The Sum
Power Up: Igniting the Intentional Leader for DEI
Issue 166 — April 19, 2021
Did you ever have an idea and after some months it actually happens? Were you surprised? Excited? So sure it would come to pass that you weren’t worried about it even when it seemed like it would be impossible to achieve for whatever reason? All of the above?
Read MoreDo or DEI: Why Most Diversity Programs Fail and How To Succeed Instead
Issue 165 — April 5, 2021
“And in a world where everyone strives to act, think and look the same — being different is truly something to be proud of. That’s why I’m very proud to be autistic.” – Greta Thunberg.
Read MoreWhy Do We Need a Women’s History Month?
Say No To Hate: Teach Equality, Justice For All
Issue 163 — March 22, 2021
First and foremost, I stand and Take The Lead, as an organization, stands in solidarity with Asian Americans, and against the rising hate crimes and harassment against them.
Since hearing the terrible news of the murders of eight people, six of them Asian women, in Atlanta massage parlors on March 16, the words of the song from Rogers and Hammerstein’s 1949 musical South Pacific have been repeating in my mind.
Read MoreLet’s Get Radical: Support International Women’s Day 2021
Issue 162 — March 8, 2021
This March 8 is an International Women’s Day like no other.
Let’s first take a moment to recognize the millions globally who have suffered illness and those who have died from Covid-19.
The day we now celebrate with flowers and tributes to the advances women have made began in 1909 as a radical call by women in the Socialist Party of America for workers’ rights and women’s rights — both very radical notions at the time.
Read MoreLucky 7: Saluting Take The Lead’s 7 Years On A Mission To Parity
Issue 161 — February 22, 2021
Grady Gammage auditorium, with its classic Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, buzzed with excitement, filled to its 3000+ seat capacity on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. Local people who were unable to get tickets hosted watch parties in their homes and offices, and dozens of groups from India to Seattle sent pictures of their watch party events.
Read MoreUntangling From COVID: The Toll On Women and The Solutions Moving Forward
We await near-universal availability of vaccines and see the daily morbidity and mortality toll of COVID, while the economy takes a dive and frontline workers are nearing their breaking point. An initial solution to slowing the spread of the disease—working from home and schooling at home—is taking its tangled toll on families, creating a whole new set of problems, particularly for women.
Read MoreIt’s Black History Month and 15 Black Women Are Making History Today
Issue 159 — February 1, 2021
Oprah’s O Magazine is a rich resource if you are looking for information about Black History Month. And no doubt your inbox is filling up with proclamations and programs in celebration of the month that highlights the past accomplishments of Black men and women.
Read MoreThis Week’s Takeaway? Every Little Girl Can Be POTUS
Issue 158 — January 25, 2021
Each week I write about what the week just past has taught us. I reflect on what happened and search for the larger meaning in its disparate events. I look through the lens of whether it’s been good for women or bad for women. I search for trends. And I look for moments of power shifts related to gender and race.
Well let me just say last week took the prize on all those fronts.
It was one to the most meaningful weeks of recent American history.
Read MoreWhat Does MLK’s “I Have a Dream” Speech Say to You Today?
Issue 157 — January 17, 2021
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
That’s my favorite quote from Dr. King. And I feel sure that if he were writing those words today, he would include “woman.” Because as he himself often noted, justice must always expand to be inclusive of all.
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