Vol. 17: Love & Education

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Welcome to our first installment of our new monthly Behind the Bookcase Series! Each month, we will feature opinion pieces from people within our GreatCo Community to discuss a variety of topics that are near and dear to each author's heart. For those who may remember, the bookcase at the GreatCo office space many moons ago served as the backdrop to countless brainstorming sessions among some, indeed, Great Community. We would like to keep that conversation magic alive now by continuing to connect with each other on our most passionate subjects.  To kick off the series, we are featuring a piece written by yours truly, Ali! Sometimes I look at the state of the world, and I wonder what happened? How did human beings get so disconnected from the natural environment? Why did humans become so afflicted by a mental plague of species arrogance and manifest destiny, so much so that it ravaged the entire globe? Why did so many cultures who practiced harmony and sustainable relationships with the earth have to get so decimated? But rather than fall into the trappings of despair like I used to, the more pertinent question for me now is what can we do about it going forward? As a multiethnic person who grew up with cultural values and customs rooted in my Native American heritage, I instinctively feel a fundamental need to establish a life based in sustainability and responsible management of our ecosystems. Especially as our world is rapidly changing due to climate change, overfishing, deforestation, and unsustainable agricultural practices, humans urgently need to come together on a global scale to find solutions to ensure livable and just futures for all. At the heart of these solutions lies none other than the indigenous, ancient pre-conquest knowledge that we need to live in harmony with the planet, not in domination of it. To quote a Native American proverb, "We do not inherit the land from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." We as a global society would do well to learn from this indigenous notion that it is our responsibility, not only for ourselves, but to our children to take care of our planet. Societal change requires a shift in social consciousness, and my belief and hope is that voices that have been systematically oppressed for generations will rise up and help lead the change away from thinking in terms of exploitation to thinking in terms of cultivation and regeneration. In a way, the way forward is by looking at the past, to a time before for-profit industrialization and colonization destroyed sustainable ways of living. Industrialization got us here, yes, but does it need to continue in the same destructive way? Or can we evolve our thinking and apply our modern technologies to ancient methods of sustainability as a way forward? If we can fundamentally understand that everything on this planet is interconnected and part of a larger ecosystem, we can recognize that everything we do matters and every action we take creates an impact. The questions we need to ask ourselves are: do we want that impact to be nurturing and healthy? Or do we want that impact to be destructive and exploitive? Personally, I choose to live a life that creates a positive impact. And that begins with honoring indigenous and Black knowledge and voices, as well as all peoples who have been systemically oppressed for far too long. Sustainable practices, from farming to fishing to hunting to forest management have roots in indigenous culture (all over the world), and there is much that we can learn about living in tune with nature. Perhaps then we can heal not only our relationships with each other but also our relationship with our ecosystems. And then perhaps we can succeed in creating a livable and sustainable future for all.    ~Ali Mariko Dressel Have something to say? Interested in sharing an opinion piece? Reach out to us for a chance to be featured in Behind the Bookcase! Happy Black History Month! As a tribute to and way to honor African American voices, we are featuring powerhouse woman, Denise Jones, and her knowledge and insights on Black identity and history: As a Black and Brown woman, I was deeply disturbed to learn there was so much African American history I wasn’t taught in school.  Nonetheless, I embraced that ignorance and put in the work to become more educated. We’re grateful for Harriet Tubman, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks, but the countless other heroes are often ignored. We’re grateful for the Civil Rights Movement, but that wasn’t long ago, actually. That wasn’t even before color photography, so why are there so many black and white images to reference from? Here are five little known black history facts that you should have learned. For one, of the 12.5 million Africans shipped to the New World during the Transatlantic Slave Trade, it was actually fewer than 388,000 that arrived in the United States. The Transatlantic Slave Trade was underway from 1500-1866, shipping more than 12 million African slaves across the world. By the time the US became involved in the slave trade, it had been underway for two hundred years. This was all between 1700 and 1866, so the US represented a much smaller percentage than most Americans realize. Now, let’s talk about how diverse the history of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) really is. In the 1930s when Jewish academics from Germany and Austria were dismissed from their teaching positions, many came to the United States looking for jobs. Due to the Great Depression, xenophobia and rising anti-Semitism, many found it difficult to find work, but more than 50 found positions at HBCUs in the segregated South. Now, the first HBCU was Cheyney University in Pennsylvania, established in 1837. At a time when both Jews and African Americans were persecuted, Jewish professors in black colleges found the environment comfortable and accepting, often creating special programs to provide opportunities to engage Blacks and Whites in meaningful conversation, often for the first time. This one’s even more interesting. Despite what the stories in popular books and videos told us, one in four cowboys was black. In fact, it's believed that the real “Lone Ranger” was inspired by an African American man named Bass Reeves. In the 19th century, the Wild West drew enslaved Blacks with the hope of freedom and wages. These African Americans made up at least a quarter of the legendary cowboys who lived dangerous lives facing weather, rattlesnakes, and outlaws while they slept under the stars driving cattle herds to market. If you watched Hidden Figures, you know about Katherine Johnson. Katherine was a mathematician for NASA whose work was critical to sending astronauts into orbit and landing a man on the moon. When the Soviet Union launched the satellite Sputnik in 1957, Johnson transitioned into mathematics for space travel and became a part of the Space Task Force, which was the first official move into space exploration. Orbital calculations became seminal, and she conducted, by hand, one of the final tests before successfully sending John Glenn into space. Following that success, Johnson's calculations were used to send a man to the moon, marking a historic moment in US space flight.  And last on my list, known as Tulsa's "Black Wall Street," the district of Greenwood was a self-reliant and highly affluent Black community in the early 1900s. Oklahoma was seen as a sort of safe haven for Black Americans looking for work, and after the Civil War, over 50 black townships were founded throughout the state. The community operated as a self-reliant area, and Black business owners would often pool together their resources to uplift others who wanted to start their own companies. But during a period of horrific racial violence, members of the Ku Klux Klan attacked Greenwood. This harrowing act of violence is what is  now known as the Tulsa Massacre of 1921. Here’s the thing, the U.S. has a long way to go to repair the education system to represent African American history, but just because our African American history has been underrepresented and inaccurately portrayed for so many years, does not mean it has to continue to be. Do your homework (yes even as an adult), and educate yourself on what you missed. ~Denise Jones Interested in learning more about African American history? Educate yourself by checking out the resources below! Transatlantic Slave Trade Bass Reeves "Black Wall Street" Civil Rights Movement Katherine Johnson Happy Valentine's Day! We hope that you were able to enjoy a loving and safe holiday with your loved ones. As a way to continue the celebration of love, we decided to take a look at how love is celebrated in different cultures around the world! In Japan, women typically give gifts (usually in the form of chocolates) to men on Valentine's Day! And then, one month later on March 14, men return the favor and give gifts to women on a day known as White Day. The day got its name from marshmallows that were often gifted, but nowadays gifts include candy, flowers, and other sweets. On Valentine's Day in Japan, chocolates take on a whole new level of significance with different names for chocolates depending on to whom they are gifted. For example, chocolates gifted between parents and children are referred to as oyako-choko, and chocolates given to romantic partners are known as honmei-choko. White Day is also celebrated in China and South Korea! Learn more about how Valentine's Day is celebrated in Japan in the link below! Valentine's Day and White Day in Japan! In Colombia, El Dia de Amor y la Amistad, or "The Day of Love and Friendship," celebrates love among both lovers and friends. Gifts are exchanged between friends as well as romantic partners. Amigos secretos, or secret friendship letters, are also a highlight of this day. Although dating back to Italian origins celebrating Saint Valentine on February 14, El Dia de Amor y la Amistad is now celebrated on the third Saturday in September in Colombia. Some unique Colombian gifts include a Wayuu mochila bag (a brightly colored bag made by indigenous Wayuu people), Bon Bon Bum (lollipops with gum inside), and emeralds. The tradition is also celebrated on July 23rd in Bolivia and June 12 in Brazil. Learn more about the Colombian tradition in the link below! El Dia de Amor y la Amistad In Wales, love is in the... spoons! Known as Lovespoons, these intricately carved wooden spoons are traditionally given to romantic partners as a sign of love and affection. Dating back to at least the seventeenth century, Lovespoons were a way for a suitor to show skills in carving and woodworking, traits that demonstrated an ability to provide for family. Lovespoons feature symbols, which often have specific meanings, such as hearts for love, wheels for support, and locks for security. Learn more about Welsh Lovespoons in the link below! Welsh LOVESPOONS! Want to learn more? Check out this resource for how romantic traditions are celebrated around the world! Romantic Traditions Around the World Do you celebrate or know of unique cultural customs honoring love? Let us know! You may have seen and/or experienced a disturbing increase in violence against Asian Americans over the past year. As the pandemic dramatically altered lives, there has been an increasing amount of racism and hatred unfairly targeting Asian Americans. Unfortunately, a combination of racist rhetoric, disinformation, and misinformation has exacerbated violence against the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Now, even the most vulnerable and elderly Asian Americans are being targeted and even brutally attacked.  We at GreatCo want to bring this issue to immediate attention, particularly because there has been a noticeable lack of coverage in the media (although thanks to the recent grassroots campaign by the Asian American Collective on Change.org, mainstream media has started paying attention). Below you will find links to resources where you can learn more and take actions to help stop the baseless and heartless attacks against our Asian American communities:   Report a Hate Crime Sign the Petition to Get More Media Coverage Reach out to the Media More Ways to Support the AAPI Community Please note that if you have elderly AAPI parents, grandparents, or other relatives and friends, they may need some help with awareness and protection. Communicate the potential dangers to them and accompany them on public outings if you can. If you are based in Oakland, you can request a chaperone here. Our hearts go out to all of the victims' families who have have been impacted by this kind of unwarranted anger and violence. Please stay safe and take care of one another! Do you have any personal stories on racially-motivated violence against the AAPI community? Or do you have any additional resources to share? Reach out to us! Welcome to our second installment of our monthly Behind the Bookcase Series, where we dive into the unique personal topics that fascinate us and make our hearts sing! This month we are excited to feature Mary Tang and her passion and pride in doing DIY projects and making new things! My dad used to build models. The super detailed, tiny replicas of buildings or landscapes, hours-and-days-and-months-of-work kind of models. Somewhere over the years, that passion and skillset must have developed into simply making things. He not only renovated all the rooms in the home I grew up in, but he and my mom moved to a house years ago that was in foreclosure (and had literally every appliance and lightbulb ripped out of it), and he essentially rebuilt it from the ground up. I can remember the different furniture pieces - a coffee table here, a plant stand there, a basement home theater (still the coolest room a kid could ever have to hang out with friends) that have popped up magically over my childhood. It was only in the past couple years that I've come to really & truly appreciate how skilled my dad is. Woodworking seems to be his true passion, but he could also probably tile a bathroom, knock down and rebuild walls, and design a bathroom in his sleep. I consider it a privilege that I've been able to get my hands dirty and learn from him. I've installed hardwood, painted many walls and baseboards, and even learned how to install cabinets. But could I do it all by myself without my dad there to hand me the tools, remind me of the next steps, and jump in to help fix that one piece of crooked tile? Honestly, not a chance. I have full confidence in my ability to be his assistant, but it never crossed my mind that maybe I have it in my blood to be able to do more than that. During this past year's quarantine, I have become a little obsessed with watching DIY videos and marveling at the idea of overhauling Ikea furniture or even creating something out of nothing. It's still overwhelming to think about building a sofa from scratch like my dad has done, but I think I've found a little bit of confidence to paint that wall, install the wallpaper accent wall, and paint that piece of Ikea furniture. Doing something with my hands is a different skillset than what I normally do in my job, and it's been such a refreshing thing to embrace that. It's also been a reminder that sometimes, things aren't as complicated or overwhelming as I make it out to be. Repainting an Ikea dresser and simply changing the hardware made such a huge difference to a massive piece of furniture, and I couldn't be happier that I did it!  Recently I bought a 3D model (the easy ones that come with instructions, not the kind where you have to actually make the pieces and figure out where they go like my dad used to make, hah!) and I'm excited to find more arts & crafts or DIY projects to try, probably mess up, but also maybe end up with an amazing thing that screams a sense of accomplishment!    ~Mary Tang Have something to say? Interested in sharing an opinion piece? Reach out to us for a chance to be featured in Behind the Bookcase! Enjoying our newsletters? Check out our website updates for all past monthly issues! #InGreatCo