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ellie krug
writer, lawyer, human
Human Inspiration Works, LLC
The Ripple
Vol 5 No. 11 December 2020
Inspired by the words and actions of Robert F. Kennedy
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Dear Friends:
Last month’s elections proved to be a watershed moment for me (as I’m sure they were for many of you too!). The old saying is that elections have consequences, and this one spurred three personal, and pivotal. decisions.
First, I decided not to return to Iowa to live. I am truly an Iowan at heart and very much want to go home, but the state went decidedly even more conservative with the elections—so much so that Republican legislative leaders declared that Iowans had given them a “mandate.”
For the transgender community, the phrase “mandate” always seems to include, “We’re going to target transgender people even more.” I just simply can’t live in a state where the government considers me and my community less worthy than others.
My second decision was to not run for political office. I had been eyeing a certain elected office but after getting wonderful counsel from a dear friend (and after admitting to myself that I don’t have the stomach to ask, ask, ask people for money), I decided against running.
Lastly, I decided to shift from my downtown Minneapolis condo to a house with a yard. I’m thrilled to report that I found one in rural Carver County near Victoria, west of the Twin Cities. To some degree, this is my Iowa consolation prize; the house, in a new development, is within eyesight of farm fields and broad horizons. I’m telling people the area is “just like Iowa, except that it has hills, lakes, and trees." I hope that made you laugh!
A big reason for a house is that I also want to get a dog, to have a beloved companion as I enter the last good stretch of my life. Hence, I’m thrilled to report that last week I sent off a deposit for a golden retriever puppy which hopefully will be born in April, meaning I’ll have her (or him) by late June. Hooray!
If you know anyone who is interested in renting a great 12th floor downtown apartment (formerly my condo space), let me know. I will pay a $100 finder fee to anyone who refers a successful tenant to me. (Sorry, I just needed to do that plug right here and now…)
Finally, I wish you all the very best in this upcoming holiday season! Assuming nothing gets in the way of President Joe and Veep Kamala being sworn in (!!), there is great hope about 2021. I’ll talk to you again next year!
Remember, I care about you.
ellie
PS: I’m offering Gray Area Thinking online to the general public on Thursday, January 7th at 6:00 p.m. CST. You can get tickets (the price is $18.50) by clicking here. I’d love to see you and others; please share about this. Thanks!
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Finding Meadow, the Golden Retriever
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From upstate New York comes the story of Meadow, a year-old English cream golden retriever, who went missing from her family, Gary and Debbie Morgan. In fact, Meadow was missing for ten days.
The Morgans became distraught over the loss of their beloved pet and they posted a missing dog poster online, with information about the wooded area near Andes, N. Y. being where Meadow was last seen. That’s when Brian James, a licensed hiking guide and drone pilot, decided that he might be able to help.
As reported in this ABC News story, Brian theorized that in the forests near Andes, with fall foliage gone and no snow yet on the ground, it might be possible to spot a white dog from the air. He deployed his drone and after scouring the countryside, he saw a small patch of white fur. He quickly rushed to the area where he found Meadow uninjured and incredibly happy to see a human.
I share this story in part because of my love for goldens, but also because it demonstrates the power of another human stopping to assist other humans (and their pup). Take a moment to watch the ABC New video (above) of the Morgans expressing their gratitude for Brian’s help in finding Meadow—it will touch your heart!
As Brian summarized, “Everybody’s got the capability to help. You never know what will come of it.”
You never know what will come of it. Wise words about the need to give of one's time to help other humans. One act of kindness literally can change the life of someone else (or of their beloved pet)!
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Ripple Reader Stephanie Dee Smith tipped me off to the story of the Kennedy family in the Lakewood subdivision of North Little Rock, Arkansas, and their tradition of putting up front yard holiday decorations. That tradition included a 7’ tall Black Santa, to the delight of their now four-year-old daughter. For several years, this was no big deal, but that all changed in 2020 (of course).
In late November, Chris Kennedy found an anonymous letter in his mailbox. The letter, as if written by Santa himself, read in part, “Please remove your negro Santa Claus decoration. You should try not to deceive children into believing that I am negro. I am Caucasian (white man, to you)…Your being jealous of my race is no excuse for your dishonesty…Obviously, your values are not that of the Lakewood area and maybe you should move to a neighborhood out east with the rest of your racist kind.”
Appalled, Chris Kennedy posted about the letter on Facebook. “I am trying to be as nice as I can in this very moment because I am actually filled with rage,” he said. Kennedy’s wife Iddy was also very upset. She said, “I was genuinely hurt. When we received (the letter), I wondered if we had made the right choice; if this was the right environment to raise our daughter.”
At that point, a number of neighbors—remember, most of us have good empathetic hearts—stepped up. First, the Lakewood HOA executive director visited the Kennedys and told them they were valued community members.
That was followed by a white-color neighbor who put a Black Santa on his front lawn. Then, a second neighbor’s Black Santa appeared, followed by a third. Soon there were many Black Santas in the neighborhood.
As one neighbor reported, “When we saw what happened to Chris, we knew we couldn’t just stand by and not do anything. We instantly decided what better way to support him than getting our own (Black) Santa display?”
In fact, so many neighbors have ordered Black Santas that local retailers were running out. On top of that, someone from NYC sent Chris Kennedy another Black Santa, so now the Kennedys have two of the Santas in their yard. Also, people from across the country sent the Kennedys money, which they’ve redirected to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of AR.
All of this has warmed Chris Kennedy’s heart. “At the end of the day,” he said, “what was meant for evil was flipped to good. We are showing that we are truly better together and united as one.”
Readers, please don’t despair about current events in America. This story (click here and here) of allyship shows that most of us are eager to overcome “Othering” and that we’re willing to show up for those are who are marginalized. The key: take the time to get to know and care about your neighbor! This is how people come to feel that they matter and are valued.
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Inclusivity Tip of the Month
Children's Books that Model
Diversity and Self-Respect
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In October, I had the honor of moderating a panel of children’s and young adult book authors who had created works that promote understanding and positive thinking about humans who are “Other.”
Kacen Callender, who identifies as nonbinary, won both a Stonewall Award and Lambda Literary Award in 2019 for Hurricane Child, a young adult story set in the Caribbean where the main character, a young girl who had been bullied, develops a crush on another girl, who was also the object of bullying. Kacen also wrote Felix Ever After, about a trans teen who falls for a fellow classmate after catfishing them; Amazon now plans to adapt this book for television. Lastly, Kacen’s King and the Dragonflies, a 2020 National Book Award winner, is about a black twelve-year-old boy who has the double challenge of mourning the unexpected passing of his older brother while also realizing that he’s gay. (I just finished this book and can attest to it being wonderfully written!)
The last panelist was Christian Robinson, who is primarily an illustrator but recently ventured into writing with You Matter, a delightful examination of how everything on Earth is connected in one way or another. Christian is best known for Last Stop on Market Street, which won a Caldecott Honor medal. Christian has also worked at Sesame Street Workshop and Pixar Animation.
Because many of our life-long attitudes about humans who are “Other” are formed early in life, these authors and their work provide great perspective. Plus, they’re fun! With the holiday just around the corner, why not check out their work and gift to one or two (or more) kids in your life? If you do that, please make sure to support your local bookstores; they are in desperate need of support especially now! (On this latter point, see the bookstore story in O&E below.)
Thanks!
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Odds & Ends
For this month’s O&E, I’ve got a skateboarding pup (you read that correctly) and flying humans, along with transgender kids and humans being marginalized. It’s all so fitting for the end of 2020…Read on.
Darn Wonderful: Watch this skateboarding pup simply go at it—as if a dog using a skateboard is something that happens every day. How do you teach a dog this trick?
Second Darn Wonderful: Check out the website of Gravity Industries, a new company that seems well on track to producing commercial flying suits for ordinary humans. Maybe everyone will have their own flying suit some day (but not in my remaining lifetime, I’m sure…).
Third Darn Wonderful: Here’s a story about the home of civil rights hero Medgar Evers (who was shot in the back by a white supremacist in 1963 while Medgar stood on his driveway) being declared a national monument. It’s about damn time.
Iowa Church Buys Medical Debt: Structural change requires using imagination, and that’s exactly what a Des Moines church did when it bought $5 million of medical debt for $8K, thus releasing hundreds of Iowans from despair over debts they can’t pay. Wonderful! Click here.
Allyship for a Locally-Owned Bookstore: When Bayonne, N.J. bookstore owner Sandra Dear (her store is named “The Little Boho Bookshop”) was the subject of constant racist messages that included threats to her life, the community stepped up to show its support—so much so that a line extended out the front door and down the street in a pouring rain. As Sandra advised, “We are all going through difficult things. And you can do one of two things: You can cower from it or you can walk through it and learn from it.” See story here.
Allyship by Architects: The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has declared that it is now unethical for architects to design “death chambers” (prison spaces where humans are executed) and solitary confinement cells. Read about it here. This spurs me to wonder what would it look like if other professional standard-setting associations (doctors, lawyers, accountants, builders) decided to take social justice stands? Again, this is what’s needed to create real, lasting change.
On the Other Hand, Note the Legal Profession’s Challenges re: Diversity: Once more, my best friend Thap (a retired lawyer like me) has sent along a Ripple-worthy piece about how the legal profession continues to fail at becoming more diverse (for example, in twenty years, the number of women of color who are equity partners at large firms has barely budged beyond 2%). As Charles Edwards explains, much of the problem is due to the “bystander effect” where no one in firm leadership is willing to force significant change around hiring and promotion practices. See this well-written piece here.
Southern History Textbooks: See this USA Today story about how for decades Southern schools manipulated history to marginalize black humans. Hopefully, we’ve learned this lesson by now.
Cedar Rapids Replacing Lost Trees: Here is a National Geographic story about how my beloved Cedar Rapids is working to replace the hundreds of thousands of trees lost in last summer’s derecho. Resiliency by a very resilient city!
From the Mouths of Babes: Several months ago, I highlighted Justice for All, a video that Twin Citian Ellie Viilendrer had created of her daughters talking about basic human rights and decency. The video recently was awarded 2nd place in the Peace in the Streets Global Film Festival. Congratulations! The girls’ words will tug at you.
Good for Transgender Humans: Ripple Reader and fellow idealist Renae Grassi sent along this story about transgender model and actress Indya Moore’s initiative, TransSanta, a gift-giving campaign for at risk transgender youth. Click here to learn more and give.
Not at All Good for Transgender Humans: Two things have worked to marginalize transgender people since the last Ripple. First, last week a UK court declared that transgender youth younger than 16 lacked the capacity to provide consent for the use of puberty blockers. Since puberty almost always occurs before the age of 16, this means that most UK transgender youth will suffer from extreme dysphoria (grave psychological discomfort) over their body maturing into something their brains are not. Additionally, outgoing Congressional rep. Tulsi Gabbard introduced legislation to prevent transgender girls and college women from participating in sports that match their gender identity. See here. Thankfully, MN Congresswoman Angie Craig wouldn’t stand for it; she her response here. All of this begs the question: why do cisgender (non-transgender) humans feel they have the right to control transgender humans? I am fed up with it!
Kate’s Pick: My 30-year-old daughter Kate, a writer like me, is a freelancer for Book Riot where she reviews books. Check out her website, It’s All Booked. Kate’s book recommendation for this month is The Windfall: A Novel by Diksha Basu. Kate’s take: “The Jha family is used to the simple things in life so when Mr. Jha unexpectedly comes into a ton of money, they are eager to leave their meager existence behind. They move to the "rich side" of New Delhi and start blowing their money on the things they would have scoffed at a month prior. Money changes everything, for the better and worse, and this book is a fabulous rags-to-riches story with a ton of heart and humor.”
Stuff That I’m Reading: Here is a fascinating Politico piece about the science of addiction to explain how our country has become so divided, especially with grievance/victimization politics at the forefront.
“Ellie 2.0 Radio” Podcasts/Shows: My podcast/show, “Ellie 2.0 Radio,” airs on Twin Cities-based AM950 on Mondays from 2 to 3 p.m. with re-airings on Sundays from 1 to 2 p.m. The show can be live-streamed by clicking here. Ellie 2.0 Radio highlights various historical and contemporary idealists and my work as a “practical idealist” trying to change the world for the better. I recommend my “Ellie’s Talking Head Show” on December 7th, where I talk about Poetic Justice, an Oklahoma nonprofit that teaches women who are incarcerated how to write about their lives. In that show, I also share about some of the compassionate-hearted humans highlighted in this month’s edition of The Ripple. Click here to access that show and other podcasts.
Writings by Me: My December 3rd “Skirting the Issues” column in Lavender Magazine titled “Unsmooth Seas” reflects on the year 2020 and offers thoughts about the crossroads we’re at as a country.
Book Clubs Take Note: With the holidays upon us, how about ordering and reading my book, Getting to Ellen? It would make a wonderful holiday gift; the book’s available on Amazon, Kindle, Nook and Apple iBook: if you’d like an inscribed copy, email me. Note: if your book club reads my memoir, I’m willing to meet with the club online to talk about the book.
Status Report on my Second Book, Being Ellen: In between looking for and buying a house and end-of-the-year trainings, I’ve somehow been able to find the time to work on the solid rewrite of my second book, Being Ellen: A Newly Minted Woman Engages with the World. And you know what? I’m having a blast! Stay tuned!
By the Numbers—120: That’s the number of trainings/talks I’ve conducted this year, even with the pandemic. 90 of those events occurred via online since mid-April. I’m so incredibly grateful and lucky to still have work; a huge thank you to those who have championed my work! You have made all the difference as I’ve worked to make a difference!
Online Following: Please follow me on LinkedIn, where you can find me at Ellen (Ellie) Krug; my Twitter handle is @elliekrug; and on Instagram, you can follow me @elliejkrug.
Past and Upcoming Talks/Trainings and General Stuff: I’m entering the traditional end-of-the-year/first-of-the-year lull where everyone takes a break from trainings and conferences. I’ll put that time to good use working on Book 2 , moving to my new house, and consulting for a couple clients. See above for my January 7th Gray Area Thinking online event. Come February, I’ll present to Wisconsin educators on two occasions, and additionally, I’ll train the court system in Hennepin County on structural racism and white fragility. If you’re interested in my schedule for Upcoming Online Engagements, click here.
Want to Support My Work toward Fostering Greater Compassion and Human Inclusivity? Some of you have recently given to Human Ripple Works, Inc., a nonprofit that I and others have set up to train nonprofits and other organizations on human inclusivity. Thank you for that!! If you’d like to support this work, please click here on the HRW website. Thanks for considering this!
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Finally....
The Ripple is a work in progress, so please, I welcome your suggestions and comments! Please share this newsletter with others, too!
Thank you for helping to make the world a better place! I'm at your side, cheering you on, I promise! Please have compassion for yourself and for others.
ellie
Encouraging Open Hearts and Thriving Human Spirits
Human Inspiration Works, LLC: We make "inclusion" an action word
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Ellen (Ellie) Krug
319-360-1692
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