difference – Page 2 – A Life Not Grey

July 8, 2016July 8, 2016

The Unsavory Truth about Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and Dallas PD in the Workplace

It’s been a rough week. First there was Alton Sterling. Then there was Philando Castile. Then Dallas. Death, death, and more death, and I don’t see an end. Because in order for this cycle of murder and retaliation to end, we’re all going to have to accept some hard truths. There are significant racial disparities … Continue reading The Unsavory Truth about Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and Dallas PD in the Workplace

July 1, 2016July 1, 2016

We Can’t Win Without White People

Forget the dozens of people killed and more than a 100 who were injured in the Istanbul Ataturk Airport bombing in Turkey this week. The speech actor and activist Jesse Williams gave at last Sunday’s BET Awards is still a hot topic if the plethora of posts circulating the web are any indication. I didn’t … Continue reading We Can’t Win Without White People

June 24, 2016June 27, 2016

Affirmative Action Lives to Fight Another Day

So, I’ve been following the legal action around the Supreme Court’s decision for University of Texas, and when the highest court in the land voted 4 to 3 to uphold an affirmative-action ruling, I was like, phew! I confess, I had a bad moment there, and the fact that the vote was so close is … Continue reading Affirmative Action Lives to Fight Another Day

June 17, 2016June 17, 2016

There Will Be Blood

I didn’t cry when I heard about the Orlando shooting. And for a minute there I was worried I’d become completely inured to this kind of cruelty. I barely reacted at all, none of my signature faces, no curled lips or disgusted head shaking. It was troubling. I never want to be so desensitized to … Continue reading There Will Be Blood

June 3, 2016June 3, 2016

The Cost of Free ‘Trump’ Speech

Being an occasionally voluble person — feel free to laugh up your sleeve at that understatement — I read with interest a piece that appeared in The Economist about how our current digital age is essentially a golden era for free speech. I wholeheartedly agree, and even if you don’t, after watching Donald Trump’s successful … Continue reading The Cost of Free ‘Trump’ Speech

May 27, 2016May 27, 2016

Business Case for Diversity, My Foot

I’m feeling a little mean today. I’m facing some sweeping tech system changes at work, which always puts me in a bad mood. So I thought I’d take this time to kvetch about something that just gets on my nerves. I’m talking eye rolling, lip smacking, facial expressions, the works. What is it that creates … Continue reading Business Case for Diversity, My Foot

May 13, 2016May 13, 2016

I Know Why the Caged Employee Sings

In 1969 American poet and writer Maya Angelou wrote an autobiography called “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” That’s where this blog title came from. In the book she talked about racism and sexism in her early years, feeling alone, trapped by her blackness, her talents stifled. I can relate. It’s no longer 1969, … Continue reading I Know Why the Caged Employee Sings

May 6, 2016May 6, 2016

Trans Fear Goes Beyond Bathroom Policies

So North Carolina has been all over the news for what many have dubbed “The Bathroom Bill.” I’ve been doing a lot of head shaking over it, when I wasn’t thanking my lucky stars I was born and raised in Chicago, and spared a lot of the foolishness that people in southern states seem to … Continue reading Trans Fear Goes Beyond Bathroom Policies

April 29, 2016April 29, 2016

Being Inclusive Starts Early — Like, Grade-School Early

Intersectionality is an interesting thing. It’s defined roughly as an idea used to describe ways in which oppressive institutions like racism, sexism, homophobia and classism are interconnected and cannot be examined separately from one another. It’s interesting, and it’s complicated. I’d venture to say the complexity of the subject matter is one key reason so … Continue reading Being Inclusive Starts Early — Like, Grade-School Early