Periodically I need to check in with you, my very special subscribers, to do a "temperature check" on the realities of diversity in the workplace. I have created a quick 10 question survey that should take you no more than TEN minutes to complete.
Here's the link: http://bit.ly/2siDdBY The survey is completely ANONYMOUS, and your truthfulness and honesty will help to keep the tabulations authentic and credible. Some of the questions are required to answer. Some you may skip if you choose. The survey results will be announced in mid-June. I thank you in advance of participating in this important survey process. Please feel free to share this link with our friends and colleagues. We ask that you complete the survey by Tuesday, June 6, 2017. Thank you for your valuable insights. --Carole Copeland Thomas
0 Comments
My vivid recollection of the Gettysburg Address dates back to the years when my children were small. One year, in particular, put the whole town of Milton, Massachusetts in remembrance mode, including the students who participated in the Memorial Day celebration. We all gathered at the Milton Cemetery to pay homage to the war dead. My son played saxophone in the school band. His twin sister, dressed in her Girl Scout uniform, played the flute. And their older sister, who ironically celebrates a birthday today, had the distinction of reciting the Gettysburg Address. That was a proud moment for my family.
That address further anchored Abraham Lincoln as one of the greatest Presidents in history. Not for the length of the speech. It was only 271 words and originally lasted only two minutes long. It followed the two-hour long oratorical speech of Massachusetts’s own Edward Edwards, the main speaker of that historic November day in 1863. Few remember Edwards’ speech, much less his political contributions of that time. The country remembered Lincoln’s message that commemorated the thousands of men, both Confederate and Union troops, who died in bravery and fear in that sleepy farming community in Pennsylvania in July 1863. As we celebrate this Memorial Day, let us remember the men and women who died on duty fighting wars to protect America. To help you remember, I have included The Gettysburg Address in this commentary (this is the government version, including strikethroughs). I also encourage you to visit Gettysburg, Pennsylvania if you haven’t been there since a childhood school field trip. It will make you stop and reflect on the price of freedom. And please listen to my recent radio interview with Dr. George N’Namdi. His uncle, Lt. Langdon E. Johnson, a Tuskegee Airman, died a hero in World War II when his plane was shot down off the coast of Southern France in 1944. Here’s the link to last week’s radio program: http://bit.ly/2qjV6jy Before you stoke up the barbecue grill, pay tribute to the brave men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice to keep our country free. We celebrate their lives and their deaths this May 29, 2017, Memorial Day. Patriots. Citizens. The ones who never came back home. 
Transcript of Gettysburg Address (1863)
Executive Mansion, Washington, 1863 Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that "all men are created equal" Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we cannot consecrate -- we can not hallow, this ground-- The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here. It is rather for us, the living, to stand here, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth. 
Focus On Empowerment can be heard every Thursday at 1pm Eastern.
Log Onto: www.blogtalkradio.com/globalcarole Listen LIVE or Download Anytime At This Blog Post. Each broadcast can be replayed immediately following the show. ======================== The backyard barbecues, beach picnics and garden parties, though fun, should never overshadow the men and women whose ultimate sacrifice made Memorial Day possible. Real people who died on duty protecting and preserving our country, our freedom and our liberties. Memorial Day is first and foremost a day of remembrance for the soldiers who died while serving in the armed forces. From the great battles at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to the beaches of Normandy, these brave heroes gave their lives to keep our country safe. The nephew of one of those great Americans is my guest today. Art gallery owner Dr. George N’Namdi will take us back to the battlegrounds of World War II in 1944 when his uncle and Tuskegee airman, Lt. Langdon E. Johnson flew his fighter plane throughout Europe, was shot down in the Mediterranean Sea and died a hero…IN FRANCE. Find out more about this fascinating story and why the French, to this day, pay tribute to Lt. Johnson for his ultimate sacrifice to save Europe from Hitler’s army. It’s a Memorial Day program you won’t want to forget. Rhone American Cemetery in Draguignan, France: https://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/rhone-american-cemetery#.WSb36_ryu8p ============================= ABOUT LIEUTENANT LANGDON ELMER JOHNSON, Jr. Link Source: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSsr=121&GSvcid=424461&GRid=56510861& Lt. Langdon E. Johnson collected an aerial victory six months after arriving in Europe. Johnson of Rand, W.Va., graduated from flight training on May 28, 1943, at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama. In December, he deployed to Italy with the 100th Fighter Squadron, part of the 332nd Fighter Group. The 100th Fighter Squadron flew its first combat mission on Feb. 5, 1944. On July 20, 20 enemy planes attacked the B-24 bombers being escorted by the 332nd Fighter Group to Friedrichshafen, Germany. Capt. Joseph D. Elsberry, Capt. Armour G. McDaniel, Capt. Edward L. Toppins and 1st Lt. Johnson responded: Each pilot shot down one enemy plane. A few weeks later, however, an escort mission would end in tragedy. After escorting bombers to Toulon, France, to destroy radar stations on Aug. 12, the 332nd Fighter Group began to anti-aircraft fire. P-51 Mustangs flown by Johnson and 2nd Lt. Joseph E. Gordon were shot down. "Lt. Johnson was on my right at this time and I was being fired upon by at least 40mm on my left," Capt. Woodrow W. Crockett wrote in a military report. "Lt. Johnson crossed over to my left and straightened on parallel to my plane and at this time his plane hit the water, ripping off the entire right wing, after which the remainder of the plane crashed into the sea. His ship seemed to have been hit by flak before crashing." Johnson's name is included on the Tablets of the Missing at the Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial in France. According to a government database, he was awarded an Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters and a Purple Heart for his military service. 
Focus On Empowerment can be heard every Thursday at 1pm Eastern.
Log Onto: www.blogtalkradio.com/globalcarole Listen LIVE or Download Anytime At This Blog Post. Each broadcast can be replayed immediately following the show. Click on the box with my picture on it and enjoy the podcast. ======================== I’ve been there and done that. The husband. Children. House. Job. Bills and Baseball games. Mix it all up, and sometimes you’re not sure what you’ll get. One thing’s for sure…today’s Mom has a balancing act beyond belief at times. Staying the course depends on your fortitude, organization and resources to get you through each day. Today's program is Part 2 of a real show giving you real advice based on real mothers who are getting the job done. I invite you to breathe a bit, sit down and listen for some kernels of wisdom to help you become a fabulous chief mother in charge of your life, your home and your family. 
Meet My Family! Seated L to R: Son-In-Law, (Alberto) Junior Monteiro, Daughter, Michelle Thomas-Monteiro
Standing: L to R: Carole Copeland Thomas ("Nyanya," which is Grandmother in Swahili), Daughter, Dr. Lorna Thomas-Farquharson, Son-In-Law Jerome Farquharson, Granddaughters: Gabrielle (Gabby) Farquharson, age 6 and Julianna Farquharson, age 9. ====== My son, the late Mickarl D. Thomas, Jr. is pictured on the wall playing the saxophone and standing next to his twin sister, Michelle. Sadly he was killed in a single occupant car crash in 1997 at the age of 17. He had just graduated from high school with his sister and was headed to Morehouse College. Focus On Empowerment can be heard every Thursday at 1pm Eastern. Log Onto: www.blogtalkradio.com/globalcarole Listen LIVE or Download Anytime At This Blog Post. Each broadcast can be replayed immediately following the show. ========================================== I’ve been there and done that. The husband. Children. House. Job. Bills and Baseball games. Mix it all up and sometimes you’re not sure what you’ll get. One thing’s for sure…today’s mom has a balancing act beyond belief at times. Staying the course depends on your fortitude, organization and resources to get you through each day. This is a real show giving you real advice based on real mothers who are getting the job done. I invite you to breathe a bit. sit down and listen for some kernels of wisdom to help you become a fabulous chief mother in charge of your life, your home and your family. ==================================================== The History Of Mother's Day In The US And Around The World Source: www.history.com Celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele, but the clearest modern precedent for Mother’s Day is the early Christian festival known as “Mothering Sunday.” Once a major tradition in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, this celebration fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent and was originally seen as a time when the faithful would return to their “mother church”—the main church in the vicinity of their home—for a special service. Over time the Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a more secular holiday, and children would present their mothers with flowers and other tokens of appreciation. This custom eventually faded in popularity before merging with the American Mother’s Day in the 1930s and 1940s. ANN REEVES JARVIS AND JULIA WARD HOWE The origins of Mother’s Day as celebrated in the United States date back to the 19th century. In the years before the Civil War, Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to teach local women how to properly care for their children. These clubs later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. In 1868 Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” at which mothers gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote reconciliation. Another precursor to Mother’s Day came from the abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 Howe wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” a call to action that asked mothers to unite in promoting world peace. In 1873 Howe campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day” to be celebrated every June 2. Other early Mother’s Day pioneers include Juliet Calhoun Blakely, a temperance activist who inspired a local Mother’s Day in Albion, Michigan, in the 1870s. The duo of Mary Towles Sasseen and Frank Hering, meanwhile, both worked to organize a Mothers’ Day in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some have even called Hering “the father of Mothers’ Day.” ANNA JARVIS The official Mother’s Day holiday arose in the 1900s as a result of the efforts of Anna Jarvis, daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis. Following her mother’s 1905 death, Anna Jarvis conceived of Mother’s Day as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children. After gaining financial backing from a Philadelphia department store owner named John Wanamaker, in May 1908 she organized the first official Mother’s Day celebration at a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia. That same day also saw thousands of people attend a Mother’s Day event at one of Wanamaker’s retail stores in Philadelphia. Following the success of her first Mother’s Day, Jarvis—who remained unmarried and childless her whole life—resolved to see her holiday added to the national calendar. Arguing that American holidays were biased toward male achievements, she started a massive letter writing campaign to newspapers and prominent politicians urging the adoption of a special day honoring motherhood. By 1912 many states, towns and churches had adopted Mother’s Day as an annual holiday, and Jarvis had established the Mother’s Day International Association to help promote her cause. Her persistence paid off in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure officially establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. JARVIS DECRIES COMMERCIALIZED MOTHER’S DAY Anna Jarvis had originally conceived of Mother’s Day as a day of personal celebration between mothers and families. Her version of the day involved wearing a white carnation as a badge and visiting one’s mother or attending church services. But once Mother’s Day became a national holiday, it was not long before florists, card companies and other merchants capitalized on its popularity. While Jarvis had initially worked with the floral industry to help raise Mother’s Day’s profile, by 1920 she had become disgusted with how the holiday had been commercialized. She outwardly denounced the transformation and urged people to stop buying Mother’s Day flowers, cards and candies. Jarvis eventually resorted to an open campaign against Mother’s Day profiteers, speaking out against confectioners, florists and even charities. She also launched countless lawsuits against groups that had used the name “Mother’s Day,” eventually spending most of her personal wealth in legal fees. By the time of her death in 1948 Jarvis had disowned the holiday altogether, and even actively lobbied the government to see it removed from the American calendar.  Top Left: Boston Red Sox Award Top Right: Adam Jones Bottom: Awardees Harvard Law School Professor Charles Ogletree & Carole Copeland Thomas  Full disclosure. As a native Detroiter who has lived in the Boston area for more than 35 years, I cringe when I hear stories about racism in my adopted city. As a diversity speaker and trainer for 30 years, the pain of these stories runs deep. For nearly a week, I have read the newspaper reports about a stupid local fan who yelled out the “n-word" during last week’s Boston Red Sox - Baltimore Orioles game at Fenway Park. The victim, Orioles center fielder Adam Jones, tempered his anger, even after the same fan or another one threw a bag of peanuts at him, missed and hit a police officer. The incident threw Boston back in the news as a city that can’t ditch racism no matter how hard it tries. It's now become a national news story that forces us to remember that The Red Sox were the last team to recruit a black player in the major leagues. Its owner at that time, Tom Yawkey, had no use for black people, including rising baseball stars like Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays. That history was buried when the new owner, John Henry II, took a very pro-active stand to make his team more diverse and inclusive. Other players have also been called the “n-word” at Fenway, which makes it even worse. Those are the facts. Lingering racism remains with the diehards who just can’t accept the realities of a changing city and nation where multiculturalism is a mainstream choice for most. Clearly, city and state elected officials have beaten the drums about making our region more inclusive. Boston’s Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Governor Charlie Baker immediately condemned the ballpark incident as intolerable, socially and morally unacceptable. The Red Sox team president, Sam Kennedy, stated, “I find it despicable. There’s no place for it.” And so go similar comments uttered in board rooms and community centers. Boston is NOT a city of hate. Boston rejects racism of any kind. The fans made that point very clearly during the ballgame between the rival teams the next day. They gave Adam Jones a prolonged standing ovation to show their support for him despite the previous night’s ruckus. There’s another side to consider when you look at what happened at Fenway Park. Boston HAS changed. I should know as a 35 year resident of the region. Many factors have led to the transformation of Boston. Both governmental and private initiatives have worked diligently to mute the angry and hateful voices of the past. Take, for example, the efforts of the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau (GBCVB). They created a Multicultural Committee, designed to transform the image of Boston (www.crossculturalboston.com). The first committee was launched in the early 1990s as the city geared up for some high-profile national minority conventions scheduled to come to the city. One of them held in 1995 was the national conference of the National Black MBA Association. I served on the Multicultural Committee and as the local chair of that event that hosted over 5000 black professionals from around the United States and beyond. The efforts of the Multicultural Committee combined with support from corporate leaders and then-Mayor Thomas Menino led to one of the most successful conventions in the association’s history. The Multicultural Committee took a hiatus for a few years in the late 1990s and relaunched in 2003 under GBCVB President & CEO Pat Moscaritolo. He appointed me as the committee chair, and we have been rocking and rolling ever since. Our committee of nearly 15 ethnically diverse business owners, hospitality leaders, and GBCVB staff meet every month except for July and August. We commit to serving in this volunteer role because we care about the image and reputation of our city. The committee formulates ways that we can support the Bureau’s efforts to attract conventions of color. We attend various functions and serve as a welcoming body when executive boards and association leaders come to town. Our enthusiasm mounted in 2014 when both the National Association of Black Journalists and The Eastern Regional Conference of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. hosted their meetings just weeks apart. Both groups left Boston with renewed levels of confidence that the city was embracing diversity and inclusion in powerful new ways. Other conferences, including The National Council of La Raza, The Asian American Journalists Association, Blacks in Government and The Urban League have all had national meetings in Boston, with much success. One of my finest moments was a sunny afternoon in August 2016 when the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Church League honored me and several other civic, social justice and business leaders on the playing field at Fenway Park. We stood on that bright green turf, heard our names announced over the PA system and received the cheers from thousands of fans across the ballpark. No-one shouted the “n-word.” No-one threw bags of peanuts at us. No-one audibly disrespected us. Our families and friends cheered with the crowd in support of our achievements. It was a shining moment for all of Boston and us. As a diversity trainer and speaker, I choose to look at the glass half filled. The days of forced busing in South Boston are long gone. The confrontations and racial divisiveness of the past have been replaced by a city that is now a progressive international destination that welcomes the world. We condemn the actions of ignorant fans who can’t let go of their racism. They have been ejected from Fenway Park and shouldn’t be accepted anywhere else. They do exist, and I grudgingly acknowledge their existence. But they do NOT represent the life blood of a city that’s turning the corner and closing the chapter of its racial past, never worth reliving. Bostonians are resilient as evident during the 2013 Marathon bombing. And Bostonians rose up last week, delivered a standing ovation, and told Adam Jones and the rest of the world that it’s a city too big to hate and too proud to let the actions of a few stand in the way of progress. =================== As an award-winning speaker, trainer and global thought leader, since 1987, Carole Copeland Thomas moderates the discussions of critical issues affecting the marketplace. She has her pulse on the issues affecting working professionals and regularly consults with industry leaders. She has spent 30 years cultivating relationships and partnerships with local, national and international sponsors, including Walmart, Amtrak and Emirates Airlines. Carole has worked with clients throughout the United States and seven foreign countries. Carole is the past president of The National Speakers Association -New England Chapter and is on the board of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau. Carole is a blogger and social media enthusiast using various technology platforms to enhance her business development activities. Carole has been featured in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Black Enterprise, ABC Radio and CBS News. She is the author of four books and is the Past National Vice Chair of the National Black MBA Association. www.carolecopelandthomas.com www.crossculturalboston.com Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau Multicultural Committee Members of the GBCVB Multicultural Committee. Standing Left to Right: Turner Skenderian, Dr. ErinnTucker, Tiffany Probasco, Darrell LeMar, Ola Akinawuni Seated Left to Right: Suzanne Grogan, Carole Copeland Thomas, Michael Munn, Donna DuPee, Kelley Chunn
|
Categories
All
The Multicultural Symposium Series Webinar Series features current topics designed to enhance personal development both on and off the job. All you need is a computer and a phone to join each webinar. Open to Members of the Multicultural Symposium Series.
Visit www.mssconnect.com for complete information.' Want to learn what it's like to own your own business? Or how to expand your business? Pick up a copy of Carole's book today!
Click On The Cover Below... 
How can YOU practice diversity and multiculturalism where YOU live?? Read Carole's book and find out how to make it happen!!
Click On The Book Cover Below... 
AuthorCarole Copeland Thomas is a 27 year speaker, trainer and consultant specializing in global diversity, empowerment, multiculturalism and leadership issues. 
 Archives
August 2024
|
- HOME
- VIP Day
-
Topics and Programs
- World Trade Day Presentation
- High Stakes Sexual Harassment
- Diversity & Dollars
- Diversity Best Practices
- Meeting Planners >
- Global Diversity/Multiculturalism >
- Empowerment
- Leadership
- 2019 Diversity Awareness Month
- Multicultural Sympoisum Series
- Multigenerations In The Workplace
- Roosevelt Thomas Tribute
-
Photo Gallery
- FAMILY MOMENTS 1
- Liberty Utilities 2019
- INFLUENCE 19 NSA
- Black NSA Influence 19
-
Faith Based Initiatives
>
- NEAC 2023
- Allen AME Providence Lay Luncheon
- 2019 Photos New England Annual Conference
- 2019 Videos New England Annual Conference
- 2018 Bethel WMS Christmas Service Project
- 2016 New England Annual Conference
- 2014 Bethel AME Boston Ministry Fair
- 2014 New England Annual Conference
- WMS-NGO
- 2012 AME General Conference
- American Girl Dolls On Parade
- NSA New England 2017-2018
- GBCVB Multicultural Meet & Greet
- May Institute-Blue Cross Blue Shield Photo Gallery
- St Paul AME 100th Anniversary
- Joni's 80th Birthday Weekend
- Boston March Against Hate Photos
- Boston March Against Hate Videos
- NSA Influence 17
- Black NSA Influence 17
- NEHRA D&I Gala
- Bethel 2016 Photo Album
- May Institute Race Forum
- Park School PE
- NSA Central Florida
- Dorchester Bay EDC
- 2016 AME General Conference >
- N'Namdi Art Center-Detroit
- Family Gatherings >
- About Carole & Carole's Blog
- Books
- Video, Radio, More...
- Contact Us
- World Travels
- Store/Articles/Events
- Carole's Coaching Academy
- Product
- Retreats
- JUNETEENTH SPECIAL OFFER
- Understanding Black Culture
- Guidebook Special Offer
- Indigenous Italian Resources
RSS Feed
|
©2024 All Rights Reserved Carole Copeland Thomas
(508) 947-5755 • [email protected]
(508) 947-5755 • [email protected]