In Honor of MLK blog by Jaclyn Kochis

Setting the Roots for a Positive Change: It Starts With You

This morning, I was listening to the radio as they discussed the recent shooting of Representative Giffords in Arizona. From this story, the radio hosts began to talk about a Livonia Police Officer who was recently killed. And then, I thought about the 9-year-old girl who tragically lost her life during the shootings that took place in Arizona.

All of these people died due to unexplainable and incomprehensible hatred….

Sometimes, when you think about the world we live in you can begin to feel overwhelmed with confusion. How could someone wake up one day and seek out to kill or harm in innocent person? What kind of world do we live in?

On Monday, we celebrated and paid tribute to the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Throughout his life, he continually stressed that his efforts, and those that followed his efforts, will be ones of a nonviolent nature; despite the fact that Dr. King was often the recipient of violent acts. He, however, stood firm in his beliefs and leaned towards the nonviolent teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.

As we know, Dr. King’s life tragically ended due to hatred and violence.

I got to thinking about all this, and then I stopped. I realized that I probably need to accept the fact that there will probably always be evil in this world, but, I will certainly not let the acts of these people make me feel discouraged about the world we live in. I will certainly not let those evil people plant a seed of discouragement in my mind.

Instead, I will think about Dr. King’s message and the strength he had, and Representative Giffords and the drive she had to become a political leader— someone who has become well respected across party lines. I will think about that police officer that got up every day to protect the citizens in a local Michigan suburb, and that 9-year-old girl the outstanding drive she had at such a young age.

I will think about the words spoken by Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

What is Art?

I had an amazing chat with a person at TEDx yesterday. Tedx is a conference committed to those who support creative ideas in business, art and who basically want to make the world a better place by doing so. The lady that I talked to shared her vision of the perfect art collective with me. She explained to me that even amongst the world of creatives that prejudices could emerge. We had an awesome discussion about the importance of diversity in every area but especially in this one. After our talk I had a poetic brainstorm and quickly rushed to a nearby bench to write it down. I could not find her afterwards to share it but no worries her & I will be grabbing coffee soon. I thought that you, the readers could be the first to experience my poetic creation. Hope you like it...

What is Art?

A blending of Diversity

A mixture of thought

The collaboration of the creative

to show beauty to ALL eyes

What is Art?

Differences

Standing out

Standing together

Blended vision

for ALL to celebrate

What is Art?

The absence of structure

the elimination of category

the meaning of life

What is Art?

Unity.

-Tara Michener

August meeting update

Dimensions of Diversity Alliance had an amazing meeting in August. Our speaker Berge P. Avesian Jr. helped us to understand the culture of the deaf & hearing impaired community with his own personal story of having hearing loss occur at 12 years old.
He educated us about the technology that is making it more manageable to accommodate those who encounter hearing loss. We also welcomed a new member Joshua Nowicki, a representative from the Holocaust Memorial Center at the meeting letting us know about their upcoming events and some of the historical significance of this beautiful center.
Mark your calendar for September 18th which is our Walk, Run, Wheel event in Novi at the Town Center.
This event commemorates the 20th anniversary of the American Disabilities Act and celebrates Triathletes In Action's effort to sponsor their 1st Triathlete in a wheel chair.
If you would like to contribute, participate or volunteer please email me at whoiamnotwhatiam@yahoo.com

Beauty For All...

I had the pleasure of going on a shopping/hang time with a great friend this week. I was inspired to write this blog post because we stopped into a large department store retailer cosmetic area where we were greeted by very friendly make-up artists who asked if we wanted make-overs. I instantly felt the discouragement in my heart. Something told me that they would not have my shade of foundation or powder but I quieted the voice inside-reminded myself that we were in 2010 and simply asked about the shades of foundation that they carry.

I could tell that the artist that I was speaking to had never thought of that dilemma and she looked a bit nervous. She grabbed a shade and tried it out on my hand. I noticed that it did not blend and my heart sank. The lady asked if I wanted a makeover again. I told her that the shade did not match and she let out a breath and said yeah I agree but I wasn't going to say anything. She proceeded to ask me if I wanted a makeover without foundation and I declined. I figured that if you were going to get dolled up foundation is the...well foundation.

I watched as my friend who is more fair than I in skin tone received a beautiful makeover. She is very pretty anyway and her heart matches her outward appearance. The store did a great job on her and I could not help but feel like this experience could make an enriching and thought provoking blog post.I thought about how the cosmetic industry at this particular counter had shades that ranged to fit many hues but not mine. I also thought about how this could impact women and girls who needed beauty products but had to settle for less.

As an advocate and author for self-esteem and diversity I realize that this encounter did not happen by chance but that it could be a learning experience for beauty retailers that don't meet the needs of all shades of beauty. Have you ever felt that you were not acknowledged by the beauty industry in any way? Please share. I'd love to have an open discussion on this topic and think about how we can help the industry know that there is room for improvement.

Read something great.

Guest Blogger Joni Hubred-Golden

Inspiration from the women of WISDOM

A few years ago, I connected with several women from a group called Women's Interfaith Solutions for Dialogue and Outreach in Metro Detroit - WISDOM. They were from different faith traditions but had one goal in mind: To bring women together for open discussions about faith. Because of the project I worked on for them, I thought I'd gotten to know organization pretty well. But until I opened the book Friendship & Faith, I did not realize its membership included so many remarkable women. The book shares the stories of 28 WISDOM members who have all had life-altering interfaith experiences and have committed to fostering peace and understanding in our world.
The chapters are tightly edited, so reading this book is a breeze. Each essay is inspiring, and many introduce readers to faith traditions and other organizations working toward the same goal. For instance, Brenda Naomi Rosenberg shares the story of how she came to create a project that brings young people together through the story of Isaac and Ishmael, the sons of Abraham, who were raised separately but came together to bury their father. I have a particular interest in interfaith relationships, because my marriage is interfaith. I was raised Christian; my husband is Jewish. People often ask whether I will convert. After eight years, my answer is still, "Not yet." Neither of us is particularly observant, and we haven't felt the overwhelming need to find a "home," so to speak, in one religion or the other. Instead, we have forged a new path in our study of kabbalah. Commonly known as Jewish mysticism, kabbalah has become my personal spiritual path. The philosophy embraces concepts like universal love, healing the world and recognizing a spark of divinity exists in all of us. More importantly, it resonates with both of our faith traditions.
Kabbalah does not require conversion or attendance at religious services, only a genuine thirst for knowledge, an open mind and an open heart. That's really the essence of Faith & Friendship. Every essay relates the joy that come from opening our minds and hearts. The authors write of bonds formed by sharing their stories, learning about other faith traditions and dispeling the whole notion of "other" that creates opportunities for us to think of ourselves, our race or our religion as better or more "right" than someone else's.The book is published by David Crumm Media, Inc., which has produced two other essay collections, Interfaith Heroes I & Interfaith Heroes II. If you are looking for a source of hope, I suggest you read all three. These people live in our communities and work in the service of peace and understanding. We are blessed to have them among us.
Interfaith resources:Read the Spirit: http://www.readthespirit.com/
Friendship & Faith: http://www.readthespirit.com/friendship-and-faith-book/
Interfaith Heroes: http://www.readthespirit.com/interfaith_heroes/

Joni Hubred-Golden is publisher of MichiganWomensForum.com, a web site devoted to sharing stories by, for and about Michigan women. She and her husband Brian live in beautiful Downtown Farmington, Michigan.

Opportunities Do Exist with Disabilities-Guest blog by Dave Peck

Opportunities Do Exist with Disabilities
By: David Peck, Vice President, MPVA Board of Directors
U.S. Navy Veteran, Vietnam, 1968-1969

I was just twenty years old and found myself living as a paraplegic with no trade or higher education. At home, I had a wonderful family who believed I would be able and willing to accept my new lifestyle if I had a new skill to focus on in order to obtain a balance of living and new sense of self-worth. I always felt that I could do anything I put my mind toward and with the help of my family (who supervised the building of a workshop as I returned home from Vietnam) I ended up doing just that.
Living all my life in a community of wonderful friends and family allowed me to accept offers to learn woodworking, canning of chairs, and refinishing of furniture. I set out to build a home to add on to the workshop I already had. With help from numerous individuals, the task was accomplished. From there, I realized I had lots of ideas, and with the use of my new knowledge I sought after a forty-one year journey of creating furniture.
With the passing of years, my hobbies have increased and new adventures have been experienced. I have traveled, seen my children become adults, and completed numerous projects in wood and refinishing. I enjoy hunting and had my first experience with Great Lake Fishing this past month. My favorite thing to do is mow the land around my home myself. I get such joy with the coming of spring and summer; the rebirth of nature and tasks that come with it. I also maintain our pool and keep up with the maintenance of all my “toys.” In addition, my wife and I have also been able to do some traveling in each of the great states.
As for my furniture work, canning brings me the most joy. It is hard to find individuals who have this skill and I take pride in the fact that I can usually cane over twenty chairs a year, all sizes and styles. There are many of my finished products in my home and others as well. Over the years, I have refinished my own dining room furniture, living room tables and my bedroom furniture. Birdhouses happen to be my children’s favorites. In the fall, I look forward to various toy projects for my grandson who is currently awaiting a special train engine that he can sit on and use his imagination.
I always look for new projects and hobbies to make my life enjoyable. I enjoy participating in MPVA sports events and have been competing in them for many years. I also had the luxury of participating in an African Safari Hunt which gave me the opportunity of brining home unbelievable memories and a trophy.
Over the years, I have had the opportunity of talking with returning veterans and I have always tried to give them some sort of self awareness by letting them know that someone else has gone through the same experiences. I have been blessed with the understanding and encouragement from my family and friends. Looking back on the life I was given, I am thankful that I have been truly able to enjoy each and every day.

Save the Date for the Walk, Run, Wheel 5K

The Dimensions of Diversity Alliance Blog is proud to present the 1st Annual Walk, Run, Wheel 5K! This event will be held at the Novi Town Center on Spetember 25th. The goal is to raise awareness and educate the community in regards to the Michigan Paralyzed Veterans Associations and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the American Disabilities Act. Triathletes in Action will be gearing up to add their first triathlete in a wheel chair and the funds raised during this event will help them to meet this goal.
Have you ever wondered how hard it would be to get around in a wheel chair? You don't have to wonder anymore. There will be chairs available to allow those who are curious to race the course in a chair to understand the complexity involved in impaired mobility. Bonefish Grill, Tara Michener Industries and more will be involved to make this event a wonderful success. If you have questions or would like to be a sponsor, participant or to donate please email whoiamnotwhatiam@yahoo.com
More information will be forthcoming soon.
-Read something great!