Chadwick Boseman - celebrated for portraying heroism

August 28 the world was shocked by the announcement that 43 year old Chadwick Boseman, actor extraordinaire of multiple heroic figures had succumbed to four years of battling colon cancer. Few knew of his battle as he maintained active portrayal of such great figures as Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall, and of course T’Challa of “Black Panther.”

Chadwick's rise to stardom was meteoric and his death inexplicable. In his last film, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," Chadwick plays the role of Levee, a struggling young musician who doesn't fit the conventional heroic figure of his earlier films. Except that Chadwick brought the transcendent into the room as his character shouts his protest to God who Levee decries as having abandoned him. Fellow actors recognized, and I dare say viewers will also, that God was in the room. Levee's lines ring through to define Black's struggle in the U.S.A. from the days of slavery to the present and they serve as a protest to Chadwick's own death at such an early age. The witness Chadwick leaves in the roles he played as well as the way he lived his life is that everyone needs to be the hero of her or his own story, a sentiment shared when he was interviewed by Trevor Noah.

 

Mythic stories, often including some form of heroic figure, give us meaning in life, as author Joseph Campbell has portrayed. When we read, view a film, or simply take a moment to reflect, we realize that many of our motivations from day to day are inspired by someone who has faced great challenge and either conquered or transcended it. These mythic stories seldom come from individuals who claim their heroism. Instead, individuals are more often granted heroic status as a result of doing what they are driven to do, fulfilling the promise that results from pursuing one’s passion.

 

As Chadwick Boseman declared in his 2018 commencement address to the graduating class of Howard University, "struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose. When I dared to challenge the system that would relegate us to victims and stereotypes with no clear historical backgrounds, no hopes or talents, when I questioned that method of portrayal, a different path opened up for me, the path to my destiny." Boseman chose to define himself rather than be defined by others. Taking this path was not an act of grandiosity or a proclamation of his heroism. It was simply a way for him to be true to himself during his short and conviction-filled life. Boseman's example inspires me and is likely to inspire many others who will follow in his path.

Campbell - A Hero's Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work

 Mythology is an organization of symbolic images and narratives metaphorical of the possibilities and fulfillment in a given culture in a given time. Mythology is a metaphor. God, angels, purgatory, these are metaphors. (from interview with New York Times, 1985)

Joseph Campbell was a professor of philosophy at Sarah Lawrence, author, and speaker who influenced many artists from the mid-20th century through today. Some of the most provocative movies mirror his philosophy (e.g. 2001 Space Odyssey, Star Wars) and countless other artists have found inspiration in his ideas. The core of Campbell's major contribution is in understanding mythological stories as metaphors for the human journey, as reflected in the above quote.

A Hero's Journey (2018) is a summary collection of quotes from Campbell's writing as well as references made by others to his work and interviews/panels in which he was involved. Reflecting on his writing, Campbell said, "That's the function of the artist, you know, to reinterpret the old stories and make them come alive again, in poetry, painting, and now movies." (p. 13) This quote captured his purpose in life - to remind readers and listeners that myth is a way of enlivening the mystery of life.

Campbell's belief was that myths are universal and transcend time, reflecting consistent archetypes that contribute to a long, unfolding story. He believed that study and internalization of myths was especially important in the modern era where cynicism can inhibit full engagement and inquiry. The antidote he advocated was to follow your bliss, digging deep to identify your passion and following the path it opens to you. The hero's journey was one of going in, "It is a movement beyond the known boundaries of faith and convention, the search for what matters, the path of destiny, the route of individuality, the road of original experience..." (p. 23) And the myths were both ancient and contemporary with the contemporary stories coming from music, athletic competition, nature and human's encounter with it.

Campbell's most notable book is The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949) which followed an extensive period of study and editing of Heinrich Zimmer's (Celtic scholar and Indologist who fled Hitler's Germany) lectures given at Columbia University. Through studying Zimmer and other mythological stories, Campbell arrived at the idea that "...there's one mythology in the world. It has been inflected in various cultures in terms of their historical and social circumstances and needs and particular local ethic systems, but it's one mythology." (p. 201) One of the most profound assertions of this one mythology was that "deities are symbolic personifications of the very images that are of yourself." "...god is out there and the god is in here. The kingdom of heaven is within you, yes, but it's also everywhere." (p. 202) Fundamental to this view was that mythical stories, particularly those in the Christian Bible, must "be read as metaphorical of what ought to happen to me, that I ought to die and resurrect, die to my ego and resurrect to my divinity." (p. 216)

Some of Campbell's ideas are a product of the time in which he read, thought, and taught. Particularly in relation to women's roles, Campbell advocated what might today be perceived by many as an uneasy balance between affirmation of women pursuing whatever they wish in career and life against roles of nurturer and care taker. Likewise, his view of men's roles included a degree of gallantry, even referencing the "five virtues of the medieval knight: temperance, courage, loyalty, courtesy, and love" (p. 179), that many in the current era would find stifling. As products of the time, these ideas can surely be subjected to Campbell's four major functions of mythology:

• Mystical - opening the heart and mind
• Cosmological - opening to what science teaches us
• Sociological - validating and maintaining social systems
• Pedagogical - guiding us through the inevitable crises of life

Application of the functions of myth to the socialized gender roles of mid-20th century reveals different conclusions in the 21st century, a conclusion that Campbell would likely embrace.

The four functions of mythology also help me understand how Campbell was able to maintain such great optimism while fully living in "...joyful participation in the sorrows of the world." (p. 328, from Wings of Art, Campbell) Various positive and negative experiences in life bring us to new realizations, "unshelling a system of life and immediately moving into a new system of life." (p. 123)

Moving into a new understanding of the world and our role in it is the hero's journey. Especially during the journey of maturing and even growing old, Campbell said, "Trying to hang on to youth, trying to hang on to what was really great twenty years ago, throws you totally off. You've got to go with it and seek the abundance that's in this new thing." (p.299)

Spirituality and leadership

Research has confirmed a link between student's exposure to different cultures and their efficacy in leadership, a dynamic that is likely mirrored after the college years. Spirituality is a type of diversity that is now garnering greater attention, evidenced by the publication of Spirituality and Leadership in the New Directions for Student Leadership series. Having shared my own journey in a chapter for this book (Discovering Purpose: a Life-long Journey), I believe that the exploration of faith and spiritual difference may actually be a necessary, and perhaps easier path, to introducing diverse cultures and backgrounds. I describe parallel paths of understanding diverse cultures and faiths in this chapter, although my reflections are that exploring diverse faith perspectives offered my first deeper dive.

As the focus on diversity throughout cultures around the world increases, spiritual diversity may be one of the more promising and critical areas to explore. However, a gap in understanding across faiths was captured in a recent survey of college students. The survey found that college students lack religious literacy saying that "...student participation in formal courses and activities that build interfaith skills is low and, in some cases, declined over students' college years. And while nearly three-quarters of students in college agreed with the statement that they dedicated time in college to learning about people of a different race or ethnicity (74 percent) or from a different country (73 percent), far lower percentages said they dedicated time to learning about people of different religions." The report went on to say that interfaith understanding can be enhanced through courses, experiences outside of class, through positive friendships that explore religious difference, and by fostering a campus culture that welcomes diverse faith groups. 

My own collegiate experience validates these research findings. I have realized that another element of my own journey is music, which served as an introduction to other faith perspectives while I was studying music as an undergraduate student. Once I saw how the music of different religions inspired similar feelings and insights, it became only natural to explore the similarities and differences of the cultures I began to encounter in graduate school and beyond. Life as a student affairs educator and university administer in multiple locations in the U.S.A. and then abroad in Qatar allowed for the exposures of my undergraduate and graduate school years to deepen over a lifetime.

Supporting the arts in the aftermath of 2020

Arts organizations throughout the U.S.A. will join together in a RED ALERT on Tuesday night, September 1. The purpose is to draw attention to the value of arts and entertainment and the deep impact COVID-19 is having on organizations and people in this critical sector. Some cities, Chicago being one, have targeted funding to help organizations during the pandemic shut down but much more help and support is needed. Perhaps advocates should look back at strategies from the recovery period following the Great Depression.

The Works Progression Administration (WPA) was FDR's primary strategy to restart the U.S. economy during the Great Depression that began in 1929 and persisted through the 1930s. The WPA put people back to work in constructing parks, dams, and other infrastructure that benefitted the public. Along with these physical public benefits, it also supported the arts with many writers, musicians, painters and others contributing to the richness of American life during that period. This was leadership at a very difficult time and the WPA will forever be remembered, and Roosevelt lauded, for the vision of offering employment that rebuilt the country.

The Public Works of Art initiative alone hired 4,000 people in 1933 who created 16,000 murals and paintings for governmental buildings. The Writers Project hired 7,500 writers and the Federal Theatre Project hired 15,000 playwrights. Chicago was one of the primary cities to benefit from the WPA and the portion targeting the arts. Chicago's concert halls and ballrooms were abuzz with great classical and popular musicians celebrating the unique character of America.

The WPA launched in the 1930s when unemployment was 20%, a level quite similar to the unemployment rate that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. While the governmental investment has been very significant in 2020 and the period of intense unemployment will hopefully be shorter, it was implemented in across-the-board payments to citizens and through making funds available for loan to keep employees on the payroll of faltering businesses.

The July 15, 2020, Chicago Tribune article, "How will Chicago artists make it through coronavirus?" proposes that a WPA for the arts is one way to put the 37% (per Bureau of Labor Statistics) of artists and entertainers back to work across the country. If for-profit businesses and churches can obtain help in 2020, then why not artists? Surely, some artists have benefitted from the funding that has already been made available but, due to the greater proportion who are out of work in the arts, funding specifically to help them would be huge.

Like the WPA of the 1930s, public support for the arts could create a renaissance of American culture that would celebrate who we really are, a nation primarily of immigrants who get things done. And perhaps some of the new art could replace the art and statuary that has become the center of many demonstrations throughout the weeks that followed the killing of George Floyd but police in Minneapolis. The arts help us find common ground, they symbolize both difficult and good times, they critique in thought-provoking ways, and the arts could employ many people who are struggling today.

WHO Chief - Disunity is a greater threat than COVID-19

I posted on March 20, 2020, that the rise of populism and nationalist movements around the world such as "Make America Great Again" had created a "geopolitical recession" that would deter the world in preventing the COVID-19 pandemic. This post was based on Ian Bremmer's assertion in a fascinating video completed around that time by SAP/Ariba entitled, "What's Happening in the World?"

Today, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus shared his view with the world that the "Lack of Unity is a bigger threat than the Coronavirus." In emotional commentary following the declaration by President Trump that the USA was starting the process of pulling out of the WHO, it is very clear that in the USA and around the world, we are our own worst enemy! "How is it difficult for humans to unite and fight a common enemy that is killing people indiscriminately?" he asked.

Over one half million dead around the world, with the USA death toll rising above 130,000 as of July 2020, how can national and international politicians get away with abdicating leadership? There is really no question that political agendas are driving health and public policy. Trump prepared well for this moment through misrepresenting the facts (lying) and by vilifying anyone who disagrees with him, parallel strategies to those used by Joe McCarthy in the 1950s. The question is if there are enough reasonable people of all political persuasions willing to band together to bring us back from the abyss of geopolitical recession that now puts us all at risk.

Ross - The Rest is Noise

Alex Ross’ The Rest is Noise: Listening to the 20^th Century (2007) is about the evolution of, and movements within, 20^th century music around the world. It raises a fundamental question that those who aspire to leadership and artists alike face – how far can you push those who you seek to influence without losing their attention and loyalty?

Ross references some of my favorite composers of the late 19^th century and early 20^th century. In particular, he references Gustav Mahler numerous times and portrays him as one of the most successful composers in creating music that was popular in his time, grew in importance after his death, and set the stage for many of the innovations that other composers would emulate. Mahler models pushing the edge, challenging his listeners, and raising fundamental questions through music that could very well be studied as examples of innovation for multiple arenas of human activity. (The picture here is Max Oppenheimer’s “The Philharmonic,” a massive wall-sized painting now displayed in the Belvedere of Vienna, Austria, with Mahler as the central figure.)

The title for Ross’ book is never explained but my presumption is that composers and musicians who don’t make it into the text are in his estimation – just noise. But many, many composers are included with whom I am unfamiliar or are less understandable for me. Composers such as Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern are examples. The fact is that I’ve not studied these composers carefully enough to know if I might over time develop a taste for their creations. In addition to referencing Mahler in numerous places, Ross also notes that Ravel often pushed listeners and highlighted the example of La Valse which he characterized as a dazzling incarnation and satire of the 1920s. “…trombones snarling and percussion rattling, the music becomes brassy, sassy, and fierce… portraying a society spinning out of control, reeling from the horrors of the recent past toward those of the near future.” (p.121)

Several of my favorite composers of the early 20^th century were considered nationalists, those who hung on to cultures that were changing. As nationalists, they stayed connected with listeners even though they were panned by critics and the musical intelligentsia. Rachmaninov wrote in 1939, “I feel like a ghost wandering in a world grown alien” (p. 175) and Sibelius said, “Not everyone can be an ‘innovating genius’” (p. 175) and resigned himself to having a smaller, locally connected, and modest place in musical history. Another of these composers is Aaron Copeland who related to so many in the early 20^th century by portraying history and places with which all could identify. Copeland’s case is interesting for having emerged at a time when the U.S.A. government generously supported the arts through the Works Program Administration (WPA), which offered special funding through the Federal Music Project. (p. 303) I would also include Leonard Bernstein in this group of listenable composers; Bernstein’s national reach went beyond the U.S.A. at the same time it directly reflected contemporary cultural conversations in such works as “On the Town,” Westside Story,” and “Mass.”

One of the most difficult periods of music for me to understand is what was known as the avant-garde era. Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, written while he was being held in a Nazi concentration camp and first performed in 1941 by prisoners, is identified by Ross as starting this era. This particular music adopts many new approaches in composition and is “hair raising” (literally, the feeling one gets when the hair on your arms or the back of your neck tingle with tension) in the sense of its poignant message as well as dissonant harmonies used in the composition.

For those who listen to a lot of music, one can acquire a taste for some of the more experimental composers of mid to late-20^th century. Arvo Part or Gyorgy Ligeti are interesting examples and both of their compositions have been used in popular movies. Ligeti’s Requiem was particularly well received when parts of it were used for the 1968 Hollywood blockbuster, 2001: A Space Odyssey. It’s hard to imagine a more effective musical background for “the various apparitions of an inscrutable black monolith, which represents the invasion of the superior alien intelligence” (p. 510) in the early moments of the film.

In the final pages of the book Ross reflects, “To the cynical onlooker, orchestras and opera houses are stuck in a museum culture, playing to a dwindling cohort of aging subscribers and would-be elitists who take satisfaction from technical expert if soulless renditions of Hitler’s favorite works,” (p. 560) which include Wagnerian operas, Richard Strauss tone poems, and other heroic and, as we now understand them, sometimes demonic portrayals. Yet, a couple of pages later, he proposes that “a thousand-year-old tradition won’t expire with the flipping of a calendar of the aging of a baby-boom cohort” (p. 562). Indeed, perhaps the confusion, the struggle of avant-garde, contemporary, and electronic music is simply a prelude to a new consolidation of music in the 21^st century.

And we return to the question of what we might learn about pushing the edges in music that is applicable to pushing the edges in leadership? Clearly, some composers and performers restricted their creativity in order to stay connected to a listening public. Likewise, leaders often tone down their visions in order to relate better to collaborators and followers. Some composers and leaders will dismiss the importance of relating and will drive hard into innovation and change, with a common result being failure to connect. In order for art to evolve and for social and organizational change to occur, there probably needs to be both kinds – those who carefully calculate their aspirations and those who are willing to give it their all and let someone else come along who can adapt and modify the message so that change is eventually achievable.

Toppling a regime

From my perspective, one of the biggest questions in the study of leadership is how to challenge and ultimately topple bad leaders. Donald Trump, forty-fifth President of the United States of America, is a textbook example of bad leading. His campaign was built upon divisive rhetoric and coded language that played to a disenfranchised base. His inauguration began with lies about the number in attendance and signaled a commitment to deconstruct as much of his predecessor's accomplishments as possible. Even though there were some who initially hoped that he would pivot to a better self, Trump's years in office are more reminiscent of the wrecking ball carnage that his business and media career reflects.

As the U.S.A. comes to the close of Trump's term of office, efforts to dismantle universal health insurance have faltered, the nation's reputation around the world has declined, former secondary national powers have seeped into the gaps that were left, a pandemic has ravaged its citizens, the economy gasped for breath, and protestors fill the streets demonstrating that injustice will no longer be tolerated. All the while, Trump continues to paint a picture of euphoria over economic, scientific, and political success.

Two recent articles in The Atlantic during the first week of June 2020 provide clear evidence of Trump's final phase of decline and the ultimate toppling of his authoritarian regime. The first article was authored by Thomas Wright, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute, and includes analysis of the chaotic foreign policy, and frequent contradiction by Trump of his own people, that are part of his downward spiral. The spiral began with an administration where there were at least some adults in the room trying to constrain him and then moved on to the hubris and arrogance he adopted to defend against growing resistance. The final stage is a more or less complete unraveling of any coherent approach to "Making America Great (AGAIN?)," the promise on which he based his rise to the Presidency.

The second article, authored by Atlantic staff author, Franklin Foer, extends Wright's logic by reviewing how authoritarians ultimately decline in influence and fail in their ability to govern. Citing the scholarship of Gene Sharp, Foer says, "Sharp's foundational insight is embedded in an aphorism: 'Obedience is at the heart of political power.' A dictator doesn't maintain power on his own; he relies on individuals and institutions to carry out his orders. A successful democratic revolution prods these enablers to stop obeying. It makes them ashamed of their complicity and fearful of the social and economic costs of continued collaboration." Governors who begged for help in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately determined their own path. Mayors rejected military intervention in their cities in handling George Floyd inspired protests. Military leaders decried the use of force to disperse peaceful protests and media and citizens puzzled or laughed at a photo opportunity using symbols of faith that contradicted the core principles of the faithful. The democratic revolution is underway and Trump is losing "individuals and institutions to carry out his orders."

Donald Trump is a very sad example of someone who aspired to leadership but failed because of a lack of self-understanding, reflection, contextual understanding of the broader world, arrogance about his own authority, and apparent unwillingness to learn. These are sobering lessons for any student or scholar of leadership.

World Human Forum 2020

I had the extraordinary opportunity to meet Alexandra Mitsotaki during the World Innovation Summit on Education in Doha, Qatar, in November of 2019. I was immediately intrigued with her vision of creating the World Human Forum, an alternative to the focus that is often placed on the World Economic Forum of Davos.

The idea of the World Human Forum is to offer an alternative to the economic lens that so often dominates world conversation. The World Human Forum returns to Greece, specifically to Delphi, as a source of wisdom. The focus is connecting across all cultures and eras in a return to the core of what it means to be human.

I have signed up for the World Human Forum 2020, a virtual and mutual exploration from May 22-24, 2020. Join me in what appears to be a unique and potentially transforming opportunity.

Trump's chaos and self-inflicted leadership failure

It's important for those interested in leadership to look around at the things in our daily lives that help us understand success and failure in leadership. Donald J. Trump's run for the Presidency of the U.S.A. and his service in office provides one of the most interesting examples of leadership failure that historians, and particularly leadership scholars, will ever witness. Regardless of political achievements he may claim, his leadership failures have been largely self-inflicted, which by contrast to previous U.S.A. Presidents, other world leaders, and leaders in all sectors, makes him unique.

The routine chaos of the Trump White House has been evident in the revolving door of staff, asserted and withdrawn policies, conflicting communications messages, and declining trust in what he says among both devoted followers and detractors. The COVID-19 response in the U.S.A. is the easiest and most immediate example demonstrating failure, with the moment when he declared (and later denied) that injecting light or disinfectants in those who contracted the disease could be a possible treatment modality to investigate on April 23, 2020. At the core of this and other stupid things Trump has said is his privilege, privilege that has been debilitated by a) lack of exposure to diverse people, science, and life experience and b) the fact that he has not been subject to, or chose to ignore, criticism that could have helped him.

It's hard to accept Donald Trump as a tragic figure because he so visibly displays his privilege (witness the picture included with this post). How can a person whose NYC residence is a gilded cage atop the tower that bears his name - Trump Tower - be tragic? The tragedy is that Trump's lifetime privilege resulted in his constantly asserting ideas that make no sense but stand unchallenged by those who surround him and by escaping accountability for his thoughts and actions. Many Trump detractors have repeatedly said that he is a narcissist and lacks the character and disposition to be President. While this may or may not be a fair judgment, it is unnecessary. What's important is to look at the cause or causes for Donald Trump's failings; the core of his failure as President of the U.S.A. is privilege that has blinded him and power over others that causes them not to challenge or question him. For those who claim that Trump has people who push back against him, one only needs to review the bodies of those who dared to question him thrown under the Trump chaos train tracks. Adding to this, Trump's advisors have been unable to keep Trump from destroying himself and the people, organizations, and issues he has influenced. Chaos is part of the strategy, which is based on Trump's approach to media - stir things up on a constant basis so that your name is always in the headlines and discredit dissenters or blame someone or anything else when criticized.

Contrasting Trump's Presidency with four U.S.A. Presidents who are accorded relatively high marks, Doris Kearns Goodwin's book, Leadership in Turbulent Times, analyzed the life experiences and presidencies of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. One thing they all shared was that they had experienced tragedy in some way that defined them. The individual behavioral characteristics that define these four presidents include: Lincoln - find time and space in which to think, anticipate contending viewpoints, set a standard of mutual respect and dignity, shield colleagues from blame, and keep your word; Theodore Roosevelt's 'embattled hero' view led to - calculate risks of getting involved, remain uncommitted in the early states, adapt as a situation escalates, be visible, cultivate public support, frame the narrative, keep temper in check, find ways to relieve stress, shared credit for success; for Franklin Roosevelt - infuse shared purpose and direction, tell people what to expect and what is expected of them, lead by example, forge a team aligned with action and change, address systemic problems and launch lasting reforms, stimulate competition and debate, adapt and change course quickly when necessary; and finally, for Johnson - make a dramatic start, lead with your strengths, simplify the agenda, know for what and when to risk it all, impose discipline in the ranks, identify the key to success, set forth a compelling picture of the future, know when to hold back and when to move forward, and celebrate by honoring the past and building momentum for the future.

These attributes stand in stark contrast to what is observed in Donald J. Trump. One has to conclude that privilege isn't necessarily the cause of failed leadership as witnessed in the cases of the two Roosevelts (both of whom were very privileged). What is different about all four former U.S.A. Presidents from Trump is their exposure to people and ideas outside of their privileged bubble and responsiveness to critique and guidance and ultimate willingness to accept responsibility for their decisions. There were those who thought that Trump would learn to be a good President, even though early conduct predicted otherwise. His unfortunate place in history will be one of failed leadership resulting from the blinders of privilege and arrogance.

Those who seek to lead, leadership scholars, and those who strive to develop leadership in others should take heed from the Trump example, considering the role privilege plays and how it can undermine success.

Figes - Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia

The title of Orlando Figes' book, Natasha's Dance (2002), is derived from a scene from Tolstoy's War and Peace, that depicts a privileged young countess, Natasha, as she first discovers her 'Russianness" when invited to dance in a simple peasant cottage with an endeared Uncle. As Figes recounts, "Are we to suppose, as Tolstoy asks us to in this romantic scene, that a nation such as Russia may be held together by the unseen threads of a native sensibility?" (Kindle locator #125) The question here is if there is such a thing as Russian consciousness or if there are only impressions from folklore, religion, beliefs, and habits that have accumulated over generations?

Figes' recounting of Russian history from the 18th through to the middle of the 20th centuries incorporates many different artistic voices (Karamzin, Pushkin, Glinka, Gogol, Tolstoy, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Repin, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninov, Diaghilev, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Chagall, Kandinsky, Mandelstam, Akkmatova, Nabokov, Pasternak, Meyerhold, and Eisenstein) who were; authors of novels, poets, painters, architects, urban planners, dancers, and musicians. Because of my own interest, the last category (music) will be the primary content summarized in this review.

Although numerous cities and regions of Russia were introduced by Figes, it was St. Petersburg (successively called Petrograd, Leningrad, and now back to St. Petersburg) that stands out. St. Petersburg was the vision of Tsar Peter the Great who established St. Petersburg at the western edge of Russia so that it would face Europe and would, through its architecture and art, both emulate and surpass Europe's dominance in all things creative. Peter the Great's aspiration seemed to capture the imagination of Russians, and artists in particular, who "took it upon themselves to create a national community of values and ideas through literature and art." (locator #145)

St. Petersburg was a central location to advance art and it was a catalyst for other aristocrats who had vast numbers of serfs and who built and acted in serf theaters and played in orchestras for the entertainment of the elites. The style of the monumental buildings erected on these estates was Italian and the early Russian composers were equally inspired by the Italian style (Glinka, Tchaikovsky, and Stravinsky among them). A French influence emerged somewhat later and was equally impactful, resulting in the adoption of French as the 'language of the court' until late in the 19th century.

The unfortunate reality of the period of Tsars from Peter the Great through Nicholas II (the last Tsar) was that the privileged elites were given so much power over the serfs and peasants, power that would eventually be challenged in political and activist movements. The 'Decembrists,' who believed that every human should be accorded worth and dignity, emerged from encounters with western countries that were beginning to democratize in the early 1800s. The liberating views of the Decembrists led to idealizing the lives of peasants, celebrating childhood as an important and impressionable time, and incorporating folkways into art, particularly in music.

Prokofiev's The Ugly Duckling (1914) and Peter and the Wolf (1936) are examples of the delightful attention given to children's entertainment and learning. The "Mighty Five" Russian composers (Balakirev, Ckui, Musorgsky, Borodin, and Rimsky-Korsakov) adopted folk music and incorporated distinctive Russian elements (tonal mutability, heterophony, and use of parallel 5ths, 4ths, and 3rds) into their music, with Musorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition reflecting and defining this style. Stravinsky, was the first Russian "composer to assimilate folk music as an element of style - using not just its melodies but its harmonies and rhythms as the basis of his own distinctive 'modern' style" in The Firebird and Petrushka. (locator #5169) The later Soviet era ushered in other great Russian composers such as Khachaturian and Shostakovich whose scores came to prominence in film (Shostakovich - The New Babylon). Shostakovich eventually offered the ultimate satire under the watchful eye of Soviet authorities in his Symphony #7 (Leningrad), Symphony #13 (Babi Yar), and other works. The talented composers and other artists who were able to escape the growing hegemony of the Soviet regime from 1917 forward dispersed to Berlin, Paris, New York, and Hollywood where they would form diaspora communities reveling in and transcending the cultural legacy of Russia's past.

The Decembrists emerged from the encounters of aristocrats with peasants during the war of French invasion in 1812. A growing belief was that the military was a family where respect was accorded to all, regardless of rank or class. From the Decembrist movement forward, the distinction between the elites and peasants was broken down and would eventually lead to erasing former class distinctions. This was a seed that would lead to a greater sense of shared 'Russianness' and advocacy for a national language and other cultural indicators of national pride. Sergie Volkonsky, exiled for his Decembrist affiliation, was a central figure of the privileged class abandoning its loyalty to class as it embraced the emerging national fervor. The February revolution of 1917 swept the Tsarist monarchy away and Bolshevism followed in October as a dictatorship under the Proletariat. "Striving for pravda, for truth and social justice,... gave the Revolution its quasi-religious status." (locator #7935) The "Soviet 'war against the palaces'" would become "a war on privilege and the cultural symbols of the tsarist past." (locator #8076)

Religion played a prominent role throughout the 18th and 19th centuries with the devoted asserting Russia to be the only place where Orthodox (assuming "correct ritual") religion survived after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Moscow was the center of this religious fervor. Figes quoted a Russian proverb that "'Petersburg is our head, Moscow is our heart'" (locator #3002) that captures the tension between the modernizing, westernizing environment of St. Petersburg versus Moscow where Russians felt they could really be 'Russian.' Religious orthodoxy based on the "'Russian principle' of Christian love," that "would save humanity from the selfish individualism of the West" (locator #5764) made Russia a ripe environment for anarchists and utopians, of which Tolstoy was a prominent example.

"This book will seek to demonstrate, there is a Russian temperament, a set of native customs and beliefs, something visceral, emotional, instinctive, passed on down the generations, which has helped to shape the personality and bind together the community." (locator #198) A statement from the beginning of Figes' book, this quote captures where many readers will end up - Russia has a distinct culture that is reflected in its art but is like St. Petersburg, an amalgam of many ideas, philosophies, and customs. This book documents what many Russian people know, which is that Russia is like many countries around the world - connected by the flow of people, ideas, and cultures across artificial borders.

Reopening our cities after COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided examples of both good and bad leadership. In the best moments we see honest, direct, and scientifically based statements and actions. In the worst we see spin, vague, and intuitive claims about the pandemic and ways to address it across the world.

In the days ahead, journalists, academics, politicians, and citizens will increasingly propose ways to move forward after the pandemic begins to subside. Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class, and Steven Pedigo offer their insights on what must be done to reopen our cities in their Brookings article, "How our cities can reopen after the COVIC-19 pandemic." The proposals are not earth-shaking and that is part of their beauty - the recommendations are practical and actionable.

The priorities proposed by Florida and Pedigo are based on "detailed tracking of the current pandemic and historical accounts of previous ones, presenting some key measures to prepare our cities, economy, and workers for the next phase." Florida's earlier research has documented the fact that cities are the crossroads for talent and innovation. Therefore, protecting the unique aspects of urban centers such as universities and arts/cultural organizations, should be paramount in moving forward.

There are many urban centers throughout the world and one of the best is Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. The work of imagining the post-COVID-19 world is not being postponed until after the pandemic declines. The mayor of the city and governor of the state frequently mention the importance of protecting education and arts/cultural organizations and a COVID-19 Relief Fund has been established to protect and chart the course for the future.

Coronavirus - learning for the future

Conversations and debates are raging in the U.S.A. about the implications of the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). There are those who predict the U.S.A. is in worse shape than many other countries, then there are the politicians who promise that preparations have been "perfect" and there's nothing to fear, and then there are the state and local leaders who attempt to provide a realistic (and alarming) picture while adopting the best strategies available to them and warning that they may not be enough. With today being March 22, the real impact will be known within 7-10 days although the work of responding to COVID-19 will be ongoing for many more weeks and perhaps months.

While the potential for significant suffering and damage is almost inevitable, the U.S.A. will come out of this with yet to be determined loss of life and decline in the economy. After this period of disaster response is over, many more of us will continue to explore "How did this happen?" and "How can we make sure it never happens again?"

I can't remember for sure but 15 to 20 years ago I became aware of Otto Scharmer and "U Theory." Scharmer joined with several other colleagues in creating the model (including Peter Senge) but Otto has remained one of the central figures advocating and applying the theory. I included "U Theory" as one of the primary elements of the "deeper leadership" model that I published in Deeper Learning in leadership: Helping colleges students find the potential within (Jossey Bass, 2007). Since that publication I've continued to believe that presence, flow, and oscillation are critical and ongoing developmental pathways for leadership learning.

One of the best responses I've seen to COVID-19 is Scharmer's "Eight Emerging Lessons: From Coronavirus to Climate Action." This blog post suggests that COVID-19 is a harbinger of things to come, and specifically in the area of climate change. He also analyzes what has occurred in different countries as COVID-19 has spread across the globe. Ultimately, Sharmer says, "The coronavirus situation provides an opportunity for all of us to pause, reset, and step up. COVID-19, like any disruption, essentially confronts each of us with a choice: (1) to freeze, turn away from others, only care for ourselves, or (2) to turn toward others to support and comfort those who need help." Ending this paragraph with "The more the world sinks into chaos, desperation, and confusion, the greater our responsibility to radiate presence, compassion, and grounded action confidence." These two responses are summarized in the Figure that is copied here:

Figure 2 (Scharmer, Two responses to disruption -  two social fields, 3-16-2020)

Scharmer predicts that far-right and isolationist populism will meet its match in COVID-19 and that it will fail. In its place the potential is for a renewed civic engagement to emerge that is grounded in science and real knowing about the world around us.

My bet is on Scharmer, rising collective consciousness and action. My commitment is to act in whatever way I can to support this critical change in our world.

Bremmer - Geopolitical recession and COVID-19

Ian Bremmer, President and Founder of EURASIA Group, offers insight on the rise of nationalism/isolationism and the geopolitical recession that emerged from it. The SAP produced video, "What's happening in the world," which features Bremmer is an eye-opening explanation of why intergovernmental cooperation has declined and why this fracture is likely making the COVID-19 pandemic more dangerous and why economies around the world are shuddering.

Having begun after WWII, globalization (the transfer of commodities, products, people, and currency around the globe) accelerated until the recent rise of populist/nationalist politicians in numerous countries, including the four largest democracies in the world - U.S.A., India, Indonesia, and Brazil. The result of this retreat from globalization moved the language of politics from win/win at the zenith of cooperation to the win/lose antagonism that is so often witnessed in current news.

There are few examples that more convincingly demonstrate the decline of governmental cooperation than the cross-border response to the pandemic of COVID-19. As the U.S.A. and China point fingers at each other, the virus spreads and more and more people die. In past cross-border crises, even countries that typically would not cooperate put their differences aside in the name of protecting humanity. So the finger pointing continues, perhaps the result of politicians covering for their own ineptitude, while gaps in knowledge and expertise widen. The Chinese likely knew of the dangers of COVID-19 yet demurred from sounding the alarm as its own citizens criticized politicians for mishandling the early stages of the spread of the virus. U.S.A. politicians likely had reason to worry but chose to deny the potential for COVID-19 to significantly take hold in North America.

Bremmer's point is that we now face a breakdown which results in a lack of transparency, less efficiency and cooperation, and disruption of the supply chain coherence on which we used to be able to rely. We didn't know COVID-19 could be this bad because China lacked trust in the U.S.A., because the U.S.A. wasn't listening, and because both countries were waiting to pounce on any evidence of misdeeds. The geopolitical recession has left citizens around the world bereft of leadership that could have more effectively prevented and certainly could have better managed the crisis that we now see.

Globalization never was the enemy as the interconnectedness of the world steadily and inevitably marched forward. What was and is the enemy is exploitive and isolationist politicians who portray themselves as champions for their own people (i.e. nationalism and xenophobia) who use the denigration of other politicians, cultural groups, and countries, to make themselves look better.

For those who are educators, and more specifically leadership educators, who might be reading this blog post, there is a dire need to engage with others to lift up, advocate, and support cooperation across all types of borders in leadership. As a shameless plug and hopefully not an "I told you so," Darbi Roberts and I edited a book titled Cultivating Students' Capacity for International Leadership that was written precisely to challenge the anti-globalists and isolationists. We had great authors who offer terrific insight into what we can do to get back to the interconnected world that strives for mutual benefit and resolution of common problems that we all face - not the least of which is COVID-19 at this moment.

Goss - Sibelius: A Composer's Life and the Awakening of Finland

Artists are often trapped between the desire to communicate something of substance, a unique contribution to understanding the world, and reaching the masses of people to whom they seek to communicate.  The problem is that the ability of the masses to hear and understand is sometimes disconnected from the creator's language. Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) is sadly one of the most prominent examples of a composer of great music whose works were so popular in his early days that it confined his ability to explore his fuller creative interests. Indeed, Sibelius was so central to the rise of Finnish national pride and aspiration that it was impossible for Finns to accept anything but the style for which he had become so renowned in his early career.

Glenda Dawn Goss completed the Jean Sibelius: A Composer's Life and the Awakening of Finland (2009) biography through exhaustive review of previous published biographic records and historic evidence related to the rise of Finnish nationalism to yield this insightful story of a great artist. Finland was ruled for over 600 years by Sweden and for 100 by Russia. Part of the discovery of Finnish culture was based on reviving Finnish as the national language. The only problem was that the privileged elites of Finland in Sibelius' time, including him, all spoke Swedish. Even with the separation of the elites by language and education from the working class, discovery of cultural heritage through the elites of Finnish society created a wildly successful era for the arts. One of Sibelius' first major compositions, Kalevala, memorialized the epic stories that defined Finnish culture, depicting a world of "peaceful workers laboring together for the greater common good" (Loc 5120 in Kindle version), an idealization that was never really part of Sibelius' own life experience.

Goss characterized Finland in the 19th century (as well as today) as a "high-context culture," one influenced by close association of family and friends with few explicit rules but many shared assumptions. Bonding through shared stories and heritage is very powerful in such an environment and it would be this natural social bonding, coupled with celebrated stories, that Sibelius and others would ignite into a frenzy of nationalism. A significant boost came to Sibelius and other Finnish artists after Swedish domination was rejected and Russian sponsorship began under the rule of "the good Czar," Alexander II. During this time, much was invested by Russia in education and the arts, a self-interested strategy to foster Finnish pride, separation from Sweden, and loyalty to Russia. Sibelius benefitted from studying music with some of Europe's greatest musicians and the opportunity to immerse himself in Germany, Vienna, and Italy during this time. This would all eventually be undone when Czar Nicholas of Russia appointed Nikolai Ivanovich Bobrikov as the Russian representative to oversee the undoing of Finnish independence in 1898. The Golden Age of education and art in Finland was over and the subjugation of its people began.

Sibelius was gifted in music from an early age and was supported by his Uncle Pehr who funded his education and musical training. Because of the elite status of the Sibelius family, Jean was allowed connection with other elites, including the Jarnefelt family. The Jarnefelt brothers, Armas and Eero, provided the entree to their sister, Aino, who would become Sibelius' wife in 1890. In addition to the familial relationship with the Jarnefelts, they were politically active and eager to shape the birth of Finnish nationalism. This provided the perfect platform for Sibelius to compose music that would place him in a central position in the national movement, a part of his life that would be constant and vital. The Symbolist movement (example to the right by Jarnefelt) that swept Finland and other countries in the region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was obsessed with legends, saga, ancient history, all of which were integrated into the nationalist movement in general and Sibelius' music, with one of the finest examples being the Swan of Tuonela.

Sadly, Sibelius became trapped by his own success. The work he and his compatriots Aho, Eero Jarnefelt, Eino Leino, and J.H. Erkko had done to awaken Finnish identity among the people through national enlightenment, education, and defending national rights - had succeeded beyond expectation. Sibelius became increasingly isolated from his own movement. As political aspiration and ideology grew more strident and divisive, Sibelius was offered the opportunity to move to America to join the faculty of the Eastman School of Music. His loyalty to country and comfort with the notoriety he had achieved among Finns transcended the opportunity of new artistic horizons. The choice to remain in Finland, enveloped in a landscape of emerging nationalism that was different from his own idealizations of what that would be, resulted in the trailing off of creative work and silencing the voice of one of the early 20th centuries most revered national and international composers.

Standing between the multiple oppositions of modernism/antimodernism, avant-garde/conservative, elitist/democratic, nationalist/internationalist, and classic/reactionary, Sibelius likely suffered deep regret in having to take sides. Yet, the list of compositions that stand the test of time and ideologies includes such great compositions as the following:

• 1893 - Swan of Tuonela
• 1893 - Karelia Suite
• 1894 - Skogsraet
• 1900 - Finlandia
• 1903 - Violin Concerto
• 1904 - Valse Triste
• 1908 - Night Ride and Sunrise
• 1914 - Luonnator
• 1915 - Symphony No. 5
• 1926 - Tapiola

Sibelius Symphony No. 5, one of his most celebrated compositions, became the centerpiece of his 50th birthday celebration in Helsinki. The inspiration he claimed was, "As if God the Father had thrown down the shards of a mosaic from the floor of heaven and asked me to find out what it had looked like."

Mauceri - For the Love of Music

John Mauceri is a protégé of Leonard Bernstein so no wonder I resonated (no musical pun intended) to For the Love of Music (2019). This book falls at the intersection of leadership and creativity, a place that has become infinitely more critical in the 21^st century. Mauceri provides background on what Western classical music includes, addresses why it is important to the human condition, and invites readers to explore it more deeply through study and concert attendance.

Music of all sorts (i.e. jazz, folk, world, rock-and-roll) can be embraced at many different depths. One of the most important things for advocates of any type of music to do is to invite family, friends, and colleagues into enjoying it without arrogance of culture or training and with an open mind. Mauceri unapologetically defines “Western music” as being derived from the Western cultural cannon, which began in early Greco-Roman civilizations as one of the four quadrivium of knowledge. Mauceri further distinguishes Western classical music as the music most often performed in concert halls that was composed, and came to prominence, in the 250 years from early 18^th to mid 20^th centuries. He says that this music “celebrates community, nature, humanity’s aspirations, triumphs, and foibles, and our desire to apply form to chaos” (Introduction, locator 108). Most composers who we now view as part of the Western classical tradition are chronologically bracketed between the births of Bach and Handel in 1685 and concluding with the death of Richard Strauss in 1949. The only exceptions were Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) and Sergie Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) who were eschewed for different reasons in their own days but in the 20^th century were fully embraced in the Western classical canon.

Mauceri makes particular note of his early experiences with classical music and suggests that others' first encounters are pivotal in their appreciation of classical music. This is certainly my case in that my first vinyl LP records were of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Ravel’s Bolero. These two pieces are time stamped for me at age 10 when I first encountered them. I will always carry the people, places, and experiences related to these compositions with me as I engage and interpret the world around me. Although the setting may change and our understanding of a piece of music change over time, “our relationship with music is a relationship with an eternal and necessary unifying force” (locator 821).

Music is a unifying force for a variety of reasons but one is that, while compositions are unique, they share a number of common structures. It is these structures that offer just enough familiarity for listeners to be able to move from one piece to another while feeling somewhat “at home” with what they hear. Mauceri provides some basic insight into these structures including key structures, rhythm, melody, and overall compositional form. The creativity with which these structures are used is what causes listeners to resonate with them and sometimes the structure is quite compelling – for example the rhythmic persistence in Ravel’s “Bolero” or the upside down variation no. 18 of Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.”

Mauceri says that, “classical music is bound up in humanity’s desire to tell its stories through symbols” (locator 389). Although the Western classical canon is heavily dominated by men of Astro-German heritage, their compositions clearly tapped much broader cultures than just central Europe. And the Western classical canon includes a few female composers (many of them married to men whose names are more commonly known to us today) and extended to American composers such as George Gershwin, Aaron Copeland, and Leonard Bernstein. These three Americans were most appreciated for their incorporation of diverse musical languages into their compositions with African American, Jewish American, and native peoples most notable. Some classical music was composed to simply create something beautiful but other compositions were designed to communicate a specific message. Regardless of the purposefulness of the message, a listener’s appreciation is always enhanced by understanding the historical, social, and other context of the time when the composer conceived the piece. Here again, some compositions came quickly to their composers and others took years of labored inspiration or were part of a long sequence of compositions where questions of life and existence were explored through multiple musical lenses.

One of Mauceri’s most important messages is that classical music should never be portrayed or perceived as throwing up a wall to define any particular socio-economic, religious, cultural, or national group. In fact, much of classical music was composed to provide a bridge among people of all sorts. Although all compositions are created in a specific time, music is timeless as it speaks across boundaries and generations to send messages of love, warning, cataclysm, and triumph. Some pieces are short and profound (i.e. Rachmaninoff’s “Vocalise"), some melancholic (i.e. Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata), and others, such as the symphonies of Bruckner or Mahler, may be quite long, and some are noted for their power (i.e. Beethoven’s Symphony #9 or Shostakovich’s #5). Loving a piece of music is often a matter of personal taste, what it communicates to you, or your experience with the specific composition. Mauceri makes it clear that study and contextual understanding may be required in order to deeply know a composition but he also says that, “You should never be embarrassed to reject the music you just don’t like” (locator 495).

Coaching for cultural and organizational success

I recently returned from my first trip back to Qatar since I left in November of 2014. Five years makes an incredible difference in a country such as Qatar. Places that were a pile of dirt five years ago are now transportation hubs, plateaus for skyscrapers, and museums (pictures here include the new subway system, Lusail development, the National Museum of Qatar, and the National Library). Besides seeing how Qatar has physically changed, I renewed several treasured relationships from my years living and working at Education City. The renewal of these relationships has caused me to want to do anything I can to support Qatar’s continuing progress, especially in the higher education sector.

I’ve coached numerous candidates for posts at Education City, served as a “mindfulness” reflector for those who are presently in Doha, and advised colleagues as they’ve repatriated from working in Qatar. I awoke from a dream this morning realizing that the role I’ve played informally is probably the most important thing I can continue to do to support Qatar from afar. Thus, this post and my commitment to offer cultural and organizational coaching to anyone considering, engaged in, or sorting out their experience from Qatar.

Most of those who have worked in Qatar have had terrific experiences. And then there are those for whom it was pretty difficult, one might even say disastrous. When I look at why some people have struggled, it is easy to conclude that there are three elements that contributed to their failure – a lack of curiosity, impatience, and cultural neglect or ignorance. As positive traits, curiosity and patience are somewhat stable characteristics but cultural intelligence is clearly cultivated. The problem is that improving cultural intelligence is most easily built on a foundation of curiosity and patience. Consequently, coaching is required to call attention to the necessity of drawing on whatever curiosity and patience one has while striving to learn about and engage across cultures.

One of the biggest problems I’ve observed is that those who have been successful in higher education in Europe and the U.S.A. often have a sense of superiority that results in arrogance and unresponsiveness to working in Qatar. I was very lucky during my days in Qatar because I reported to a Qatari national who was thoughtful and patient with me and I also had a number of Qatari colleagues from whom I could seek advice. In essence, I was enveloped in the cultural context and this was immensely helpful during the steepest portion of my learning curve. I might add that the learning curve never ceased; it continued until the day I left Qatar. The bottom line is really quite simple – I tried to engage with humility, which allowed for constant learning and set the stage for me to acquire knowledge about the cultural context and how that impacted the organization climate in which I worked.

Qatar is deceiving in a number of very important ways. To begin with, Qatar looks amazingly contemporary and westernized, leading to some expatriates assuming that they can simply drop in and expect to be successful based on past experiences. Assuming easy transference of skills and insights that have made educators successful in western settings is actually a vestige of colonialism. The new era of colonialism now underway is similar to the colonialism of 200 and more years ago – it neglects and actually seeks to extinguish what is unique about the culture where colonizers go. This view demeans the local culture. Especially in the case of Qatar, a country that exhibits both a strong commitment to modernization and a desire to retain its own local culture, the superiority and disrespect of colonizers' views are a recipe for failure. In addition to the external appearance of westernization that occurs along side the preservation of local culture, other complexities exist in relation to; western (i.e. U.S.A. and European) entities undertaking work that interfaces with Arab and Islamic based organizations, the diversity of the work force that proscribes specific functions to different cultural groups, and the dynamics of growing pluralism in the views of Qatari citizens themselves. The confluence of these factors requires a highly nuanced awareness of how to engage with and work across difference, which in turn requires the use of a cultural lens in practically every interaction.

Considering the profound changes that occurred in my life as a result of living/working in Qatar, the least I can do is offer my perspective through whatever means I can to urge those visiting and working in Qatar to acquire and enhance their cultural understanding and dexterity. I have done this through several publications in the last five years and will continue to do so in writing and in informal and formal networks. My goal is to encourage cultural understanding/respect and to cultivate habits in colleagues and acquaintances of curiosity, patience, and cultural intelligence that will help them be more successful.

Kendi - How to be an antiracist

Ibram Kendi's How to be an antiracist (2019) challenges numerous ideas and terms that are typical to discourse and writing on racism. After establishing the foundation for why antiracism should be the goal, he provides ideas about how we can get there and how we can change the way our society functions so that the disease of racism is eradicated. After reading his book, I dedicate myself to questioning my assumptions, changing my language, and striving to do all I can to be antiracist and to share this commitment with others.

Kendi asserted that racist ideas can be harbored by anyone, a point that I have not previously thought was possible, primarily because I related racism to exercising power over others based on race. Kendi indicated that when racist ideas are held by people of color, they think less of themselves, and when held by White people, they think more of themselves. Racist ideas also have layers that can perpetuate racist beliefs within groups or extend them to intersectional identities such as gender, sexual orientation, class, and more. Kendi asserted that the opposite of racist is not "not racist" but "antiracist." A person who claims to be "not racist" still "believes problems are rooted in groups of people" rather than the antiracist who "locates the roots of problems in power and policies" (locator 149 in Kindle version). Kendi also rejects terms such as institutional, structural or systemic racism, because the adjectives are redundant - each is simply a way racism is expressed. He challenges the idea that anyone can be race neutral or doesn't see race; the reality is too persuasive that race is seen and Kendi believes it should be transparently recognized as a dynamic that impacts all of our lives. Kendi dismisses the idea of "microaggressions," rejecting the idea that any denigration is minor by any reasonable measure.

A common thought expressed by many White and people of color from the 1950s through 1990s, and advocated by W.E.B. Du Bois as early as 1903, was that people of color needed to be uplifted through hard work, aspiration, and right conduct. As an African American youth, Kendi recognized that he bought into this idea but that he now recognizes the racist implications of seeing groups of people as needing to be fixed rather than the policies and practices that guarantee inequity. The idea of uplift is part of the narrative of temporary inferiority that justifies assimilation which is almost as bad as the permanent inferiority embraced by segregationists. Whether segregationist or assimilationist, Kendi asserts that the root problem is self-interest that drives racist power, which includes hoarding wealth and resources in ways that perpetuate an inequitable society.

Kendi spends several chapters exploring racism through lenses of biology, ethnicity, body, culture, behavior, color, class, space, gender, and sexuality, exposing the pervasive influence of racism in all these forms and in their intersections. In "Failure," Kendi indicts those who blame racists for being unaware, belligerent, and hateful by turning the spotlight on the processes of those who seek to be antiracist. He advocates that if the attempts to change minds and hearts are not working, take a critical look at what's not working and find a better way to create change. Creating this change likely includes a long-term commitment to personal and group protests that force racists to change their policies and practices.

"Antiracism is a powerful collection of antiracist policies that lead to racial equity and are substantiated by antiracist ideas" (locator 308) and requires those dedicated to being antiracist to seek self-awareness, self-criticism, and self-examination. The idea that anyone, regardless of identity, is powerless "underestimates Black people and overestimates White people" (locator 2195), an idea proposed in other language by Dr. Martin Luther Kind, Jr. in 1967 when he said, "As long as the mind is enslaved, the body can never be free" (locator 1636). Kendi comments "...but our generation ignores King's words about the 'problem of power, a confrontation between the forces of power demanding change and the forces of power dedicated to the preserving of the status quo'" (locator 3257).

Kendi continued with, "The problem of race has always been at its core the problem of power, not the problem of immorality or ignorance" (locator 3257). In order to confront power, he identifies what must be done by antiracists in order to confront and reverse racism in Chapter 17, "Success." He said that, "Racism has always been terminal and curable" (locator 3490). Confronting ignorance and hate and expecting it to shrink is like treating only the symptoms of cancer, rather than the cause. The steps Kendi advocates in order to become an antiracist include (locator 3540 to 3551):

• Stop using "I'm not racist" or "I can't be racist" as a denial.
• Admit the definition of racists - someone who supports racist policies and expresses racist ideas.
• Confess the racist policies you support and racist ideas you express.
• Accept the source of your racism.
• Acknowledge the definition of antiracist - someone who is supporting antiracist policies or expressing antiracist ideas.
• Struggle for antiracist power and policy in your spaces.
• Struggle to remain at the antiracist intersections where racism is mixed with other bigotries.
• Struggle to think antiracist ideas.

Antiracist teams should start at the local level and the national and international change will follow. The steps Kendi recommends for teams include (locator 3624 to 3635):

• Admit racial inequity is a problem of bad policy, not bad people.
• Identify racial inequity in all its intersections and manifestations.
• Investigate and uncover the racist policies causing racial inequity. Invent or find antiracist policy that can eliminate racial inequity.
• Figure out who or what group has the power to institute antiracist policy.
• Disseminate and educate about the uncovered racist policy and antiracist policy correctives.
• Work with sympathetic antiracist policymakers to institute the antiracist policy.
• Deploy antiracist power to compel or drive from power the unsympathetic racist policymakers in order to institute the antiracist policy.
• Monitor closely to ensure the antiracist policy reduces and eliminates racial inequity.
• When policies fail, do not blame the people. Start over and seek out new and more effective antiracist treatments until they work.
• Monitor closely to prevent new racist policies from being instituted.

These are the steps Kendi proposes will be effective in arresting the metastatic cancer of racism that impacts everyone. By offering recommendations for personal and collective action, Kendi helps us see a way forward toward an antiracist world where opportunity truly is equitable. While Kendi's ideas have been controversial in some circles, editorial reviews are positive with the Washington Post and Time endorsing Kendi's new take on racism and how to eliminate it as a cancer on our culture.

Fajgenbaum - Chasing my cure

“Before I got Castleman disease, I was well on my way to an education and career that promised close to supreme authority. We live in a mostly secular, individualistic age, but can you tell me there’s nothing sacred about the symbols of medicine” (locator 3060 in Kindle version)? David Fajgenbaum’s statement late in the text of Chasing my cure: A doctor's race to turn hope into action: A memoir (2019) captured the core of the challenge he faced – trusting in medical experts but realizing that they had little knowledge and fewer treatments for the life-threatening ‘orphan’ disease that had invaded his body.

Castleman disease, and the particular type Fajgenbaum had, sets off a chain reaction in the immune system that attacks vital organs, resulting in multiple system organ failure (MSOF in medical shorthand), and leads to death for all but one out of eight who are diagnosed with it (locator 1038). Fajgenbaum had five such episodes, resulting in him saying good-bye to family and loved ones and given last rights during one episode. He went from a highly physically fit quarterback on the Georgetown University football team to life support for months of recovery. Through Fajgenbaum’s journey and dedication to finding a cure for himself and others, Castelman disease now has a diagnostic classification, is understood to be at the intersection of autoimmunity and lymphoma, and has medications that can slow and, in the best cases, reverse the disease. Fajgenbaum is now engaged in research and treatment of orphan diseases at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and is an advocate for precision medicine (treatment based on “genetic makeup and specific disease characteristics,” locator 2954).

The advances in treatment of Castleman disease don’t stop there. Fajgenbaum’s research has demonstrated relevance to other diseases, most notably cancer. And this journey has surfaced questions and found solutions in medical research and practice, in particular the fact that coordination among researchers and among physicians is often very fragmented. And, information is not well coordinated across the research and practice threshold.

David Fajgenbaum isn’t just any author or physician but someone with whom I had a brief, yet important encounter. He was a participant in a LeaderShape Institute that I facilitated at the Allerton Retreat Center in 2006. David was passionate at that time about founding a group to support college students who were mourning the loss of a parent. This organization is thriving and is now called Actively Moving Forward and is designed to support the 1 in 3 college students who experience the death of a family member or close friend during their years of study. I met David after the death of his mother from brain cancer and before he was diagnosed with Castleman disease. Little did I know what David would face as he continued his studies and his own struggle against a catastrophic disease. David’s courage is humbling and the light he sheds on medical research and practice is instructive for all.

I hope not to forget a number of quotes from Fajgenbaum’s emerging conclusions related to his medical education and life experience:

“I need to live every day the way I’d want the people I love to remember me.” (locator 947)

“…living in overtime (referring to having survived near-death experiences) liberated me to be my best self.” (locator 1528)

“I stopped believing in an omniscient medical system.” (locator 3067)

“I rejected the belief that any institution had all the answers or represented all the available knowledge in the world.” (locator 3067)

“It feels like my soul has stretched its borders, and it has come into contact with others’ in a way I could never have anticipated.” (locator 3067)

“I got a larger life, one more connected to others, and a shared sense of responsibility.” (locator 3067)

“I’ve learned the difference between being hopeful and being invincible in hope.” (locator 3233)

“My greatest regrets on my deathbed were actions I didn’t take… make every second count, because the truth is: We’re all in overtime.” (locator 3395)

Chasing my cure is extraordinarily well written. It chronicles Fajgenbaum’s medical school years, provides detailed scientific evidence, offers some wonderful moments of humor, and folds in anecdotes with family, friends, and Caitlin (the woman who became the love of his life). Perhaps my own struggle in understanding my prostate cancer and my concerns over my treatment choices caused me to be more acutely interested in Fajgenbaum’s book; to say that I was riveted throughout the text is an understatement. This is a book that should be read by anyone diagnosed with a life-threatening disease as well as care-takers who are helping them cope with the difficult choices they face.