In Newly Found Audio, A Forgotten Civil Rights Leader Says Coming Out 'Was An Absolute Necessity'; NPR, January 6, 2019

Michel Martin and Emma Bowman, NPR; In Newly Found Audio, A Forgotten Civil Rights Leader Says Coming Out 'Was An Absolute Necessity'

"He was an adviser to Martin Luther King Jr. and the organizer behind the 1963 March on Washington.

Still, Bayard Rustin's legacy as a leading figure in the civil rights movement is little known today, even among many history buffs and within the LGBTQ community. His homosexuality cost him that visibility and was considered by some as a hindrance to the movement's success. 

Rustin died in 1987, but his silenced voice was recently resurrected in previously unaired audio from an interview with the Washington Blade in the mid-1980s. The audio will air this week in an episode of the podcast Making Gay History. It was discovered by Sara Burningham, the podcast's executive producer...

To Rustin, asserting his identity as an African-American went hand-in-hand with identifying as a gay man. "It occurred to me shortly after that that it was an absolute necessity for me to declare homosexuality, because if I didn't I was a part of the prejudice," he said. "I was aiding and abetting the prejudice that was a part of the effort to destroy me.""

Artist Tom Beland’s Heartfelt BLACK PANTHER piece becomes a variant cover; The Beat: The News Blog of Comics Culture, March 15, 2018

Taimur Dar, The Beat: The News Blog of Comics Culture; Artist Tom Beland’s Heartfelt BLACK PANTHER piece becomes a variant cover

[Kip Currier: I just chanced upon and got a copy of this moving Black Panther variant comic book cover by cartoonist Tom Beland, which Marvel Comics commissioned, following his original cartoon that went viral.
It's inspiring to see the diverse leadership roles that people can take to communicate messages and ideas that move individuals and societies forward in affirming ways.]

Black Panther variant comic book cover by cartoonist Tom Beland.
James "Kip" Currier (c) 2018

 

"As gratifying as it is to see Black Panther obliterating the myth that films with a predominately black cast can’t find mainstream success, perhaps its greatest achievement is the strong reaction among black girls and boys. If this 7-year old kid taking up the M’Baku challenge doesn’t melt your heart, then it’s probably made out of vibranium!

To say that Black Panther is a watershed moment for superhero films and representation is an understatement. Less than a week after Black Panther smashed box office records on opening weekend in February, cartoonist Tom Beland (True Story, Swear to God) drew this poignant piece. Despite taking Beland less than 15 minutes to draw, to his amazement it was shared over 10K times on social media!"

Watch This Jamaican Bobsledder’s Tearful Plea For Diversity At Winter Olympics; HuffPost, February 10, 2018

Ron Dicker, HuffPost; Watch This Jamaican Bobsledder’s Tearful Plea For Diversity At Winter Olympics

"Diversity is as good as gold, according to a member of the Jamaican Bobsled Team.

Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian told a Winter Olympics press conference in Pyeonchang, South Korea, on Saturday how important it was for children to see reflections of themselves in sport. 

It’s critical that “little girls and little boys see someone that looks like them, talks like them, has the same culture as them, has crazy, curly hair and wears a natural, has brown skin, included in different things in this world,” Fenlator-Victorian said, fighting tears. “When you grow up and you don’t see that, you feel that you can’t do it. And that is not right.”"

In 'Black Panther,' a superhero who finally looks like me; Washington Post, February 9, 2018

David Betancourt, Washington Post; In 'Black Panther,' a superhero who finally looks like me

""Black Panther" brings to life Marvel's greatest black superhero. For The Post's David Betancourt, this has been a long time coming."

Carla Hayden: By the Book; New York Times, August 3, 2017

New York Times; Carla Hayden: By the Book

"What’s the most interesting thing you learned from a book recently?

I recently read “When Books Went to War,” about librarians working together during World War II to send books to the troops. Hardcover books were too heavy, so the movement really ushered in this era of the paperback. That effort also led to the resurgence of titles like “The Great Gatsby” and “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.” I also think “Women Who Read Are Dangerous” is such an interesting book. It is about how women readers were portrayed in fine arts, which is not a topic that had ever occurred to me."

It Gets Better: U.S. Patent and Trademark employees share their stories; U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, 6/25/15

[Video] U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; It Gets Better: U.S. Patent and Trademark employees share their stories:

[Kip Currier: While prepping for a patent lecture for my Intellectual Property and "Open" Movements course next week, I serendipitously found this inspiring "It Gets Better" video from 2015, featuring USPTO Director Michelle K. Lee and openly LGBT employees in the USPTO.]

"“Do not let the bullies of the world distract you from the commitment to achieve your fullest potential,’ says USPTO Director Michelle K. Lee in this video featuring stories from our employees, “It does get better.”"

‘We need to do better': CBS responds to TV critics about fall shows only led by white men; Washington Post, 8/10/16

Emily Yahr, Washington Post; ‘We need to do better': CBS responds to TV critics about fall shows only led by white men:

"Geller admitted that when it comes to lead characters, the network is “definitely less diverse” than last year, though he noted that of 16 new series regulars on the network, 11 of the actors are from diverse groups. “We’re very mindful at CBS about the importance of diversity and inclusion, and I’m glad we’re having this conversation first,” Geller responded. “We need to do better and we know it. That’s really it. We need to do better.”...

Another reporter brought up that Geller, who is gay, said during the last press tour earlier this year that he was proof of the network diversifying, and asked about “sexuality representation” on the network. (His quote in January: “I’m just a gay guy from Indiana who doesn’t play basketball, but now I’m the entertainment president of CBS.”)

“It’s obviously a very personal topic for me, I think things are definitely shifting,” Geller said, pointing to LGBT characters on “Code Black,” “NCIS: New Orleans,” “The Great Indoors” and new drama “Bull.” Plus, he added, Laverne Cox stars in the Katherine Heigl-led drama “Doubt” this season as the first transgender actress to play a transgender series regular on TV."

Books always have been at the heart of Mt. Lebanon library director; South Hills Almanac, 6/27/16

Luke Campbell, South Hills Almanac; Books always have been at the heart of Mt. Lebanon library director:

"As comedian Drew Carey sat in the contestant’s chair of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” playing for a donation to the Ohio Public Library, he confidently and correctly answered a $500,000 question.

Fifty thousand dollars of the winnings were split among 10 people pursuing a career in teen librarianship, a path Vittek applied to pursue at Kent State University only a few months before.

“I applied for Kent State’s master of library and information science program at about that same time,” said Vittek. “I was not in a good place at the time. I didn’t want to leave my mothe. [sic] But to get into library school, to get that scholarship and to also be awarded a graduate assistantship that made my tuition free, it was just a natural fit.”

Her subsequent career eventually led her to taking over the director’s position in Mt. Lebanon, where the library last year had about 359,000 visitors and lent more than 588,00 physical items.

“Establishing a connection is the most important part of the job,” Vittek said. “You can go to any library and check out a book, attend a program or use the computer, but to have a personal connection and feeling that this is my library, my community and my home. That is why I want to have personal connections."