Tag: Racism

Are You a 12? I Am.

Forget about scoring 1-10 on the flawed scale rating women’s physical attractiveness. Actress and model Bo Derek rated 10. Much patriarchal banter leans toward sexism. I prefer the Seattle Seahawks’ (forced) inclusive “12’s.” Everyone rates as 12.

The Super-Bowl-LX-winning Seahawks did not have good attendance in the early days of Seattle’s franchise. A former owner even attempted to relocate to L.A. However, the Seahawks rallied, winning 4 consecutive division titles. Fans noticed.

In 1984 the Seahawks initiated the “12’s” when they retired the #12 jersey to give their fans a symbolic “12th  Man” position on the 11-player team on the field. The Seahawks began a tradition of raising a “12th Man” flag at home games in 2003. In 2014 a local mainstay sponsor, Boeing, painted a 747-cargo plane with the Seahawk icon; the number 12 appeared on the plane’s tail. By 2016 the team transitioned from “12th Man” to “12’s” to refer to fans. Fans noticed.

The “12’s” inclusivity applies to EVERYONE. There are no Red fans/Blue fans, no male fans/female fans, and no racist slurs are acceptable in U.S. football land (count how many Black team members are superstars). Anyone can wear a 12 jersey and “join” team spirit as a 12th person.

Those “12’s” in the stands create a fired-up energy for their team which adds chemistry to football games. Seahawk fans have set the Guinness World Record for loudest noise at a sporting event on several occasions. There is a term for this. It is called collective effervescence.

People experience feelings of connection and unity when they have a communal shared purpose, such as cheering for a favored team or applauding musicians upon their stage return for an encore. French sociologist Émile Durkheim coined the term collective effervescence: “The very fact of congregating is an exceptionally powerful stimulant. Once the individuals are gathered together, a sort of electricity is generated from their closeness and that quickly launches them to an extraordinary height of exaltation.”

If you have read this blog previously, you know that I like to get to the “story” behind the story. It turns out that the Seahawks did not invent the notion of the “12’s.” The origins come from Texas A&M in 1922. Their use of “The 12th Man” had been trademarked in 1996. A compromise was reached between the Seahawks and Texas A&M in 2016 when the Seahawks agreed to cease using this name in their marketing. The Seahawks became inclusive with “The 12’s.”

I know what collective effervescence stirs up — a belonging to something grand. In sports I experienced it with Bulls fans when Michael Jordon was at his peak. Whether the Guiness World Records showed the decibels of delicious joy at that time does not matter. Experiencing a stadium of cheering fans is riveting. Fans remember.

When might we gather together as Americans to cheer our beloved country?

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

470. When have you experienced collective effervescence?   

471. How often do you feel unity in any group?   

Black Herstory

Shirley Raines, social media creator and founder of the non-profit Beauty 2 The Streetz, died last week at age 58. Better known as Ms. Shirley to many who experienced homelessness in Los Angeles and Nevada, she had a 5 million TikTok-follower tribe. Ms. Shirley made a difference in people’s lives. She offered hygiene kits and beauty products to those on Skid Row, LA. When she posted pictures on TikTok of her offers to color people’s hair and do makeup, hair stylists and barbers as well as makeup companies donated their services and products. At one time Ms. Shirley cooked 400 meals a week in her apartment for Skid Row occupants. When the pandemic reached LA, she turned her soul soldier efforts to combat COVID with vaccinations for unhoused people.

Ms. Shirley was named CNN’s Hero of the Year in 2021. A defining part of her story involves mothering 6 children. One son died just days before his 3rd birthday from an accidental overdose from a relative’s prescription medications, a shattering experience that Ms. Shirley recalled in becoming “a very broken woman.” During the CNN award event, she put a positive spin on her grieving: “It’s important you know that broken people are still very much useful…I am a mother without a son, and there are a lot of people in the street that are without a mother. And I feel like it’s a fair exchange—I’m here for them.”

A 2025 survey reports that nearly 72,000 individuals were homeless (on any given evening) in Los Angeles County. Clearly, it takes more than one person to address the critical needs of so many, but Ms. Shirley was a tireless organizer of services for countless folks. She engaged people on the streets by offering them a turn at working with her as she provided free haircuts or handed out supplies and food.

February is Black History month in the U.S. and Canada. Gaining momentum, this honoring of achievements of persons of African descent is now celebrated in Ireland and the UK every October. This year is a particularly poignant time to honor both Black histories and Black herstories. Patriarchal norms focus most attention on men’s history. White patriarchal norms led to an executive order in 2025 demanding that the Smithsonian remove or modify exhibits that “divide Americans based on race” or “inappropriately disparage” U.S. history. One removal was Harriet Tubman’s hymnal, a worn-out time capsule of hymns sung as signals for slaves via Underground Railroad escapes.

For inspiration in trying times, arm yourself with these quotes from wise author, poet, memoirist and civil rights activist Maya Angelou:

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

458. Is there a movement that you feel passionate about in 2026?

469. How might you honor Black History/Herstory this month?  

Age-inclusion Please

Ageism Awareness Day is October 9. The American Society on Aging (ASA) Ageism & Culture Advisory Council has a  Fact Sheet for those who want more details on ageism: https://asaging.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ageism-Awareness-Day-Fact-Sheet-2025.pdf

Ageism is common and yet overlooked as one of the most socially accepted forms of prejudice. A poll reported that 82% of adults in ages 50-80 experience ageism words or actions daily. And to make matters worse, we often are ageist about ourselves! Other highlights from the ASA report include these issues:

  • Ageism covers people of many ages, both as recipients of prejudice and offenders of prejudice.
  • By age 3 children pick up age stereotypes.
  • Ageism refers to stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) toward others — or ourselves — based on age.
  • Cultural ageism slips into our movies, literature, songs, news reporting, and especially our jokes.
  • One research study found that a mere 1.5% of the characters on TV in the U.S. are older adults. If present, they tend to have minor roles and/or are portrayed in stereotypic ageist behavior.
  • Ageism is even more prevalent when it intersects with racism, sexism and ableism.
  • Those who experience multiple forms of ageism are reported to have more chronic health conditions and depression.
  • Ageism has economic implications; AARP estimates that $850 billion in lost gains to the CDP results from involuntary retirement, underemployment, and unemployment in older adults.
  • Older adults support the U.S. economy; ages 50+ support over 88 million jobs (through jobs they hold or create).
  • More than half of small business owners are 50+ years old.
  • Work contributions of older adults are overlooked: caregivers ages 65+ are often unpaid caregivers for their family, friends or neighbors.
  • In 2022 data, 1.1 million grandparents ages 60+ were providing most of the basic care of grandchildren living with them.
  • Older adults have longer periods of unemployment, face discrimination during the hiring process, and receive fewer professional development possibilities.
  • 64% of older workers report age discrimination in their place of work.
  • In one study 1 out of 5 adults over 50 experienced discriminations in their healthcare settings.
  • There are few geriatricians treating the older adult population; the average salary for a geriatrician is half of the salary for an anesthesiologist, cardiologist, or radiologist.
  • Medication-related problems are estimated to be one of the top 5 causes of death in older adults.

I have experienced ageism and while I know about the unconscious bias that exists in the U.S., it is still unsettling as I feel useful, not over-the-hill. I like author and poet Gertrude Stein’s approach: “We are always the same age inside.” Her statement can be taken in many ways, but there is a timeless quality to believing in a core self with an ability to have consciousness to each present moment. There are positive possibilities when we embrace age-inclusion.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

434. Have you experienced ageism lately?

435. What do you say when you hear ageism bias tossed into conversations?

Ageism Discrimination

Ageism Awareness Day is on October 9th, but let’s make every day an ageism awareness day as the Baby-Boom generation mushrooms into seasoned citizen territory.

 The World Health Organization posts these alarming findings:  Ageism costs billions annually in the U.S. from age discrimination — the economic cost of age discrimination against older workers was estimated to cost $850 billion in lost GDP in 2018 (from factors such as the inability to find work and earn promotions).                                                                                                               1 in 2 people worldwide are ageist against older people.

It is also possible to be ageist against young people, as in saying, “She’s too green for the job,” likely a sexist attitude and ageist. These discriminatory attitudes often travel together, along with a particularly damaging attitude — racism. “Ageism intersects and exacerbates all the other ‘isms,’ including racism, sexism and ableism,” according to the Ageism Fact Sheet compiled by the American Society on Aging (https://asaging.org/sites/default/files/2024-08/Ageism%20Fact%20Sheet%20-%20Ageism%20Awareness%20Day_0.pdf ).

Here is how journalist Connie Chung, first woman to co-anchor the CBS Evening News, describes the career hoops she jumped through at age 23 in Connie: A Memoir: “…Since I stood only five feet, three and a half inches (don’t forget the half), I compensated by wearing stilettos. I wanted to be as close as I could be, eye to eye with the men. I did not want to look up at them. I wanted to be their equal. I tried to lower my voice to mimic theirs and copied their on-air cadence. I knew they could easily bully me, and I was powerless to fight them, so I joined them. I knew I could never be one of the boys, but surely, I could adopt pages from their playbook. It was easy to imagine myself as just another white guy. I became aggressive, tough, bawdy, and extremely competitive. Yes, I looked like a lotus blossom, but I talked like a sailor with a raw sense of humor.”

There is more ageism discrimination for older adults. 64% of older workers maintain that they face age discrimination; 41% report ageism experiences in their workplace. Often companies have expected ages for “retirement.” For some individuals, leaving a demanding career may be a welcome life development; for others, a mandatory age for retirement seems dismissive of one’s talents.  

• Age diversity is not foremost in planning a company’s workforce, although organizations might gain a competitive advantage from multigenerational employees. Acknowledging age equity increases worker feelings of belonging, along with enhancing productivity.                                                                                                                                                         

 • Healthcare is ageist: In ages 50+, 1 in 5 experiences discrimination in healthcare settings.

Now for the good news, if you are lucky enough to live into your 70’s and beyond: people who possess more positive self-perceptions of aging live 7.5 years longer than those with less positive perceptions, according to Yale University researcher Becca Levy.

Find resources to advocate against ageism (https://asaging.org/ageism-awareness).

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz 

331. How often do you catch yourself being ageist?

332. What might you say to another when you hear an ageist remark?