This article originally appeared on May 27, 2016
For the first time since leaving office, former commander-in-chief Barack Obama is headed to Kenya and South Africa to visit the Obama ancestral home, convene 200 young leaders across the continent, and deliver a speech to mark the anniversary of Nelson Mandela's 100th birthday.
While his schedule is jam-packed, Obama managed to make a reading list for his followers before leaving.
And it. Is. Good.
Barack Obama recommended six books, the majority of which are authored by African writers.
This week, I’m traveling to Africa for the first time since I left office – a continent of wonderful diversity, thriving...
Posted by Barack Obama on Friday, July 13, 2018
"Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe, "A Grain of Wheat" by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, and "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie are just a few. They tell stories ranging from the pervasive impacts of colonialism to an African nation's story before foreign influence to the Nigerian immigrant experience in America. In short, they tell the stories of a remarkably diverse continent, all through the words of people that are connected to it in their own unique ways.
While Obama has released a recommended reading list many times in the last few years, this year's list is particularly important. In the past, political figures and educators alike have centered the stories of white, straight men. While these stories have certainly influenced our society, they are by no means the only stories that exists, nor the only stories that should be told.
Photo by Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images.
Obama is increasing exposure to a largely unexplored literary world of African writers and is helping to make space for diverse storytelling.
As Adichie — one of the novelists Obama recommends — once said in a viral TedTalk, there is a danger in telling a single story. When society only supports stories that feature a singular perspective, we fail to recognize the experiences of immigrants, queer folks, people of color, disabled people, and other underrepresented groups.
Through his summer reading list, Obama is helping make writers like Thiong'o and Adichie as commonly known as Ernest Hemingway and Harper Lee.
Judging by the description of these books, it seems like readers are in for a super fun literary ride.
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This company has huge aspirations for reducing the unemployment rate for disabled folks.
07.12.18
If you’re an adult with a disability, finding steady employment can be an uphill battle.
Due to some outdated, problematic stereotypes, the unemployment rate for disabled adults in the United States is nearly 10% — double the rate of those without a disability.
Those numbers are unacceptable, and one company has aspirations to make them a thing of the past.
Aspire works to support disabled adults through workforce development programs and creating job opportunities.
All photos are courtesy of Aspire.
Aspire works with adults who have many different disabilities — such as autism, those who use a wheelchair, and adults with learning disabilities — to develop several important work skills that can be used in different industries. Aspire CEO Jim Kales says it’s a positive step toward improving the job environment for disabled adults.
“While Aspire aims to lower the disability unemployment rate and include people with disabilities into our workforces, we never approach employers out of a sense of 'obligation' or moral duty,” Kales writes in an email. “We view each of our employer partnerships as a win for all parties.”
Through two ventures — the Career Academy and CoffeeWorks — adults with disabilities learn sustainable job skills and use them to support others with disabilities around the world.
Aspire supports multiple ventures to support people living with disabilities.
But how do they do it?
In Aspire’s Career Academy, students are able to dive into their personal career interests while gaining important workforce training. The students receive hands-on training from experts skilled at working with people with a variety of disabilities. To keep services effective, the Career Academy focuses on six career areas that have historically been particularly beneficial for students and graduates.
"We’ve identified six specific sectors that adults with disabilities have statistically excelled in and train participants in those tracks: warehousing and distribution, big-box retail, office and IT, culinary, hospitality, and fitness center administration," Kales says of the program structure.
Their strategy is working in the favor of the students they serve. More than 90% of academy graduates are employed full-time.
Some of them end up at CoffeeWorks — an Aspire-led organization that employs people with developmental disabilities. In addition, 100% of the net proceeds supports kids and adults with disabilities. In essence, they’re breaking down stereotypes and barriers one coffee bean at a time.
“We decided to explore opportunities in the coffee industry because, in essence, coffee brings people together, and that’s what our mission is all about — inclusion for people with disabilities,” Kales writes.
To be an outsider looking through the purview of stereotypes, the success rate might be surprising. But according the Kales, it’s exactly what they expected. Numerous reports show that adults with disabilities often excel in many fields, particularly those with creative or repetitive tasks.
"Hiring people with disabilities makes good business sense — 87% of Americans say they prefer to patronize businesses that hire people with disabilities," Kales writes. “Additionally, hiring people with disabilities helps companies increase their retention rates, saving them the time and cost accrued with employee turnover, as people with disabilities have higher than average retention rates and are proven to be dependable and loyal in their roles.”
For many of the students and employees, the work is empowering, valuable, and important for positive life trajectories.
With real employment opportunities, adults living with disabilities are able to have a more equitable chance to engage with the economy and participate in common societal practices. Society is noticing how awesome it is too.
"[We’re] seeing a wave of interest from employers seeking to hire people with developmental disabilities," Kales writes. "Twenty-one companies (including several Fortune 500’s) have reached out to us in the past six months to start their disability hiring journey."
It’s clear that giving everyone a fair chance at employment opportunities is a win-win for all.
"It comes back to Aspire’s fundamental belief that when we include people of all abilities into our communities, everyone is better for it," Kales adds. "We believe that when people with disabilities are included into our workforces, companies and communities prosper."
Learn more about Aspire's Career Academy below:
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The 2018 World Cup has been wildly incredible.
From nail-biting penalties, unexpected underdog wins, and some truly unique fan costumes, the series has become a summer pastime for many citizens around the world.
Image by AFP/Getty Images.
As the competition winds down, several European countries are fighting for the coveted World Cup. In addition to some truly superhuman skills on display, national teams from finalist countries like France and Britain have showcased and amplified another invaluable characteristics too.
The semi-finals in 2018 include some of the most diverse European teams ever.
Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images.
With players like Kylian Mbappé and Paul Pogba on the French national team and Dele Alli and Kyle Walker on the English national team, European teams in the World Cup are showing just how valuable diversity is.
As billions cheers for their respective teams around the country, watching teams that represent countries that have a fraught colonialist history being led by men of color is extremely important. Men of color, whether they are immigrants or born in their countries of citizenship, often face incomparable challenges in Europe and around the globe. From discrimination in hiring, racism on the field, and struggling to prove their commitment to their countries, men of color often face additional pressure in sports that are broadcast to predominately European viewers.
Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images.
However, society is changing. As people continue to stand up against racism toward immigrants and players of color, the World Cup is just one more example of the value diversity adds.
A diverse team is a winning team.
As we celebrate diversity on the soccer field, it’s important to also keep in mind that we shouldn’t only show respect and praise to people with amazing athletic skill. We should value and respect the contribution of everyday citizens too.
Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images.
While it’s awesome and incredibly fun to support our athletes, celebrities, and heroes, people should also be respectful of immigrants and migrants they encounter in everyday activities as well. They are just as valuable and worthy of civil rights as anyone else. The World Cup shows us that making diversity a priority is both beneficial for excellence and for representation.
Regardless of the outcome of the games, the World Cup has highlighted the importance of diversity in events that emphasize national pride. People of color are all over the world. They’re worthy of respect, and nations can become even better when they support them wholeheartedly.
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