacteristically hesitated as she opened up. She fought through her fear, and discomfort and kept it together.
Mrs. Obama’s initial description of sexual harassment on paper is not disturbing, but with the emotion in her words, it was devastating. When she went further to describe the horror of sexual assault, the helplessness of the glass ceiling, the shared pain across generations of women and the dignity robbed of countless woman, it all painfully came to life. The crowd, filled with woman, cheered the First Lady on, for making sense of these feelings, for saying words others were too afraid to speak, and for showing us all a path to a better future.
His apology displayed no reflection, and no understanding of the his true sins. He made no atonement by speaking out against sexual harassment or quelling the constant sexist chants during his rallies or forbidding the selling of sexist merchandise. He proposed no policy changes to help women’s issues and didn’t meet with women’s groups to build bridges. His apology was meaningless.
Michelle Obama ensured that millions will never forget what this guy said. She is right, “the measure of any society is how it treats its women and girls.” And the measure of a man is how he treats women. By this measure, that guy fall shockingly short of being considered even a man. “Guy,” or “boy” is a sufficient label for him.
Mrs. Obama, as I write this, I feel myself tearing up. I don’t know how to thank you. I just know that you have made me so proud to be an American and to call you my First Lady. I will never forget your words and I will never forget you. I promise to take your inspiration and pass it on to my students and my son. Even though I'm not sure how I'm say goodbye to you as our First Lady, I am comforted knowing that I will not have to say goodbye to you.
[Fist bump]
3. Asma Khalid
I am blessed to have friends who are Muslim.
I wasn’t looking for Muslim friends and when I met them, I didn’t think about this facet of their identity until they brought it up in passing. Their identity as Muslims has opened up a beautiful culture and history to me. Most importantly, their friendship put a face and a connection to an essential part of our society that experienced shameful discrimination and hate in the past year. Many in our country are not blessed to have people who are Muslim in their lives. So for many, including myself, a Muslim voice came into our lives, over the radio and the internet and brought us knowledge, perspective and hope. That voice was Asma Khalid.
National Public Radio (NPR) has one of the finest political journalism team in America. These professionals are a counter to every single criticism of reporters, the news and the media. They report without bias, their work is well-researched and fact checked, they do deep and meaningful reporting and include a wide variety of perspectives in their work.
The NPR political team, worked tirelessly through the election to present a view of the events that was absent of sensationalism (and yelling). They set a high standard of journalism and one of the important people on their team was Asma Khalid.
Week after week Khalid talked to people all over America. Whenever attacked with hate or prejudice, she responded with as a reporter with patience, letting these people tell their story. She took words of hate, did not retaliate and embraced her subjects as people. Khalid did what so few seemed to be able to do during this election: listen to each other with respect and dignity. After the dust settled, she made her most courageously move, presenting this unforgettable story about what it meant to be a Muslim reporting on the campaign trail.
This column and accompanying podcast presented an revealing and powerful reflection on her struggles as a reporter and the beautiful bond between the reporters of NPR. This story revealed her unbelievable bravery, incredible acceptance of those who would not tolerate her and a exemplary level of journalist integrity, which is nothing short of awe-inspiring. While so many succumbed to their baser emotions and fears, Khalid stood tall and refused to give in.
We are blessed to have great journalist play an essential role in our democracy and it is diverse voices of people like Khalid that bring relevance and strength of journalism in America. We may not all be blessed to have friends who are Muslim, but we are all blessed to have Asma Khalid reporting for all of us.
4. Michelle Obama
After a long day and night of rehearsal, Leslie still lights up when you talk about playing Aaron Burr. “Lin is asking you to bring your complete and total self to stage—all you joy, all your rage, all your pain, your capacity for fun.” But, he says, is “arguably the best role for a male actor of color in the musical theater canon.”
“Ever?”
“Ev-er. You get to show all of your colors. Nobody asks us to do that.”
- Interview with Leslie Odom, Jr. from Hamilton The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter
Michelle Obama has broken the rules and surpassed the expectations for people of color, women, and the First Lady of the United States of America. As Leslie Odom, Jr. from Hamilton fame celebrated in the character of Aaron Burr, Michelle Obama has shown all of her colors, with beauty, depth, dignity, and pride.
Mrs. Obama continued the tradition of capturing an feeling of Presidential royalty carrying herself with exemplary hospitality and grace in formal state dinners and other important Presidential events. She was never hesitated to humanize the highest office in with fun, humor, often poking fun at herself. This trip to CVS with Ellen DeGeneres is one example of many of her humility and sense of humor.
In the greatest date movie of the year “Southside With You,” we saw the First Lady’s younger self. In this film, we saw her struggle with her identity and her aspirations. Through the film, we saw her insecurities, and her flaws. Not many people would be willing to let others show the world their origin story.
The most powerful moment of Mrs. Obama’s incredible year, wasn’t just an expression of one part of herself, it was a speech that showed the world the whole spectrum within herself. It was a speech that brought together her grace, dignity and insecurities. It was courageous, powerful, and humanizing. It was the speech where she spoke out against him.
After that guy's most offensive words were leaked, the reactions from our society were disheartening. While many were outraged, far too many were slow to criticize him and we watched in confusion as people who defended him, revealed their own sexism.
In all of the confusion, one voice rose above them all, Michelle Obama. She transformed a campaign speech in support of Secretary Clinton into a remarkable display of her intelligence, her thoughtfulness and her empathy. This speech in New Hampshire in October was unforgettable.
Mrs. Obama started talking about her pride she had in her colleagues, but as she reflected on her feeling about his words, her voice changed. We could hear in her voice how she was “shaken to the core,” and she uncharacteristically hesitated as she opened up. She fought through her fear, and discomfort and kept it together.
Mrs. Obama’s initial description of sexual harassment on paper is not disturbing, but with the emotion in her words, it was devastating. When she went further to describe the horror of sexual assault, the helplessness of the glass ceiling, the shared pain across generations of women and the dignity robbed of countless woman, it all painfully came to life. The crowd, filled with woman, cheered the First Lady on, for making sense of these feelings, for saying words others were too afraid to speak, and for showing us all a path to a better future.
His apology displayed no reflection, and no understanding of the his true sins. He made no atonement by speaking out against sexual harassment or quelling the constant sexist chants during his rallies or forbidding the selling of sexist merchandise. He proposed no policy changes to help women’s issues and didn’t meet with women’s groups to build bridges. His apology was meaningless.
Michelle Obama ensured that millions will never forget what this guy said. She is right, “the measure of any society is how it treats its women and girls.” And the measure of a man is how he treats women. By this measure, that guy fall shockingly short of being considered even a man. “Guy,” or “boy” is a sufficient label for him.
Mrs. Obama, as I write this, I feel myself tearing up. I don’t know how to thank you. I just know that you have made me so proud to be an American and to call you my First Lady. I will never forget your words and I will never forget you. I promise to take your inspiration and pass it on to my students and my son. Even though I'm not sure how I'm say goodbye to you as our First Lady, I am comforted knowing that I will not have to say goodbye to you.
[Fist bump]
3. Asma Khalid
I am blessed to have friends who are Muslim.
I wasn’t looking for Muslim friends and when I met them, I didn’t think about this facet of their identity until they brought it up in passing. Their identity as Muslims has opened up a beautiful culture and history to me. Most importantly, their friendship put a face and a connection to an essential part of our society that experienced shameful discrimination and hate in the past year. Many in our country are not blessed to have people who are Muslim in their lives. So for many, including myself, a Muslim voice came into our lives, over the radio and the internet and brought us knowledge, perspective and hope. That voice was Asma Khalid.
National Public Radio (NPR) has one of the finest political journalism team in America. These professionals are a counter to every single criticism of reporters, the news and the media. They report without bias, their work is well-researched and fact checked, they do deep and meaningful reporting and include a wide variety of perspectives in their work.
The NPR political team, worked tirelessly through the election to present a view of the events that was absent of sensationalism (and yelling). They set a high standard of journalism and one of the important people on their team was Asma Khalid.
Week after week Khalid talked to people all over America. Whenever attacked with hate or prejudice, she responded with as a reporter with patience, letting these people tell their story. She took words of hate, did not retaliate and embraced her subjects as people. Khalid did what so few seemed to be able to do during this election: listen to each other with respect and dignity. After the dust settled, she made her most courageously move, presenting this unforgettable story about what it meant to be a Muslim reporting on the campaign trail.
This column and accompanying podcast presented an revealing and powerful reflection on her struggles as a reporter and the beautiful bond between the reporters of NPR. This story revealed her unbelievable bravery, incredible acceptance of those who would not tolerate her and a exemplary level of journalist integrity, which is nothing short of awe-inspiring. While so many succumbed to their baser emotions and fears, Khalid stood tall and refused to give in.
We are blessed to have great journalist play an essential role in our democracy and it is diverse voices of people like Khalid that bring relevance and strength of journalism in America. We may not all be blessed to have friends who are Muslim, but we are all blessed to have Asma Khalid reporting for all of us.
Monday, December 26, 2016
2016 People Of The Year: Part 3 - Pres. Barack Obama & Lin-Manuel Miranda/Parenthood - Week 184
[Click here for part 1 and part 2]
6. President Barack Obama
“And I say that not just as President but also as a feminist.”
In his last year in office, President Obama continued the work he started almost eight years ago. He worked tireless to ensure more rights to more Americans, spoke as the conscience of our nation, comforted us through unimaginable tragedy and set an example of how to carry ourselves with dignity, respect and empathy.
President Obama received some of his most irrational and unsubstantiated criticism this past year, but he never wavered from demonstrating a level of respect for the rights of those who would disagree with him, even when they failed to express to him, the most basic of courtesies. When a protester interrupted his speech a couple months ago, he refused to let the audience disrespect that person’s voice.
There are those who feel that President Obama’s economic policy has had a negative effect on our country. However there are also many, including leading economic experts that praise the economic growth that President Obama helped foster. This is a highly debated issue and reflects different philosophies and perspectives more than irrefutable facts.
There is something about President Obama’s work that is irrefutably powerful, and positive. It’s something that we’ve sensed for a while. It was a feeling we got when the President signed his first bill into law, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 that prohibited sex-based wage discrimination. This action along with many others gave us hints of something that our President proudly stated last August in a Glamour magazine article; President Barack Obama is a feminist.
President Obama embraced a label that got twisted and distorted into the disgusting term “Femi-Nazi,” and for a generation of men and also some woman, was the last label they would want to embrace. There has a quiet movement of men, who refuse express their own male insecurities by forcing their wives into traditional gender roles, who stop their male friends from making inappropriate jokes about women and fight for the rights of their mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and daughters. The Presidents pride in this label, validated all of us, who are horrified at the complacency of so many in the face of sexism, and want to make the world better for the woman in our lives.
President Obama concluded, “That’s what twenty-first-century feminism is about: the idea that when everybody is equal, we are all more free.” As men by embracing feminism we will be free of our limitations, our own stereotypes. By serving the women in our lives, we will find meaning. In the face of incredibly discrimination, sexism, objectification, violence, and hatred, women have refused to give up on our country and on men. So in turn we cannot give up on fighting for women and we must take the lead of President Obama, our first feminist President.
5. Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lin-Manuel Miranda is not racist.
He has never said anything racist to the press or in public that was racially insensitive or prejudicial, but this doesn’t prove that he’s not racist. Not saying racist things does not mean that you are not racist. The only thing that this proves is that you understands basic social norms and social conventions. Not saying racist things proves that you are not an idiot.
You want to prove that you aren’t racist than do something about racism. Include diverse perspectives and voices that are underrepresented like with Miranda’s musical In The Heights. Place people of color in positions that were previously unimaginable like by casting am African-American as George Washington in Hamilton. Work to authentically represent other cultures like when Miranda collaborated with Opetaia Foa'i, and Mark Mancina to create music for Disney’s latest animated feature, Moana. Make a positive change in the way that people view people of color and how people of color view themselves. Basically be like Lin-Manuel Miranda and you can prove that you aren't racist.
In 2016, the glory that is Hamilton just kept growing. With the opening of the Chicago production, and the release of the Hamilton Mixtape album, Lin-Manual Miranda’s masterpiece continued to find new audience members. One of the greatest musicals of all time and what some consider one of the greatest pieces of art ever, Hamilton tells the story of one of the most important founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton. Musically, it is beautifully crafted with musical motifs intricately woven through out the texture of the score. The music somehow reflects the history of Broadway music, as well as hip-hop culture, weaving these styles together to create a work that is respectful referential with a sound that is uniquely Hamilton.
The story, lyrics and themes in this story resonate with our modern times and is nuanced and humanizing portrayal of the figures from this era, bring us comfort and perspective as we seek to understand what it means to be American.
Then there’s Moana. An animated Disney film with out a princess, or a prince, featuring characters that are all people of color, with songs that Miranda wrote through collaborations with Opetaia Foa'i, and Mark Mancina. The songs are some of the best Disney songs since The Lion King. The music of Moana eclipses Tim Rice’s and Elton John’s efforts to be culturally authentic, by bringing Polynesian music alive with vibrancy and respect.
Because of Miranda’s efforts, my son’s first (and only) image of George Washington is Christopher Jackson.
For him, Alexander Hamilton is Lin-Manuel Miranda and the difference between Thomas Jefferson and Marquis de Lafayette is how Daveed Diggs styles his hair. Because of Miranda’s efforts Ollie’s current favorite toy is a Maui doll from Moana. He dances around with a character that is a person of color and tries his best to sing along with the Polynesian in the songs from the soundtrack. And because of Lin- Manuel Miranda, my son’s world is filled with art that shows him the beauty of racial diversity, a wonderful soundscape of musical styles and stories that are empowering and inclusive.
Check out this video. It’s my son, a interracial child, singing along to a half-Puerto Rican rapper/singer from one of the most successful musicals of all time, making a doll dance from a successful Disney film that has no Caucasian characters.
This is remarkable and extraordinary product of the American dream, but for Ollie it’s simply his reality and what he loves. For my son, this is his normal and for that fact. Ollie has learned that this is the way that the world should be, and for this I will always be grateful to Lin-Manuel Miranda.
6. President Barack Obama
“And I say that not just as President but also as a feminist.”
In his last year in office, President Obama continued the work he started almost eight years ago. He worked tireless to ensure more rights to more Americans, spoke as the conscience of our nation, comforted us through unimaginable tragedy and set an example of how to carry ourselves with dignity, respect and empathy.
President Obama received some of his most irrational and unsubstantiated criticism this past year, but he never wavered from demonstrating a level of respect for the rights of those who would disagree with him, even when they failed to express to him, the most basic of courtesies. When a protester interrupted his speech a couple months ago, he refused to let the audience disrespect that person’s voice.
There are those who feel that President Obama’s economic policy has had a negative effect on our country. However there are also many, including leading economic experts that praise the economic growth that President Obama helped foster. This is a highly debated issue and reflects different philosophies and perspectives more than irrefutable facts.
There is something about President Obama’s work that is irrefutably powerful, and positive. It’s something that we’ve sensed for a while. It was a feeling we got when the President signed his first bill into law, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 that prohibited sex-based wage discrimination. This action along with many others gave us hints of something that our President proudly stated last August in a Glamour magazine article; President Barack Obama is a feminist.
President Obama embraced a label that got twisted and distorted into the disgusting term “Femi-Nazi,” and for a generation of men and also some woman, was the last label they would want to embrace. There has a quiet movement of men, who refuse express their own male insecurities by forcing their wives into traditional gender roles, who stop their male friends from making inappropriate jokes about women and fight for the rights of their mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and daughters. The Presidents pride in this label, validated all of us, who are horrified at the complacency of so many in the face of sexism, and want to make the world better for the woman in our lives.
President Obama concluded, “That’s what twenty-first-century feminism is about: the idea that when everybody is equal, we are all more free.” As men by embracing feminism we will be free of our limitations, our own stereotypes. By serving the women in our lives, we will find meaning. In the face of incredibly discrimination, sexism, objectification, violence, and hatred, women have refused to give up on our country and on men. So in turn we cannot give up on fighting for women and we must take the lead of President Obama, our first feminist President.
5. Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lin-Manuel Miranda is not racist.
He has never said anything racist to the press or in public that was racially insensitive or prejudicial, but this doesn’t prove that he’s not racist. Not saying racist things does not mean that you are not racist. The only thing that this proves is that you understands basic social norms and social conventions. Not saying racist things proves that you are not an idiot.
You want to prove that you aren’t racist than do something about racism. Include diverse perspectives and voices that are underrepresented like with Miranda’s musical In The Heights. Place people of color in positions that were previously unimaginable like by casting am African-American as George Washington in Hamilton. Work to authentically represent other cultures like when Miranda collaborated with Opetaia Foa'i, and Mark Mancina to create music for Disney’s latest animated feature, Moana. Make a positive change in the way that people view people of color and how people of color view themselves. Basically be like Lin-Manuel Miranda and you can prove that you aren't racist.
In 2016, the glory that is Hamilton just kept growing. With the opening of the Chicago production, and the release of the Hamilton Mixtape album, Lin-Manual Miranda’s masterpiece continued to find new audience members. One of the greatest musicals of all time and what some consider one of the greatest pieces of art ever, Hamilton tells the story of one of the most important founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton. Musically, it is beautifully crafted with musical motifs intricately woven through out the texture of the score. The music somehow reflects the history of Broadway music, as well as hip-hop culture, weaving these styles together to create a work that is respectful referential with a sound that is uniquely Hamilton.
The story, lyrics and themes in this story resonate with our modern times and is nuanced and humanizing portrayal of the figures from this era, bring us comfort and perspective as we seek to understand what it means to be American.
Then there’s Moana. An animated Disney film with out a princess, or a prince, featuring characters that are all people of color, with songs that Miranda wrote through collaborations with Opetaia Foa'i, and Mark Mancina. The songs are some of the best Disney songs since The Lion King. The music of Moana eclipses Tim Rice’s and Elton John’s efforts to be culturally authentic, by bringing Polynesian music alive with vibrancy and respect.
Because of Miranda’s efforts, my son’s first (and only) image of George Washington is Christopher Jackson.
For him, Alexander Hamilton is Lin-Manuel Miranda and the difference between Thomas Jefferson and Marquis de Lafayette is how Daveed Diggs styles his hair. Because of Miranda’s efforts Ollie’s current favorite toy is a Maui doll from Moana. He dances around with a character that is a person of color and tries his best to sing along with the Polynesian in the songs from the soundtrack. And because of Lin- Manuel Miranda, my son’s world is filled with art that shows him the beauty of racial diversity, a wonderful soundscape of musical styles and stories that are empowering and inclusive.
Check out this video. It’s my son, a interracial child, singing along to a half-Puerto Rican rapper/singer from one of the most successful musicals of all time, making a doll dance from a successful Disney film that has no Caucasian characters.
This is remarkable and extraordinary product of the American dream, but for Ollie it’s simply his reality and what he loves. For my son, this is his normal and for that fact. Ollie has learned that this is the way that the world should be, and for this I will always be grateful to Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Friday, December 23, 2016
2016 People Of The Year: Part 2 - Kate McKinnon & Dan Savage
[click here for part 1]
8. Kate McKinnon
If all comedians did was make us laugh, they would have an essential role to play in our society, but they do so much more than that. This year, comics continued the tradition of social commentary that great comics like George Carlin pioneered.
In the same way that Batman brings justice to Gotham City in a way that the police cannot, comedians push past the boundaries of journalism asking essential questions, bringing to light overlooked experiences and issues and entertaining audiences at the same time.
This year Amy Schumer kept at it. Her show, Inside Amy Schumer, continued to bring up issues, some would rather not admit are real and absurdities that are too often overlooked. Her book, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, revealed incredible depth. Schumer went deep into her personal history and spoke candidly about her experiences with abuse, the challenges of being a woman and many other pervasive issues that we far too often ignore.
Then there was Ali Wong, whose Netflix special, Baby Cobra, was um . . . well., check out this clip:
Revelation works as a word to describe this special. Asian-Americans are underrepresented in comedy and we got a lot of stuff that we need to work out by laughing about it. Ali Wong is out there helping us and helping everyone understand a little about what is fantastic, ridiculous and awesome about being Asian.
The comedian that brought me the most laughter this year and got me through some of the most difficult times this year Kate McKinnon.
Every week, when the election seemed more confusing, more absurd and more hopeless, she got out there on Saturday Night Live and as Hillary Clinton, helped us all process what was happening in the country. In addition, she played other characters that reminded us that it was okay to laugh.
The week after the election, she appeared at the start of the show as Secretary Hillary Clinton, and performed the late Leonard Cohen’s masterpiece, “Hallelujah.”
McKinnon sang as Secretary Clinton and for Secretary Clinton. She was able to say thing that Hillary could not. At moments she let the mask down and she was one of us trying to figure out the mixture of emotions we were feeling in the face of a loss that we did not and could not understand. The courage of McKinnon to sing in such an exposed and vulnerable way reflected Secretary Clinton’s bravery and dignity in the face of such unjustified and irrational hatred.
After completing the song, McKinnon stated, “I’m not giving up and neither should you.” Her voice shook slightly as she spoke for herself and for all of us. We didn’t need her in that moment to be stronger for us, we just needed her to let us know that we aren’t alone and there is always hope.
Hope is exactly what McKinnon gave us that evening.
7. Dan Savage
The world can be difficult to understand. We need people to help us process events and see through our own lack of perspective. One of the most important voices in my life who does this for me is the sex advice columnist, author, and podcast host, Dan Savage.
Every Tuesday morning Savage starts his podcast with a “rant,” as he calls it. During this opening, he addresses a range of topics including current events. Savage is incredibly witty and his rants are humorous, thought-provoking, and deeply insightful. On June 14th, 2006, his opening rant was heartbreaking (Click here).
Savage did what he often did and addressed a current event, but this event was different, he talked about the Orlando massacre at the Pulse nightclub. In this opening, Savage embraced the burden of having to explain to majority, a minority experience.
Many minorities, including myself, find the burden of explaining our lived experiences to people who are not part that minority group exhausting and annoying at times. Why should I have to spend my day explaining to people who are not Asian what it’s like to be Asian? This is not something that we should expect out of minorities of any kind but Savage has leaned into this burden and made it his responsibility. Because of this, thousands of other people who read Savage’s words and hear his voice are more understanding of other people and themselves.
I will not try to paraphrase Savage’s words, but know that while they will make you cry, they paint a story, a history of Gay nightclub culture that has been a beacon of hope for a group of people who faced unimaginable intolerance perpetrated by bigotry and hate. There is one point that I will highlight and is important to remember. In 1969, during the Stonewall riots, the police were fighting against the rights of homosexuals. During the Pulse nightclub shooting, the police were putting their lives on the line, some in the direct line of fire to protect the lives of people who are LGBT and their allies.
Dan Savage talks about sex on his podcast, but more than that, he talks about acceptance, embracing the plurality of human expression and how to love yourself and others. Savage is not always right, but he tries. Savage’s words have saved relationships, gotten people away from abusive partners and spread empathy to his listeners and beyond.
If we all took Savage’s advice, we would be a lot happier, having more sex and most importantly embracing the beautiful plurality of the human experience . . . and we’d also probably be swearing more and smoking more pot.
8. Kate McKinnon
If all comedians did was make us laugh, they would have an essential role to play in our society, but they do so much more than that. This year, comics continued the tradition of social commentary that great comics like George Carlin pioneered.
In the same way that Batman brings justice to Gotham City in a way that the police cannot, comedians push past the boundaries of journalism asking essential questions, bringing to light overlooked experiences and issues and entertaining audiences at the same time.
This year Amy Schumer kept at it. Her show, Inside Amy Schumer, continued to bring up issues, some would rather not admit are real and absurdities that are too often overlooked. Her book, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, revealed incredible depth. Schumer went deep into her personal history and spoke candidly about her experiences with abuse, the challenges of being a woman and many other pervasive issues that we far too often ignore.
Then there was Ali Wong, whose Netflix special, Baby Cobra, was um . . . well., check out this clip:
Revelation works as a word to describe this special. Asian-Americans are underrepresented in comedy and we got a lot of stuff that we need to work out by laughing about it. Ali Wong is out there helping us and helping everyone understand a little about what is fantastic, ridiculous and awesome about being Asian.
The comedian that brought me the most laughter this year and got me through some of the most difficult times this year Kate McKinnon.
Every week, when the election seemed more confusing, more absurd and more hopeless, she got out there on Saturday Night Live and as Hillary Clinton, helped us all process what was happening in the country. In addition, she played other characters that reminded us that it was okay to laugh.
The week after the election, she appeared at the start of the show as Secretary Hillary Clinton, and performed the late Leonard Cohen’s masterpiece, “Hallelujah.”
McKinnon sang as Secretary Clinton and for Secretary Clinton. She was able to say thing that Hillary could not. At moments she let the mask down and she was one of us trying to figure out the mixture of emotions we were feeling in the face of a loss that we did not and could not understand. The courage of McKinnon to sing in such an exposed and vulnerable way reflected Secretary Clinton’s bravery and dignity in the face of such unjustified and irrational hatred.
After completing the song, McKinnon stated, “I’m not giving up and neither should you.” Her voice shook slightly as she spoke for herself and for all of us. We didn’t need her in that moment to be stronger for us, we just needed her to let us know that we aren’t alone and there is always hope.
Hope is exactly what McKinnon gave us that evening.
7. Dan Savage
The world can be difficult to understand. We need people to help us process events and see through our own lack of perspective. One of the most important voices in my life who does this for me is the sex advice columnist, author, and podcast host, Dan Savage.
Every Tuesday morning Savage starts his podcast with a “rant,” as he calls it. During this opening, he addresses a range of topics including current events. Savage is incredibly witty and his rants are humorous, thought-provoking, and deeply insightful. On June 14th, 2006, his opening rant was heartbreaking (Click here).
Savage did what he often did and addressed a current event, but this event was different, he talked about the Orlando massacre at the Pulse nightclub. In this opening, Savage embraced the burden of having to explain to majority, a minority experience.
Many minorities, including myself, find the burden of explaining our lived experiences to people who are not part that minority group exhausting and annoying at times. Why should I have to spend my day explaining to people who are not Asian what it’s like to be Asian? This is not something that we should expect out of minorities of any kind but Savage has leaned into this burden and made it his responsibility. Because of this, thousands of other people who read Savage’s words and hear his voice are more understanding of other people and themselves.
I will not try to paraphrase Savage’s words, but know that while they will make you cry, they paint a story, a history of Gay nightclub culture that has been a beacon of hope for a group of people who faced unimaginable intolerance perpetrated by bigotry and hate. There is one point that I will highlight and is important to remember. In 1969, during the Stonewall riots, the police were fighting against the rights of homosexuals. During the Pulse nightclub shooting, the police were putting their lives on the line, some in the direct line of fire to protect the lives of people who are LGBT and their allies.
Dan Savage talks about sex on his podcast, but more than that, he talks about acceptance, embracing the plurality of human expression and how to love yourself and others. Savage is not always right, but he tries. Savage’s words have saved relationships, gotten people away from abusive partners and spread empathy to his listeners and beyond.
If we all took Savage’s advice, we would be a lot happier, having more sex and most importantly embracing the beautiful plurality of the human experience . . . and we’d also probably be swearing more and smoking more pot.
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
2016 People Of The Year: Part 1 - Bayley & Sgt. Hawkins
2016 was a horrible year for many different people for many different reasons. We had to say goodbye to some of our most important cultural icons, while this has been difficult it is nowhere near as tragic as the children who are being killed in Aleppo. They are not getting tributes and magazine covers and it just continues. Unfortunately, the suffering of children is not limited to Syria.
There have been personal challenges in my life, though nothing to the degree of a great tragedy. The blessings in my life continue to persevere though sometimes it has been hard to keep them in perspective.
I am mostly through the mourning process of the election, but like the loss of a loved one, the dull ache exists. This man has done nothing to bring me hope and comfort and his actions continue to alienate those who did not support him and his own supporters who believed his lies.
There is hope.
We can’t look to that office anymore for that hope, but it’s there. While so much in the past year was dark, there were many examples of people doing what they could in small and big ways to fight the negativity, fight the cynicism and fight the hate. To wrap up the year, I’m going to write about these people. These are people and their organizations who in different ways made the world a better place. They got me through the tough times this year and I will continue to look to them to bring us the hope we need to get through the hard times on the horizon. I listed them as a top 10, the ranking isn't all that important, but it makes it more fun.
10. Bayley
The happiest moment I had this year experiencing any kind of entertainment was Bayley’s surprise appearance at WWE’s Battleground PPV in July (yup, we’re talking about professional wrestling here).
I was kind of like this:
(I don’t have the clip of her entrance, but her official Raw debut captures the similar feeling)
Let me back up for a second. One of the only facets of my life I have not written about on this blog is my love of professional wrestling. The main reasons I got hooked back in after not actively watching professional wrestling for the past five years was Bayley. WWE’s has a show called NXT which is kind of like their minor league. For the past couple years there’s been a group of women on this who who have revolutionized the industry.
When I first started watching wrestling in the early 2000s the woman who wrestled were mostly there for eye-candy. Some of them were as skilled wrestlers as the male wrestlers, but most were not. Woman’s matches were the time that you would get up and get a snack.
These women in NXT changes that. They were called the “Four Horsewomen,” a throwback to one of professional wrestling's greatest staples. Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Bank and Bayley made NXT a must watch program with specials that rivaled in excitement to WWE’s PPVs. Each one of these women got called up to the main roster except for Bayley. So when she showed up at Battleground teasing her eventually call-up to main roster. It felt amazing.
Bayley like the other “Horsewomen,” were as good if not better than many of the other male competitors. They broke new ground throughout 2016 and continued to break down stereotypes around woman wrestlers and woman wrestling. While I respect and enjoy watching the other women, there’s something special about Bayley.
Bayley is kind, optimistic and works hard. She doesn’t give up, and she cares about her fans. She redefines what it means to be a woman in the wrestling industry. Bayley’s proved that you can have a sideways ponytail, dress like a 5th grader, enjoy hugging fans and still kick butt.
I was so overwhelmed with happiness when she entered at Battleground because it validated Bayley’s kindness and hard work. It also validated the goodness in all of us, and was a reminder that if you believe there ain’t no stopping us . . .
It's everything that is in this video and so much more.
9. Sgt. Jessica Hawkins
There have always been boogeymen in our society even before America was a country. These are people who threaten our woman and children who therefore must be controlled, converted, prosecuted and discriminated against.
First it was the Native Americans, then African American Men. Other racial minorities got a turn too. Then there were the homosexuals. Now that reasonable people in our society have established that homosexuality does not equal pedophilia, the worst amongst have moved on and are now discriminating against people who are transgender.
Sgt. Jessica Hawkins is one of those people.
I heard this news story on NPR on the way to school. I was so effected by what I heard, I pulled over and started taking notes on my phone about what I was hearing.
This story includes Sgt. Hawkins struggle to accept her own need to identify as a woman, losing her wife in the process. While she struggled in many aspects of her life, the one place she found support was with her fellow police officers. She faces harassment from people that she meets walking the street as a police officer, but she believes that this has helped her better serve as an officer. Her experiences have given her more empathy and now she heads a LGBT Liaison Unit to address issues in the LGBT community.
Sgt. Hawkins' fellow police officers looked past prejudice and stereotypes and embraced her identity with pride and support. I don’t think they care what bathroom she uses, so why should we?
When the insecure, and the power-hungry bigots go after the boogeymen; they shine a light on them. Brave people like Sgt. Hawkins come out of the shadows and share their stories in response. People protest, the courts rule against discrimination and we grow as a country, more accepting of plurality and more compassionate for those others would have us fear. It’s a painful cycle, but we always come out the other end with more love in our hearts.
If Sgt. Hawkins is brave enough to walk down the street with her long hair in uniform, then the rest of us can find that courage to be proud of the things that we like about ourselves that don’t fit societies’ expectations.
Sometimes the most heroic thing you can do is to be yourself, fully and openly. Sgt. Hawkins is doing this every day, she has made her struggle mean something and through her courage, she is making the world a better place by being herself
There have been personal challenges in my life, though nothing to the degree of a great tragedy. The blessings in my life continue to persevere though sometimes it has been hard to keep them in perspective.
I am mostly through the mourning process of the election, but like the loss of a loved one, the dull ache exists. This man has done nothing to bring me hope and comfort and his actions continue to alienate those who did not support him and his own supporters who believed his lies.
There is hope.
We can’t look to that office anymore for that hope, but it’s there. While so much in the past year was dark, there were many examples of people doing what they could in small and big ways to fight the negativity, fight the cynicism and fight the hate. To wrap up the year, I’m going to write about these people. These are people and their organizations who in different ways made the world a better place. They got me through the tough times this year and I will continue to look to them to bring us the hope we need to get through the hard times on the horizon. I listed them as a top 10, the ranking isn't all that important, but it makes it more fun.
10. Bayley
The happiest moment I had this year experiencing any kind of entertainment was Bayley’s surprise appearance at WWE’s Battleground PPV in July (yup, we’re talking about professional wrestling here).
I was kind of like this:
(I don’t have the clip of her entrance, but her official Raw debut captures the similar feeling)
Let me back up for a second. One of the only facets of my life I have not written about on this blog is my love of professional wrestling. The main reasons I got hooked back in after not actively watching professional wrestling for the past five years was Bayley. WWE’s has a show called NXT which is kind of like their minor league. For the past couple years there’s been a group of women on this who who have revolutionized the industry.
When I first started watching wrestling in the early 2000s the woman who wrestled were mostly there for eye-candy. Some of them were as skilled wrestlers as the male wrestlers, but most were not. Woman’s matches were the time that you would get up and get a snack.
These women in NXT changes that. They were called the “Four Horsewomen,” a throwback to one of professional wrestling's greatest staples. Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Bank and Bayley made NXT a must watch program with specials that rivaled in excitement to WWE’s PPVs. Each one of these women got called up to the main roster except for Bayley. So when she showed up at Battleground teasing her eventually call-up to main roster. It felt amazing.
Bayley like the other “Horsewomen,” were as good if not better than many of the other male competitors. They broke new ground throughout 2016 and continued to break down stereotypes around woman wrestlers and woman wrestling. While I respect and enjoy watching the other women, there’s something special about Bayley.
Bayley is kind, optimistic and works hard. She doesn’t give up, and she cares about her fans. She redefines what it means to be a woman in the wrestling industry. Bayley’s proved that you can have a sideways ponytail, dress like a 5th grader, enjoy hugging fans and still kick butt.
I was so overwhelmed with happiness when she entered at Battleground because it validated Bayley’s kindness and hard work. It also validated the goodness in all of us, and was a reminder that if you believe there ain’t no stopping us . . .
It's everything that is in this video and so much more.
9. Sgt. Jessica Hawkins
There have always been boogeymen in our society even before America was a country. These are people who threaten our woman and children who therefore must be controlled, converted, prosecuted and discriminated against.
First it was the Native Americans, then African American Men. Other racial minorities got a turn too. Then there were the homosexuals. Now that reasonable people in our society have established that homosexuality does not equal pedophilia, the worst amongst have moved on and are now discriminating against people who are transgender.
Sgt. Jessica Hawkins is one of those people.
I heard this news story on NPR on the way to school. I was so effected by what I heard, I pulled over and started taking notes on my phone about what I was hearing.
This story includes Sgt. Hawkins struggle to accept her own need to identify as a woman, losing her wife in the process. While she struggled in many aspects of her life, the one place she found support was with her fellow police officers. She faces harassment from people that she meets walking the street as a police officer, but she believes that this has helped her better serve as an officer. Her experiences have given her more empathy and now she heads a LGBT Liaison Unit to address issues in the LGBT community.
Sgt. Hawkins' fellow police officers looked past prejudice and stereotypes and embraced her identity with pride and support. I don’t think they care what bathroom she uses, so why should we?
When the insecure, and the power-hungry bigots go after the boogeymen; they shine a light on them. Brave people like Sgt. Hawkins come out of the shadows and share their stories in response. People protest, the courts rule against discrimination and we grow as a country, more accepting of plurality and more compassionate for those others would have us fear. It’s a painful cycle, but we always come out the other end with more love in our hearts.
If Sgt. Hawkins is brave enough to walk down the street with her long hair in uniform, then the rest of us can find that courage to be proud of the things that we like about ourselves that don’t fit societies’ expectations.
Sometimes the most heroic thing you can do is to be yourself, fully and openly. Sgt. Hawkins is doing this every day, she has made her struggle mean something and through her courage, she is making the world a better place by being herself
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