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Book Review: Healing the Heart of Democracy

The heart of diversity and inclusion is accepting and recognizing the value of differences. It’s a challenging philosophy to live by. Studies have found that civic engagement declines as diversity...

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Adventures in 'White Fragility'

Having hard conversations with people about race and intersectionality can be extremely uncomfortable, especially with my white friends. Currently, our political climate has made it difficult to go...

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The Great Octopus of Culture

Kilroy J. Oldster, the author of Dead Toad Scrolls, once wrote: "Culture is not fate, but none of us is immune from the great octopus of culture; its tentacles touch us every direction that we turn....

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Powerful Perspectives: Martin

This month’s Powerful Perspective is brought to you by Martin, co-owner of Northgate Salon and Wigs, Rochester’s premier ethnic salon and purveyor of authentic, quality African hair and beauty...

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Equity Work: Why There is no Point in Backing Down

eq·ui·ty ˈekwədē/ noun The quality of being fair and impartial; "equity of treatment" synonyms: fairness, justness, impartiality, egalitarianism In our work at the Diversity Council we interact...

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In Praise of Hatred

I have a confession: I don’t like great literature. If a book won a Pulitzer or a Nobel Prize, I probably hated it. My reading tastes are unabashedly plebian. I like books that say exactly what they...

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Are You a Boy or a Girl?

The other day I was watching an interview Ellen conducted with Asia Kate Dillon, who plays a character identified as gender non-binary in a TV show called “Billions.” Ellen and Asia discussed how Asia...

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The Game of LIFE: Leveling the Playing Field

I'm a sociology nerd. I could discuss social theories all day and never tire of it. Have a few academic journals lying around? I'll take those off your hands to read for fun. What can I say? We are...

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Powerful Perspectives: Carrie Clark

Carrie Clark shares about living in Rochester with both physical disabilities and mental illnesses. Mental IllnessCarrie was diagnosed at 14 with bipolar disorder, and later the diagnosis was amended...

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The Nature of "Human"

Let me ask you, personally: What is it that makes you human? If you had to define it, what language would you use? It's a complex question.It is possible to consider humanness in the context of the...

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Book Review: Forbidden Lessons in a Kabul Guesthouse

Books can be a window, giving us insight into other places and other ways of life; they can also be a mirror, giving us insight into our own hearts. I picked up Forbidden Lessons in a Kabul Guesthouse...

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Do You See in Color?

I’ve been thinking about colorblindness a lot, the way people say, “Underneath it all, aren’t we all just the same?” Blood, bones, a deep need for belonging, and an existential longing for purpose – or...

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Pro Women or Pro Football: Can you be both?

After tuning into the NFL’s 2017 draft this weekend, I am left with the same dilemma that I have been struggling with for years: How can I reconcile my love for football Sundays and my stance on gender...

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Powerful Perspectives: Dr. Brian Rossi and Ali Ashkir

Dr. Brian Rossi, Executive Director of STEM Academy, and Ali Ashkir, Office Manager of STEM Academy and a local imam, talk about Somali culture, common misconceptions of Islam, and creating a thriving...

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The Politics of Leaving Home

I cannot stop thinking about sisterhood. I think about the difficulties I faced as a mother to two boys—one with developmental challenges—parenting on my own and navigating complex systems and endless...

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Book Review: Empire of the Summer Moon

Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History, by S. C. GwynneCynthia Ann Parker, the blue-eyed daughter of...

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The Dark Horse of Cultural Appreciation

While I was mowing the lawn last week, I had my headphones on playing my Taylor Swift station on the Pandora streaming service. Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” started playing, and for some reason, I had...

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Pride Month: It's Not Just a Party

Well, it’s that time of year again! We managed to get through another Minnesota winter and a rainy spring to find ourselves basking in the sunny rays of June. Happy LGBT Pride Month everyone! All...

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Powerful Perspectives: Latina

An anonymous Minnesotan of Hispanic heritage speaks about her personal experience as an immigrant growing up in a majority white environment.Growing up, people couldn’t pronounce my name correctly and...

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Book Review: The Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. In Colson Whitehead’s ingenious novel, the underground railroad takes on physical form: tunnels...

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Appreciating the Beauty of Different Faiths

Encountering different religions is an experience just as is traveling to different countries. There is a beauty in the mysteries of ourselves as human beings having a religion or no religion at all,...

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Powerful Perspectives: Reflecting Back

A half a year has passed since I embarked on this journey of interviews through culture and lived experience I like to call “Powerful Perspectives”. So far I’ve had the pleasure of listening to and...

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EQUITY UPDATE: Access to Living Wage Employment

The Diversity Council is deeply engaged in regional efforts to build skills and career pathways to ensure that everyone has access to living wage jobs and is participating fully in the workforce....

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Book Review: Shark’s Fin & Sichuan Pepper

China had not yet become the Next Big Thing when Fuchsia Dunlop signed up for a year of graduate studies in the city of Chengdu in Sichuan province. Although a major metropolis with a population of...

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Solving the World's Problems: Why I Fight for Social Justice

Is there a reason why people want to keep the world the way it is? Because, I don't see the profit in maintaining the status quo.Six and a half years ago I started working at the Diversity Council, and...

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Masculinity is a Health Crisis Too

What does it mean to “be a man?” Words commonly associated with the male figure include gentleman, jock, mama’s boys, strong, tall, big, handsome, stud, rough, tough, charming, robust, protective,...

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Powerful Perspectives: Salwa & Waris

This week I interviewed Salwa (left) and Waris (right), two Somali employees who work at Hiawatha Homes, which provides residential services and support for people with disabilities and their families....

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Book Review: In the Country We Love

In the Country We Love: My Family Divided, by Diane Guerrero, star of Orange is the New Black and Jane the Virgin.“One moment—that’s all it takes for your entire world to split apart. For me, that...

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On Fear

Shortly before leaving Colorado Springs, I had a conversation with a retired military police officer whom I had known for many years. He works in a position that requires him to interact daily with a...

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Powerful Perspectives: Wafa & Sawsan

For today’s Powerful Perspectives, I interviewed Wafa Elkhalifa, President of Border State Bank, and Sawsan Elsafi, a personal banker at Border State Bank.Can you share a little bit about your...

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Book Review: Out of My Mind

Sharon Draper’s young adult novel about a girl with cerebral palsy won numerous awards, spent almost two years on the New York Times bestseller list, and has been translated into twenty different...

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Columbus Day: Time for the Debate to Evolve

The second Monday in October is upon us, which can only mean one thing: Let the debate surrounding Columbus Day begin! Or should I say, let it continue?This debate surrounding the abolishment of...

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Powerful Perspectives: Regina Mustafa

This week's blog post is actually our first ever podcast! Tune in to hear Regina Mustafa talk with Torres about Muslims in politics.Listen now

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Meet Our New EquityLogic Manager!

You wouldn’t think it would be hard to write a few paragraphs about yourself until you’re asked on your sixth day of work at the Diversity Council to do just that. So I have been staring at a blank...

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Book Review: The House on Mango Street

This critically acclaimed classic by Sandra Cisneros tells the story of Esperanza Cordero, a young Latina growing up in Chicago. Rather than a plot with a beginning and an end, Esperanza’s story...

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Not-So-Random Acts of Kindness

When thinking about the current state of our society, the word “incivility” often pops into my mind. It has come to a point where I cannot turn on the news without completely losing hope in humanity. I...

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How to Take Ownership of your Equity Education

White Privilege. Implicit Bias. Microagression. Systemic Racism. Historical Trauma. Affirmative Action. ADA Compliance. Gender Inequality. With so much to consider and so very many opinions, it is...

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Coming Soon: Minority Business Spotlight

For my blog posts going forward, I (Heidi) will be interviewing the owners of minority- and woman-owned businesses. We will be digging into how they got their start, what their motivation was to become...

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Book Review: How to Think

Thinking troubles us; thinking tires us. Thinking can force us out of familiar, comforting habits; thinking can complicate our lives; thinking can set us at odds, or at least complicate our...

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Minority Owned Business Spotlight: Phen Jewelers

I had the great pleasure of sitting down with Michael Phen of Phen Jewelers as my first Minority Owned Business Spotlight. I could not have chosen a better first interview. Michael was inviting, warm,...

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Powerful Perspectives: Marcia Nichols

In this week's podcast, Torres interviews Marcia Nichols, Assistant Professor of Literature and Gender studies at University of Minnesota Rochester. Marcia talks about the #metoo hashtag, her personal...

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Book Review: Turtles All the Way Down

John Green, the #1 bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars, returned last October with a bang, earning accolades from every major media outlet and book reviewer from the New York Times to...

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Minority Business Spotlight: Jersey Jo's

It seemed appropriate that for my second minority-owned business feature I speak with the owner of one of my favorite restaurants in town. Joe Phillips, owner of Jersey Jo's, and I chatted about what...

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Money Talks

Looking for a silver lining regarding our current political climate? People are fed up but not giving up. Civic engagement has increased dramatically since the 2016 U.S. presidential election....

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Book Review: Alexander Hamilton

“The period of John Adams' presidency declined into a time of political savagery with few parallels in American history, a season of paranoia in which the two parties surrendered all trust in each...

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The Future is NOW

In wake of the February 14th mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, we have seen the youth of this country rise up and act more democratically and more diplomatically than most...

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Minority Business Owner Spotlight: You Betcha! Cupcakes

I had a lovely lunch with the owner of “You Betcha! Cupcakes.” Typically it’s hard to find someone who stays as busy as I do, but when Julie Herrera-Lemler started talking about her schedule, my head...

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Book Review: I Will Always Write Back

I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives, by Caitlin Alifireka and Martin Ganda with Liz Welch I’ll give it to you straight: this book is not a literary masterpiece. But the wonderful...

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When Hate Speech is not Free

I recently found myself befuddled, in front of an audience, blurting misinformation with utter conviction. Luckily I was called on it almost immediately by an internet-armed fact checker stationed at...

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Ethnicity: Irish American

Hello, my name is Amanda Nigon-Crowley and I'm an Irish-American. I am also the new Office & Communications Coordinator for the Diversity Council. I am a Rochester native who left for ten years and...

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