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Diversity Awareness Month…Trying Something New

Ethos’ Carrot Cake Cheesecake

In the spirit of Diversity Awareness, we decided to try something new. Ethos Southern Bistro and Martini Bar is a new restaurant in our area that we visited this month and the food was delicious! The cuisine was a diverse mixture of Soul Food and Cajun with an upscale twist. Their entrees are seasonal because the restaurant’s executive chef, Chef V (Vernon), uses fresh produce from local growers. Ethos’ staff was very personable and provided excellent customer service. Chef V even came to our table and asked if we enjoyed our meal! We were very impressed by his personal touch and engagement with patrons. If you’re ever in the Salisbury/Rowan County area we highly recommend that you visit Ethos Southern Bistro and Martini Bar at 118 N. Main Street, Salisbury, NC. For more information about Ethos, visit their pages at https://www.facebook.com/ethosbar?fref=ts and http://www.ethosdining.com/Ethos_Dining_Site/menu.html. For more information about Chef V, visit ‘Chef V’ cooks soulfully elegant food | Salisbury, NC – Salisbury Post.

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October: Diversity Awareness Month

This October as the leaves change colors and fall to the ground, allow your perspective to do the same. Let your guards down and embrace diversity. After all, October is Diversity Awareness Month. Just as there are variety of yellows, oranges, and reds outside, there are also a variety of identities, nationalities, religions, sexual orientations, and disability statuses.

Diversity Awareness Month is a time to reflect on aspects of cultural diversity. It is not only a chance to learn from each other’s differences; it’s also an opportunity to discover what you have in common with others and build a stronger community.

Friday, October 5th, is National Diversity Day. We encourage you to visit National Diversity Day official website at http://www.nationaldiversityday.com/Ideas_for_NDD.html for great ideas about how to get involved in the celebration of diversity. Participation is simple, easy, and fun; simply embrace who you and others are. For example, get to know your neighbor better, host a cultural potluck dinner, or pledge to learn more about another nationality.

This October, take the time to reflect on and learn about different cultures. You never know who you might have something in common with. Happy Diversity Awareness Month!

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RealTalk – I Am Not My Hair or Am I?

This past Sunday, The Vine Event Planning, hosted another intriguing RealTalk discussion titled “I Am Not My Hair or Am I?”.  The discussion highlighted the Gabby Douglas Twitter incident and Hampton University’s MBA program ban on dreadlocks and cornrows.

During the 2012 Summer Olympics, gymnast Gabby Douglas, was criticized on Twitter about her hair. Numerous people complained about how Gabby’s hair was styled. Our discussion participants unanimously agreed that the tweets were trivial and the focus should have been on her spectacular performances. When asked if they we’re surprised by the negative responses on Twitter, all in attendance were not. Some participants shared their own personal experience with similar incidents whether it was themselves or others. Our guest got a better understanding of why it is difficult for female athletes to maintain “perfect” hair with continuous performance and sweating.  “Most of the people complaining probably have no athletic background what so ever. True athletes are focused on the task at hand like Gabby was; her hair was not a priority,” said Michael Cross.

Recently, Hampton University has been in the news for banning dreadlocks and cornrows for male students in their MBA program. Even though, the majority felt like it was discriminatory toward the male students, they understood why the university implemented the ban. One of our guest suggested that acceptable “corporate look” should be taught by the university but, not imposed. Another guest quickly retorted the suggestion with the fact that the success of program is measured by the number of graduates who gain employment. The likelihood of a graduate with dreadlocks and cornrows getting a corporate position is slim; certain positions don’t allow facial hair, piercings, tattoos, etc. “College is a microscopic environment.  Hampton is preparing their students for the real world outside of campus,” said Willette Johnson.

Self-discrimination was also a topic of discussion since the majority of the people who found fault with Gabby’s hair were African American women and Hampton University is an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). Everyone believed that self-discrimination was a factor in the Gabby Douglas incident; exposing insecurities that some black women have about “kinky” hair.  “Some of us [black women] have bought into the notion that straighter is better; if my hair will not lay down then something is wrong with me,” explained Johnson. Our guest agreed that Hampton’s ban was not necessarily self-discrimination but, more of a preparation for work environment in Corporate America.

We encouraged our guest not to end the discussion at the event but, to continue the dialogue with family, friends, and associates. They were instructed to share insights from our discussion and expand the knowledge of others. Most importantly, we asked them to also look within themselves and identify any insecurity they may have. In identifying and confronting these insecurities, personal growth is sure to follow.

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September: National Hispanic Heritage Month

Each year, mid-way through the month of September, our country acknowledges Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and contributed to our nation and society. The national acknowledgement of Hispanic heritage was originally a week-long celebration approved by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan stretched the celebration into a 30-day annual commemorative event. National Hispanic Heritage begins on September 15th, in honor of the day Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua gained their independence in 1821.

This year for Hispanic Heritage Month, participate by educating yourself about Hispanic-Americans who are positively impacting society. Also, take advantage of opportunities to learn more about Hispanic-American cultures. For example, do you know the difference between Hispanic and Latino? Both are words that refer to areas of origin, not race. Hispanic is used to refer to individuals from Spain and Spanish colonies in South and Central America. Latino, on the other hand, refers to people from Latin America.

Another interesting fact is that the Hispanic population of the United States is 52 million, as of July 1, 2011, according to the US Census Bureau. This number makes this population the nation’s largest ethnic minority. – www.prnewswire.com. At 52 million strong and growing, the Latino vote will be a decisive force in the 2012 elections this coming November. Voto Latino is a non-partisan organization dedicated to giving a political voice to the Latino community. Visit their Election Center on their website at www.votolatino.org for more information.

This month, also visit Presente.org website at www.presente.org. Presente.org is a national organization that provides a platform for the Latino community to stand up and speak out. On their website you will find a list of their campaigns that highlights issues the Latino community face. You’ll also find ways you can personally take action as a community ally.

For additional information about Hispanic Heritage Month, visit hispanicheritagemonth.gov/about.

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September: National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

This September, we would like to bring awareness to childhood obesity. One of our blog followers, Muhammad Saleem, asked that we share the infographic below that highlights the importance of recess and how it can positively affect student’s lives. With the rise of childhood obesity in the United States, do you think recess is a staple that should remain in the schools? Please comment and share your thoughts. For more information about Childhood Obesity visit http://www.letsmove.gov/.

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Muhammad Saleem is a journalist, please check out his website at http://muhammadsaleem.com to view his projects and portfolio.

Infograph Provided By: OnlineDegrees.org

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What Will Be Your Legacy Month – Man In The Mirror

What better way to end “What Will Be Your Legacy Month” than with Michael Jackson – Man In The Mirror.

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RealTalk-Reality TV’s Impact on Women’s Image

Many of us are regular viewers of the various reality television shows such as House Wives, Basketball Wives and Hollywood Exes. As a viewer, have you ever considered the impact these shows have on the image of women? Is it strictly entertainment, or does reality TV have the power to shape and influence one’s perspective? These questions and many more were answered during RealTalk LIVE online discussion on August 21st.

Nicole Daniels, a licensed marriage and family therapist, was our event moderator and presented some intriguing information. She opened up the discussion with the question, “What impact do you think reality TV has on women’s image?” Most of the attendees stated that, for them, it was strictly entertainment and they had not truly considered it’s impact. However, everyone did agree that most of the women on the shows were catty and combative.

One participant stated that they felt the majority of the show’s viewers were forty plus women and at that age they should be secure in who they are and not be influenced by what they see on television. Daniels quickly pointed out that many of the networks that broadcast these shows are not targeting adults; they’re audience are tweens and teens, which are an impressionable segment.

Another attendee, who has teenage daughters, openly shared how she blocked one of the networks on her television. She began to notice a change in her children’s behavior and decided to sit down with them and discuss how young ladies and women should present themselves. She strongly agreed that reality television has the ability to shape one’s perspective. Daniels encouraged parents in attendance to closely monitor the images their children or seeing on television and to talk to them about it.

Our only male participant was very insightful and presented to the group another impact of reality television. He was concerned about how men were being portrayed as well. He stated that looking at Love and HipHop, someone may get the impression that most men are womanizers. He shared that the show is a good example of how men in a relationship will do what their partner allows; women need to have high standards and expectations.

Daniels closed the discussion by pointing out the fact that as viewers we have a responsibility. If we want to see more positive images on television, we need to view and support the shows that display those images.

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Nicole Daniels owns and operates Family First Psychotherapy Services LLC (FFPS) in White Plains, Maryland. For more information about FFPS and their services, visit their website at http://www.familyfirstpsych.com/.