Celebrating Unity in Diversity

Dear Members, Alumni, & Friends of the James Scholar Advisory & Leadership Team:

With the rapid approach of Independence Day on July 4^th, I’d like to conclude this June’s special series of weekly Quotemails with some reflections on a set of ideals that our country has been nurturing since its founding. Growing steadily through the decades, and not without setbacks, from one generation to the next, we have the ideals of unity in diversity, liberty, and justice for all. Our understanding of these core values of our Republic has expanded over time, and no doubt will continue to grow as the future unfolds before us. Our society is not perfect – but we are learning and growing up into our ideals while the rest of the world is watching and learning from us.

George Washington's Letter to the Jewish Community of Newport, Rhode Island (1790)

“The Citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for giving to Mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.”

“The New Colossus” a/k/a “The Statue of Liberty Sonnet” (1883)

By Emma Lazarus (1849-1887)

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

STAR TREK: Vulcan Philosophy

“IDIC: Infinite Diversity, Infinite Combinations”

BABYLON 5: Episode #91

Preamble: Interstellar Alliance Declaration of Principles

The Universe speaks in many languages, but only one voice…

It speaks in the language of hope.

It speaks in the language of trust.

It speaks in the language of strength and the language of compassion.

It is the language of the heart and the language of the soul,

But always it is the same voice.

It is the voice of our ancestors, speaking through us,

And the voice of our inheritors, waiting to be born.

It is the small, still voice that says

“We are one.”

No matter the blood,

No matter the skin,

No matter the world,

No matter the star:

“We are one.”

No matter the pain,

No matter the darkness,

No matter the loss,

No matter the fear,

“We are one.”

Here, gathered together in common cause, we agree to recognize this singular truth and this singular rule:

That we must be kind to one another.

Because each voice enriches us and ennobles us, and each voice lost diminishes us.

We are the voice of the Universe, the soul of creation, the fire that will light the way to a better future.

“We are one.”

“Inclusivity forever! Diversity makes us strong!”

-- Ye Editor

Quotemail will resume its regular fortnightly schedule in two weeks.

Happy Independence Day to one and all!

Rob :)

June 2015 Leadership Reflection

June Leadership Reflection:

Moving the Wheels of the World

        The pages of history books are filled with the names of great leaders – or rather, with the names of leaders whom historians consider to be great. There is no doubt that great leaders recognized by historians have made a tremendous impact on world history, but there are perhaps even more “unsung heroes” in human history than “famous heroes.” These largely unknown people were leaders and shapers of our world, just as much as the “big names” were, but they are seldom – if ever – remembered, and some historians might even try to denigrate their contributions or dismiss them as wholesale fantasy.

        But we know better, don’t we? As J. R. R. Tolkien observed, “Yet such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere” (The Lord of the Rings: Book 2, Chapter 2). Even though few (if any) of us will ever become well-known or “famous” enough to be mentioned in history books, we know that our work at the University of Illinois is both meaningful and impactful. The administrators, faculty, and students whom we support are slowly but surely changing the world for the better through teaching, research, and public engagement. As we walk down the hall in our office building, one day we just might meet the next Harriet Tubman or Thomas Edison unawares! World-changers and world-impactors are all around us, and we can join with them in their great tasks just by doing our work each day. Even if we don’t live to see the seeds that we sow come to full fruition, that shouldn’t hinder us from doing what we do with hopefulness and helpfulness, because the end results of our labors may be far better than we can possibly imagine from the limited perspective of a single human lifetime.

        As the Illinois summer opens with a parade of patriotic holidays like Memorial Day, Flag Day, Juneteenth, and Independence Day, let us remember the example of Betsy Ross (1752-1836), an upholsterer and seamstress from Philadelphia. According to longstanding tradition, she was commissioned to create the first American flag, designed to symbolize the unity of the thirteen disparate colonies as a single nation. Widely known as the “Betsy Ross Flag,” it features thirteen horizontal stripes in alternating red and white, with a circle of thirteen white five-pointed stars on a blue field in the upper left corner. The thirteen stars and stripes represented the thirteen American colonies that were declaring their independence from Great Britain.

        Historians may dispute the claim that Betsy Ross created the first American flag, but let us put the academic controversies aside and simply enjoy the story of how one woman, who didn’t achieve fame or fortune in her own lifetime, has had an enduring (and endearing) impact on the American people, and especially on all the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives so that we could live out our own lives in peace and freedom. Look no further than Betsy Ross to learn how doing our everyday work can change the world for the better – both in the present day and for future generations yet to come. That’s what leadership is all about – doing what we do every day, with a hopeful and helpful mindset, working for better times ahead.

“Betsy’s Battle Flag”

By Minna Irving (1872-1940)

1. From dusk till dawn the livelong night

She kept the tallow dips alight,

And fast her nimble fingers flew

To sew the stars upon the blue.

With weary eyes and aching head

She stitched the stripes of white and red.

And when the day came up the stair

Complete across a carven chair

Hung Betsy’s battle-flag.

2. Like shadows in the evening gray

The Continentals filed away,

With broken boots and ragged coats,

But hoarse defiance in their throats;

They bore the marks of want and cold,

And some were lame and some were old,

And some with wounds untended bled,

But floating bravely overhead

Was Betsy’s battle-flag.

3. When fell the battle’s leaden rain,

The soldier hushed his moans of pain

And raised his dying head to see

King George’s troopers turn and flee.

Their charging column reeled and broke,

And vanished in the rolling smoke,

Before the glory of the stars,

The snowy stripes, and scarlet bars

Of Betsy’s battle-flag.

4. The simple stone of Betsy Ross

Is covered now with mold and moss,

But still her deathless banner flies,

And keeps the color of the skies.

A nation thrills, a nation bleeds,

A nation follows where it leads,

And every man is proud to yield

His life upon a crimson field

For Betsy’s battle-flag!

Resources for Further Exploration

·        http://historicphiladelphia.org/betsy-ross-house/what-to-see/ à This is the official website of the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia.

·        http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/ à Visit the Betsy Ross Homepage to learn more about the life and legacy of this great American leader!

Summer Solstice Weekend!

Dear Members, Alumni, & Friends of the James Scholar Advisory & Leadership Team:

This coming Tuesday, June 23^rd, is Midsummer Eve – a traditional holiday that celebrates the long days and short nights of summertime with bonfires, dancing, feasting, and singing under the stars. In areas north of 50 degrees latitude, the night sky never becomes completely dark at the Summer Solstice, resulting in a faint twilight glow that lingers all through the night. The following poems, drawn from Robert Louis Stevenson’s (1850-1894) classic treasury, A Child’s Garden of Verses (1885), celebrate the long days of summer and the timeless magic of a starry night. This weekend, be sure to look for the Moon, Venus, and Jupiter, clustered together in the western sky, about an hour after sunset!

“Bed in Summer”

In winter I get up at night

And dress by yellow candle-light.

In summer, quite the other way,

I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed and see

The birds still hopping on the tree,

Or hear the grown-up people’s feet

Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you,

When all the sky is clear and blue,

And I should like so much to play,

To have to go to bed by day?

“Escape at Bedtime”

The lights from the parlor and kitchen shone out

Through the blinds and the windows and bars;

And high overhead and all moving about,

There were thousands of millions of stars.

There ne’er were such thousands of leaves on a tree,

Nor of people in church or the Park,

As the crowds of the stars that looked down upon me,

And that glittered and winked in the dark.

The Dog, and the Plough, and the Hunter, and all,

And the star of the sailor, and Mars,

These shone in the sky, and the pail by the wall

Would be half full of water and stars.

They saw me at last, and they chased me with cries,

And they soon had me packed into bed;

But the glory kept shining and bright in my eyes,

And the stars going round in my head.

“The Moon”

The Moon has a face like the clock in the hall;

She shines on thieves on the garden wall,

On streets and fields and harbor quays,

And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees.

The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse,

The howling dog by the door of the house,

The bat that lies in bed at noon,

All love to be out by the light of the Moon.

But all of the things that belong to the day

Cuddle to sleep to be out of her way;

And flowers and children close their eyes

Till up in the morning the Sun shall arise.

“The Summer Sun Shone Round Me”

The summer sun shone round me,

The folded valley lay

In a stream of sun and odor,

That sultry summer day.

The tall trees stood in the sunlight

As still as still could be,

But the deep grass sighed and rustled

And bowed and beckoned me.

The deep grass moved and whispered

And bowed and brushed my face.

It whispered in the sunshine:

“The winter comes apace.”

This fortnight’s Quotemail is dedicated to all my friends at the Center for Children’s Books at the University of Illinois. Please visit them @ http://ccb.lis.illinois.edu/ to learn more about their programs and publications highlighting the best new literature for children and young adults.

Merry Midsummer, everyone! :)

Rob

Two Sesquicentennials in One Week!

Dear Members, Alumni, and Friends of the James Scholar Advisory & Leadership Team:

This month includes two noteworthy sesquicentennials – 150^th anniversaries – that are celebrated in this week’s edition of Quotemail.

The Irish poet, essayist, and folklorist William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) was born 150 years ago this Saturday, June 13^th. Yeats was a literary luminary who helped to spearhead the “Keltik Renaissance” of the late 19^th century in Ireland, paving the way for a greater appreciation and study of Irish literature and mythology in the 20^th century. Here’s my favorite poem by Mr. Yeats.

“The Song of Wandering Aengus” (1899)

By William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)

Editor’s Note: From the Emerald Isle comes this love-quest poem inspired by classical Irish mythology (see http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/oengus.html). Yeats’ poem in turn served as the basis of “Rogue Planet,” the 18th episode of the 1st season of STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE.

I went out to the hazel wood,

Because a fire was in my head,

And cut and peeled a hazel wand,

And hooked a berry to a thread;

And when white moths were on the wing,

And moth-like stars were flickering out,

I dropped the berry in a stream

And caught a little silver trout.

When I had laid it on the floor

I went to blow the fire a-flame,

But something rustled on the floor,

And someone called me by my name:

It had become a glimmering girl

With apple blossom in her hair

Who called me by my name and ran

And faded through the brightening air.

  

Though I am old with wandering

Through hollow lands and hilly lands,

I will find out where she has gone,

And kiss her lips and take her hands;

And walk among long dappled grass,

And pluck till time and times are done,

The silver apples of the Moon,

The golden apples of the Sun.

Juneteenth (next Friday, June 19th) is an upcoming patriotic holiday that celebrates the proclamation of freedom given to African-American slaves in Texas on June 19, 1865. These were the last slaves to be freed in the American South after the conclusion of the Civil War two months before. The observance of Juneteenth, at first focused in Texas, has since spread all over the United States. In our own century, Juneteenth serves to remind us of the plight of millions of people throughout the world who still need liberation from the bondage of slavery.

In honor of the sesquicentennial of Juneteenth, and of all the heroes who have sought to abolish the slave trade from ancient times to the present, here is a “culture vulture” article that I penned six years ago for the honors newsletter about Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, the abolitionist movement, and the Underground Railroad.

Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman: Leaders and Liberators

By Rob Chappell

Reprinted from CURSUS HONORUM (COURSE OF HONORS) IX: 8 (March 2009)

       In honor of Women’s History Month, the Culture Vulture would like to share the stories of two women who were prominent leaders in the American abolitionist and women’s suffrage movements during the nineteenth century. These courageous leaders have inspired countless women after them to work for liberty, justice, and equality for all people. The two African-American heroes highlighted in this article are Sojourner Truth (1797-1883) and Harriet Tubman (1820-1913).

       Sojourner Truth (originally named Isabella Baumfree) was born a slave in upstate New York, at a time when slavery had not yet been abolished throughout the North. She obtained her freedom in 1826 and worked at various jobs until she found her lifelong vocation in 1843: campaigning for human rights. On June 1 of that year, she changed her name to Sojourner Truth and began traveling and speaking throughout the northeastern states. During the 1840s and 1850s, she enthralled hundreds of audiences with her spirited addresses advocating the abolition of slavery and women’s suffrage, while her autobiography (NARRATIVE OF SOJOURNER TRUTH, A NORTHERN SLAVE), published in 1850, continued to galvanize the abolitionist movement.

       Truth’s most famous address, AIN’T I A WOMAN, was delivered before the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in Akron during 1851. She worked for the Union Army and the Freedmen’s Bureau in Washington, DC during the Civil War and continued her speaking tours on behalf of women’s suffrage until her eventual retirement in Battle Creek, Michigan. Because of her championing of equal rights for African-Americans and for all women, she became known as the “Miriam of the Latter Exodus.”

       Harriet Tubman (originally named Araminta Ross) was born a slave on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. After escaping to freedom in Pennsylvania at the age of 29, she returned to Maryland several times to liberate other slaves. Tubman became a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, clandestinely leading Southern slaves to freedom in the northern United States or in British Canada, where slavery had been abolished since 1833. She conveyed secret messages to her “passengers” on the Underground Railroad through songs like “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” This ingenious piece of music taught runaway slaves how to use the Big Dipper to find the North Star, which would guide their nocturnal journeys to freedom in the northern United States or British Canada:

“When the Sun comes back,

And the first quail calls,

Follow the Drinking Gourd.

For the old man is a-waiting

For to carry you to freedom,

If you follow the Drinking Gourd.”

       During the Civil War, Tubman served in the Union Army as a scout and guide, and in June 1863, she became the first woman in American history to lead a combat operation, in which hundreds of slaves were liberated in South Carolina. After the Civil War, she worked tirelessly for women’s suffrage and full equality for African-Americans, finally obtaining a government pension after decades of struggle in 1899. She made her home in Auburn, New York – the center of her humanitarian work for the last 44 years of her life.

       The legacy of Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman continues today as courageous women of the 21st century work, as Sojourner Truth said, “to set [the world] right side up again.” Through writing, speaking, researching, and volunteering, the successors of these two liberating leaders are helping all of us to build a brighter future for all people.

Webliography

•       http://www.sojournertruth.org/Default.htm (Sojourner Truth Institute)

•       http://www.harriettubman.com/index.html (Harriet Tubman Infohub)

•       http://www.freedomcenter.org/ (National Underground Railroad Freedom Center)

•       http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/ltc/special/mlk/gourd2.html (Text of “Follow the Drinking Gourd” with Commentary from NASA)

•       http://nationaljuneteenth.com/ (National Juneteenth Observance Foundation)

I look forward to seeing Harriet Tubman’s portrait on a future $20 bill!

Until next time –

Rob