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Home > Journals > Journal of Raptor Research > Volume 40 > Issue 1 > Article
1 March 2006 Collisions of Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo Jamaicensis), Turkey Vultures(Cathartes Aura), and Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus) with Aircraft: Implications for Bird Strike Reduction
Bradley F. Blackwell, Sandra E. Wright
Bradley F. Blackwell,1,* Sandra E. Wright2
1aUnited States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Servi
2bUnited States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Servi
*Email address: Bradley.f.blackwell@aphis.usda.gov
J. of Raptor Research, 40(1):76-80 (2006). https://doi.org/10.3356/0892-1016(2006)40[76:CORHBJ]2.0.CO;2
From 1990 through 2003, 52 493 wildlife collisions with aircraft were reported to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); 97% of these incidents involved birds. The approximate cost to the civil aviation industry in the U.S.A. due to collisions of birds with aircraft (hereafter referred to as bird strikes) was $163.51 million in direct monetary losses and associated costs for the 14-yr period (Cleary et al. 2004). Strikes with raptors (Falconidae and Accipitridae; including vultures, Cathartidae) accounted for approximately 28% of reported aircraft down time resulting from known-species bird strikes (known species = 182 942 hr; total for all birds = 244 510 hr) and represented a $12.9 million loss to U.S. civil aviation (Cleary et al. 2004). However, these figures are misleading relative to actual costs; of 7265 reports of wildlife strikes involving damage to the aircraft, only 1759 reports provided cost estimates (Cleary et al. 2004).
Because of their size (at least six North American-nesting raptor species have a mean body mass >1.8 kg) and flight behavior (e.g., flocking or soaring), strikes with raptors pose a substantial threat to air safety relative to FAA airworthiness standards for airframes, windshields, and engines (Seamans et al. 1995, Dolbeer and Eschenfelder 2003). Recent work by Dolbeer (2006) shows that for bird strikes (1990–June 2003) ≤152.4 m above ground level (AGL), passerines, gulls/terns (Laridae), doves (Columbidae), and raptors (including vultures) were the species groups most frequently struck. For strikes >152.4 m AGL, waterfowl (Anatidae), gulls/terns, passerines, and vultures were the species groups most frequently struck. Notably, for strikes resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft (Dolbeer et al. 2000, Cleary et al. 2004), 66% occurred at ≤152.4 m AGL (Dolbeer 2006).
More specifically, strikes involving Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) comprised 24.5% of reported raptor strikes to civil aircraft from 1990–2003 (N strike reports involving raptors = 1945); strikes of Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus), Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura), and unidentified vultures represented an additional 19.2% of reported raptor strikes (Cleary et al. 2004). Together, strikes of Red-tailed Hawks and vultures accounted for 93.4% of civilian aircraft down time associated with raptor strikes and represented a loss of approximately $7 million to U.S. civil aviation over the 14-yr period (Cleary et al. 2004). Similarly, in an analysis of U.S. Air Force (USAF) strike data, Kelly (1999) reported that Red-tailed Hawks and Turkey Vultures accounted for the majority (64%) of damaging raptor strikes by USAF aircraft (see also Zakrajsek and Bissonette 2005).
Because of the prominence of Red-tailed Hawks and vultures in military (Kelly 1999, Zakrajsek and Bissonette 2005) and U.S. civil aviation (Cleary et al. 2004) bird-strike databases, we questioned whether strike statistics might yield information critical to wildlife and resource management on the air operations area (AOA; areas designated for takeoff, landing, and surface maneuvers of aircraft) of an airport (14 CFR Part 139, Subpart D) and within FAA siting criteria for certificated airports (i.e., within 1.5 km of a runway for airports servicing piston-powered aircraft only and within 3.0 km of a runway for airports servicing turbine-powered aircraft; U.S. Federal Aviation Administration 2004). In general, an aircraft descending on a 3° glideslope would be ≤152.4 m AGL at 3.0 km from the runway (Flight Safety Foundation 2000).
Importantly, we note that a strike report might involve more than one bird, only about 20% of wildlife strikes are reported, not all bird strikes are identified to species, the altitude of a strike is not always reported as m AGL (i.e., the report might be relative to elevation of the airport), and bird strike-related damage and down-time costs are underreported (Cleary et al. 2004). Thus, species-specific losses and the associated costs to aviation due to those bird strikes are highly underrepresented by strike data within the FAA National Wildlife Strike Database. In addition, strike reports do not include data by which analyses can be standardized relative to aircraft type and the associated movements (i.e., takeoffs and landings) or hours in use prior to a strike. Our objective was to quantify U.S. civil aviation strike reports within the FAA National Wildlife Strike Database for Red-tailed Hawks, Black Vultures, Turkey Vultures, and unknown vultures relative to number of birds struck, season, and altitude.
We used data from the FAA National Wildlife Strike Database for civil and joint-use airports (Cleary et al. 2004). The FAA uses a standard form (5200–7) for voluntary reporting of wildlife strikes to civil aircraft in the U.S.A.; strike reports may also be made directly to the FAA National Wildlife Strike Database via the internet (Cleary et al. 2004). At the time of our analyses, the database contained 55 329 strike reports from U.S. civil aviation (January 1990–19 July 2004). We included only reports where at least one bird was struck (i.e., we ignored reports of evasive action only) and assumed the minimum number of individuals struck when a range (e.g., 2–10 individuals) was reported in a single incident. In addition, we included strike reports for unknown vultures only when the report originated from a U.S. state or Canada, thus indicating that the bird was either a Turkey Vulture or Black Vulture.
The phase within a species' annual cycle (e.g., migration, nesting, incubation, nestling, or fledging) has been suggested as a possible factor contributing to the probability of a bird strike (Kelly 1999); however, assigning strikes to a specific phase is speculative at best because (1) nonbreeding birds are involved in strikes during the breeding season, and their behavior and habitat use might differ markedly from that of breeding adults, (2) not all individuals migrate (e.g., some Red-tailed Hawks are residents; Schafer et al. 2002), and (3) there is variation and overlap of the breeding chronology between years and with latitude (Preston and Beane 1993, Kirk and Mossman 1998, Buckley 1999, Kelly 1999). Therefore, we quantified the number of strikes and altitude of each strike by season (i.e., spring: 22 March–21 June; summer: 22 June–21 September; autumn: 22 September–21 December; winter: 22 December–21 March) within species group and inferred as to the probable phase within the annual cycle. We conducted 1 × 4 contingency table analyses using the chi-square test for goodness of fit (Conover 1980) to compare the number of strikes among seasons within each species group; we made our statistical comparisons at α = 0.025 (i.e., the 0.975 quantile of the chi-square random variable). To assess the degree to which hawk and vulture strikes might be mitigated via wildlife management methods on the AOA and within FAA siting criteria, we quantified the number of strikes by altitude of the strike.
For Red-tailed Hawks, we found 508 strike reports comprising 515 individuals struck by aircraft across 40 states and the District of Columbia; 7 strikes involved at least 2 birds. Over 49% of the strikes occurred in Illinois (19.5%), Oregon (14.2%), California (10.4%), and Pennsylvania (5.3%). Although more strikes occurred during summer, we found no statistical difference in the number of Red-tailed Hawks struck by season (x = 128.8 strikes, SD = 18.4 strikes; χ2 = 7.9, 0.975 quantile = 9.348, P = 0.048, df = 3; Fig. 1). Further, when time of day was reported, 95% of strikes occurred during daylight hours (dawn = 18 strikes; day = 247 strikes; dusk = 15 strikes; night = 14 strikes; unknown = 214 strikes). In addition, 82% of strikes occurred at or below 30.5 m AGL, whereas nearly 63% occurred while the aircraft was operating on the ground (Table 1).
Strike reports by the U.S. civil aviation industry (January 1990–19 July 2004) involving Red‐tailed Hawks, Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures, and unknown vultures were taken from the FAA National Wildlife Strike Database and depicted by season.
Bird strike reports by the U.S. civil aviation industry (January 1990–19 June 2004) involving Red-tailed Hawks, Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures, and unknown vultures were taken from the FAA National Wildlife Strike Database and categorized by altitude (i.e., m above ground level; AGL).
For vultures, we found 334 reports comprising 365 individuals struck by aircraft and representing the loss of 193 Turkey Vultures, 24 Black Vultures, and 148 unidentified vultures; 31 strikes involved at least 2 birds. Vultures were struck in 29 states, the District of Columbia, Mexico, Brazil, and Guatemala; 54.0% of the strikes occurred in Florida, followed by unknown points (i.e., en route; 9.0%), California (8.4%), and Texas (6.6%). When time of day was reported, 99% of strikes occurred during daylight hours (dawn = 2 strikes; day = 259 strikes; dusk = 3 strikes; night = 3 strikes; unknown = 67 strikes). Also, strikes were more frequent during autumn (x = 91.2 strikes, SD = 21.2 strikes; χ2 = 14.8, 0.975 quantile = 9.348, P = 0.002, df = 3; Fig. 1). In addition, approximately 29% of strikes occurred at or below 30.5 m AGL, whereas 17% occurred while the aircraft was operating on the ground (Table 1).
Most (63%) strikes involving Red-tailed Hawks occurred on the ground (Table 1). Further, we found that strikes were, on an absolute scale, more frequent during summer months, corresponding to a period when newly fledged birds were common in the population (Preston and Beane 1993, Dolbeer 2006). Surprisingly, even during summer, where thermal conditions would be conducive to soaring, 84% of strikes occurred below 30.5 m AGL. These results are indicative that management of food availability and abundance and vegetation structure on airports could reduce airfield use by resident hawks, as well as birds inexperienced in both hunting and avoiding air traffic. However, we note that our findings relative to season of strike contrast with work by Kelly (1999), who showed that strikes involving Red-tailed Hawks and USAF aircraft were more likely during spring, corresponding to migration and the incubation phase of the breeding period. A likely reason for this difference in seasonality of strikes is that the FAA Wildlife Strike Database comprises records of strikes to civil aircraft and flight movements that differ markedly in speed, location, and altitude from those of military aircraft.
For strikes involving vultures, most (68%) occurred at or below 305.0 m AGL, altitudes similar to mean soaring altitudes for Black and Turkey vultures (169 m, SD = 115 and 163 m, SD = 92, respectively) over forested habitat (DeVault et al. 2005). Also, we showed that 88.9% of vulture strikes, when the species was identified, involved Turkey Vultures, a soaring species (Kirk and Mossman 1998). However, we note that a surprising number of vulture strikes (17%) occurred during ground operations.
Our findings relative to the seasonality of vulture strikes (peaking in autumn) contrast to those reported for USAF aircraft (Kelly 1999), in which strikes with Turkey Vultures were more frequent during summer, when fledged birds had entered the population and thermals were prevalent. We suggest that our findings regarding seasonality of strikes relate to autumn migration and contrast to Kelly's (1999) findings, again, because aircraft and air operations differ substantially between civil and military aviation.
Management programs to reduce bird strikes have traditionally concentrated efforts on vegetation structure and other resources (e.g., removing harborage) at airports, but also integrated non-lethal harassment and lethal control on the AOA (Cleary and Dolbeer 2005). Dolbeer's (2006) findings further emphasize the need to focus wildlife-management efforts on the AOA to reduce bird strikes. However, with regard to raptors, particularly large (>1.8 kg) soaring species, the relationship between management on and near the AOA and the potential for a reduction in strikes has been speculative. Our analysis of strike records for Red-tailed Hawks and vultures, species groups prominent in raptor strike statistics (Cleary et al. 2004), suggested that management efforts to both reduce food resources and habitat availability on the AOA could reduce strike frequency.
Specifically, the reduction of raptor food resources on and near the AOA, particularly rodent populations and carrion (e.g., road-killed animals), is likely critical to controlling foraging by both Red-tailed Hawks and vultures (e.g., Baker and Brooks 1981, Coleman and Fraser 1987, DeVault et al. 2003, Cleary and Dolbeer 2005). The open airport environment and its associated high road density might increase food resource abundance, particularly for vultures (e.g., road-killed animals; Coleman and Fraser 1987), as well as increasing thermal updrafts conducive to soaring. For example, Coleman and Fraser (1989) found that home ranges for both Turkey and Black vultures included roads and open habitat in a greater proportion than available within their study area (also see DeVault et al. 2004). Further, DeVault et al. (2005) theorized that daily diet preferences, foraging strategy, and food availability, as well as other physiological and social factors, figured more prominently in vulture flight behavior than climatic variables. Therefore, we suggest that timely removal of road-killed animals will reduce vulture foraging activity and, likely, frequency of soaring through AOAs.
We suggest that airport managers should strive toward an integrated management approach that comprises, in addition to control of food resources, the reduction of perching, loafing, nesting, and roosting habitats (e.g., Coleman and Fraser 1989, Avery et al. 2002, Seamans 2004) on AOAs (Schafer et al. 2002, Teague 2002) and, where necessary, on bordering properties (14 CFR Part 139, Subpart D; Cleary and Dolbeer 2005; Transport Canada 2001; U.S. Federal Aviation Administration 2004, Cleary and Dolbeer 2005). For example, there is evidence that Red-tailed Hawk distribution is linked to a composite of prey, low-density plant cover (i.e., vegetation that increases vulnerability of rodents to predation), and perch availability (Preston 1990). Leyhe and Ritchison (2004) reported similar findings, noting the importance of perches to foraging Red-tailed Hawks in association with use of habitats characterized by low-density plant cover. Therefore, a particular management emphasis for the AOA, within vegetation cover types characterized by low-density plant coverage, should be the control of perching on runway signage and structures proximate to taxiways and runways (see U.S. Federal Aviation Administration 2004).
We emphasize that control of a single habitat feature (e.g., perching sites) on airports, without an integrated wildlife management approach that targets food and other habitat resources, will not necessarily reduce exploitation by hawks and vultures of thermal conditions conducive to aerial foraging. A current habitat-management protocol under consideration for airports and complimentary to reduction in perching, loafing, and roosting habitats is use of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea; Cleary and Dolbeer 2005), a sod grass of temperate environments. Varieties of tall fescue, if infected with the fungus, Neotyphodium coenophialum, may be repellent to small mammals (Coley et al. 1995, Conover 1998).
With increasing air traffic world-wide and quieter aircraft with fewer engines, the potential for loss of human lives, property, and birds due to bird strikes is increasing (Cleary et al. 2004, Cleary and Dolbeer 2005). Reducing the potential for bird strikes requires proactive, integrative, and collaborative wildlife management measures involving airport administrations, municipalities, private groups, government agencies, and professional wildlife biologists.
We greatly appreciate reviews of earlier drafts of this manuscript by M.L. Avery, R.C. Beason, T.L. DeVault, R.A. Dolbeer, J. Gehring, M.S. Lowney, and T.W. Seamans. Our work was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services (WS), WS National Wildlife Research Center, and the FAA, William Hughes Technical Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, under agreement DTFACT-04-X-90003. Opinions expressed in this study do not necessarily reflect current FAA policy decisions regarding the control of wildlife on or near airports.
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Bradley F. Blackwell and Sandra E. Wright "Collisions of Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo Jamaicensis), Turkey Vultures(Cathartes Aura), and Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus) with Aircraft: Implications for Bird Strike Reduction," Journal of Raptor Research 40(1), 76-80, (1 March 2006). https://doi.org/10.3356/0892-1016(2006)40[76:CORHBJ]2.0.CO;2
Received: 19 November 2004; Accepted: 1 September 2005; Published: 1 March 2006
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Bradley F. Blackwell, Sandra E. Wright "Collisions of Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo Jamaicensis), Turkey Vultures(Cathartes Aura), and Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus) with Aircraft: Implications for Bird Strike Reduction," Journal of Raptor Research, 40(1), 76-80, (1 March 2006)


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CHIPS Articles: Accelerating Digital Solutions to Build Navy Capacity
Accelerating Digital Solutions to Build Navy Capacity
By Capt. Douglas M. Bridges, Jr., Commanding Officer, Naval Supply Systems Command Business Systems Center - May 7, 2019
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. -- Throughout my 12 years serving as a Navy leader in the information technology (IT) field, I've watched the digital realm and cyberspace environment evolve at an astronomical pace.
Over time, our Navy team of IT professionals has also grown - incorporating new technologies and digital practices that eliminate manual processes and improve automation; ensuring the security of our systems, people, and assets; and continually striving to maintain and sustain relevancy and technical proficiency within our industry to meet the needs of our nation.
And while systems and applications that once took years to develop and deliver are now completed in a fraction of time, keeping pace with the rapid evolution of technology remains our biggest challenge.
A challenge we must overcome to build capacity, increase lethality, and restore readiness to our Navy team.
Spanning the cover of Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. John Richardson's, 'A Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority, Version 2.0,' we see ones and zeros cascading over a photograph of our Navy's ships at sea.
This subtle illustration depicting binary computer data serves as an acute reminder that to sustain maneuvers across our digital battlespace, we must expand the boundaries of IT to build a networked, agile fleet, capable of defeating our enemies.
Uniquely positioned under Naval Supply Systems Command's (NAVSUP) responsibility for Navy supply chain management, NAVSUP Business Systems Center (BSC) is poised to provide secure and effective IT solutions across a myriad of global supply and logistics challenges to deliver strategic and tactical advantages to the Navy, DoD, and our allied partners.
Through data analytics, application development, afloat systems, and new technology integration; NAVSUP BSC designs, develops, and delivers solutions that support building a networked, agile fleet, and allows Navy leaders to make informed, data-driven decisions that restore readiness, increase lethality, and build capacity.
As we continue building capacity for the Navy's future supply chain infrastructure, we can deduce that there will be no supply chain without IT.
IT systems will be integrally embedded within business units to support accounting systems reduction, business systems consolidation, and streamline the financial reporting process.
Forecasting this future data-centric supply chain can yield somewhat of a blurred vision as technology is moving faster than ever, and currently outpacing the rate at which our current infrastructure can adapt.
To right the ship, keep pace with the explosive rate of technological creation and adoption, and accelerate the Navy's competitive advantage during a rise of global information systems and the proliferation of big data, NAVSUP BSC must operate at the tip of the digital spear through integration of advanced technologies and introduction of new operational concepts, while fostering a culture of creativity and innovation, and leveraging relationships that strengthen alliances and attract new partners.
NAVSUP BSC has versatile capabilities to develop, maintain, and broker specialized IT solutions for supply chain requirements.
Solutions span wholesale to retail, enterprise to unit specific needs, and monolithic to mobile. Supply department personnel in operational units and logisticians ashore use these tools to accomplish their missions.
Each solution is a culmination of available technology at inception, requirement drivers, and last but not least; budget resources.
Navy IT management, like other disciplines, has a set of governing policies which dictate the type of funding, spending limits, workforce qualifications, authority to operate on Navy and DoD networks, and security posture.
When delivering solutions, the focus must be on customer needs and their mission accomplishment. As customer needs evolve, refinement of solutions continue.
As a solution provider, NAVSUP BSC must masterfully and rapidly navigate any barriers, constraints, and hurdles on the path to employing products for customers. Creativity and tenacity become our second nature, nurturing a sense of urgency and mission accomplishment.
Innovation bridges the gap between IT development activities and customer delivery by leveraging commercial best practices and partnering with industry leaders.
Delivery of solutions in areas including mobile platforms, data analytics, finance, and supply chain business processes is made possible by a cadre of dedicated professionals specializing in IT and includes Supply Corps officers serving as Business/Supply Chain Enterprise Management (BEM) professionals.
In addition to our centralized location in Mechanicsburg, the reach of NAVSUP BSC's IT professionals is further amplified by our strategically located Regional Support Sites.
Positioned in fleet concentration areas across the continental U.S. and Hawaii, NAVSUP BSC stands ready to address our customer needs at a moment's notice throughout the logistics enterprise.
Providing the Navy with information systems support through the design, development, and maintenance of information systems in the functional areas of logistics, supply chain management, transportation, finance, and accounting, NAVSUP BSC is one of 11 commands under Commander, NAVSUP. Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, and employing a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel, NAVSUP's mission is to provide supplies, services, and quality-of-life support to the Navy and joint warfighter.
For more information about NAVSUP BSC, visit https://www.navsup.navy.mil/public/navsup/bsc/.
TAGS: Cybersecurity, Enterprise Services, Governance, Governance, Infrastructure, NEN
Capt. Douglas M. Bridges Jr., commanding officer, Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Business Systems Center (BSC), speaks with staff members during a NAVSUP BSC regional site visit in Mechanicsburg, Pa. The regional site visit served as an opportunity for employees to meet personnel assigned outside of the Mechanicsburg area and collaborate on NAVSUP BSC missions and functions. NAVSUP BSC's mission is to deliver Information Technology/Information Management (IT/IM) solutions with specific emphasis on logistics and financial related products and services. U.S. Navy photo by James E. Foehl/Released
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


It's going to be a long fall. What with the presidential election spinning out of control, things heating up on Facebook and in your living room, and talking heads at us all day long, just having a conversation is hard.
Peacemaking, acting as if the person matters more than winning an argument, is also hard, even more so when emotions run rampant and the stakes are high. Putting relationships over winning arguments may feel weak, but it is really valuing the humanity in the other person. And who does not want to be on the side of humanity?
Here's help for those difficult conversations. First, some tips about how to prepare yourself.
Loving conversations start with a loving heart. Sometimes in the throes of a heated exchange, whether it's about the election or explaining to Aunt Megan why you remain stubbornly unmarried, the farthest thing from our minds is that we love the person to whom we are talking. Remind yourself. You care about your father or Grandpa Ed or the neighbor across the street.
What about those trolls online, you say? Even if you are talking to some anonymous stranger on the Internet, the fact this person is a human being with his own story of hurts, failures, and triumphs should be—must be—enough to find a measure of respect. If you simply cannot summon any love or respect for your partner, what is the point of staying in the conversation? All we do must flow out of love. A reply to a tweet is no exception.
What is the goal—not of the conversation, but of the relationship? If your goal is to win an argument, I'm afraid you're out of luck. Science proves no argument has ever been won on the Internet, from the Stone Age until now, and precious few have been won at the kitchen table. Winning is a futile and frustrating goal.
Instead, paint a mental picture of what you want down the road. What do you want your relationship with your future adult children to be? How do you hope to be with your parents in their retirement years? Let this conversation, whatever it is, be a brick on the road to that goal.
Even with strangers, the goal is long-term. After all, we all have to live together after this election. We would all like to live in peace with one another. Let that be your guide.
The cantankerous uncle might be suffering from a painful medical problem. The surly teen might be afraid her parents are splitting up. The rude customer at the store might be coming from a funeral, and the outrageous guy on the Internet might be tenderly nursing a chronically ill wife. It is good to remind ourselves constantly that we do not know the full story of what is happening in someone's life. If we did, we would surely have compassion.
Next, some tips about how to keep your focus during the conversation.
So hard to do, listening. We are usually so busy telling ourselves why the other party is wrong and marshaling our responses to their clearly inane statements that we often fail to hear what they are saying. Pay attention to the truth behind the words they say. Are they scared? Are they angry? Try to imagine the situation from their point of view. Try to imagine their feelings.
This tactic is surprisingly effective and disarms a great deal of anger. When the other party says something you would like to refute, instead of refuting, simply repeat back to them what they said in different words. If they say "I cannot stand Hillary. She makes me want to throw up," repeat back, "You really do not like Hillary." You are not conceding their point; you are merely actively listening to them.
This simple trick does two things. First, it makes the other person feel heard, which helps them relax and changes the tone of an argument. Secondly, it gives you a bit of time to stall before you respond. If you are so shocked you don't know what to say, it gives you something to say while your mental wheels churn.
This is another classic technique that works wonders. You cannot control the other person, what they say, think, or do. So it is futile to say "You should think this" or "You should vote that way" or "You are going to be sorry." None of us likes to be told what to do, and someone bossing us around only raises hackles.
Instead, tell your side using sentences that start with "I." For instance: "I am afraid when I hear the tone of a Trump rally." Or "I sometimes feel a bit worried I haven't found a husband yet, Aunt Megan, but generally I feel confident it will all work out." Even the most combative conversationalist cannot talk you out of how you feel.
Using active-listening techniques does not mean you agree with the person to whom you are speaking. On the contrary. A peacemaker does not make peace by caving to the other side. Instead, a peacemaker balances adherence to the truth with respect for the person to whom she is talking.
Sometimes getting out of a conversation that has degenerated into nastiness feels like losing, but only if your goal was to win. If you keep your goal in mind—to preserve a relationship, to further peace in our country, to build bridges instead of destroying them— gracefully exiting a conversation is a win. Go ahead and say you want to leave. Express respect for the person to whom you are talking, but be firm in your desire to change the subject.
Something along the lines of "I am sorry. I care about you, Aunt Megan, but I would prefer to talk about something else. Where did you get those beautiful earrings?" If necessary, leave the room. No one has the right to subject you to a conversation you would rather not participate in.


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Main Blog > 4 Utopian Communities That Bombed Miserably
4 Utopian Communities That Bombed Miserably
Friday, August 17, 2007 at 1:50 AM
Every once in a while a proud little community will sprout up just to let the world know how Utopia should be run. With chins raised almost as high as ideals, the community marches forth to be an example of perfection. But in most cases , all that harmonious marching gets tripped up pretty quickly. Here are four "perfect" communities that whizzed and sputtered thanks to human nature.
1. Brook Farm, or Ripley's Follow Me or Not
Probably the best-known utopian community in America, Brook Farm [wiki] was founded in 1841 in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, by George [wiki] and Sophia Ripley.
The commune was built on a 200-acre farm with four buildings and centered on the ideals of radical social reform and self-reliance. For free tuition in the community school and one year's worth of room and board, the residents were asked to complete 300 days of labor by either farming, working in the manufacturing shops, performing domestic chores or grounds maintenance, or planning the community's recreation projects.
The community prospered in 1842-1843 and was visited by numerous dignitaries and utopian writers. However, Ripley joined the unpopular Fourierism movement, which meant that soon the young people (out of a "sense of honor") had to do all the dirty work like repairing roads, cleaning stables, and slaughtering animals. This caused many residents, especially the younger ones, to leave. Things went downhill from there. The community was hit by a outbreak of smallpox followed by fire and finally collapsed in 1847.
2. Fruitlands: A Utopian Community (for Six Months Anyway)
After visiting Brook Farm and finding it almost too worldly by their standards, Bronson Alcott [wiki] (the father of Louisa May) and Charles Lane founded the Fruitlands Commune in June 1843, in Harvard, Massachusetts.
Structured around the British reformist model, the commune's members were against the ownership of property, were political anarchists, believed in free love, and were vegetarians. The group of 11 adults and a small number of children were forbidden to eat meat or use any animal products such as honey, wool, beeswax, or manure. They were also not allowed to use animals for labor and only planted produce that grew up out of the soil so as not to disturb worms and other organisms living in the soil.
Many in the group of residents saw manual labor as spiritually inhibiting and soon it became evident that the commune could not provide enough food to sustain its members. The strict diet of grains and fruits left many of the members malnourished and sick. Given this situation, many of the members left and the community collapsed in January 1844.
3. The Shakers
Shakers (Image: University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire)
Officially known as the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, the Shakers [wiki] were founded in Manchester, England, in 1747. As a group of dissenting Quakers under the charismatic leadership of Mother Ann Lee, the Shakers came to America in 1774.
Like most reformist movements of the time, the Shakers were agriculturally based, and believed in common ownership of all property and the confessions of sins. Unlike most of the other groups, the Shakers practiced celibacy, or the lack of procreation. Membership came via converts or by adopting children. Shaker families consisted of "brothers" and "sisters" who lived in gender-segregated communal homes of up to 100 individuals.
During the required Sunday community meetings it was not uncommon for members to break into a spontaneous dance, thus giving them the Shaker label. As pacifists they were exempted from military service and became the United States' first conscientious objections during the Civil War.
Currently, however, there isn't a whole lot of Shaking going on. As the younger members left the community, converts quit coming, and the older ones died off, many of the communities were forced to close. Of the original 19 communities, most had closed by the early 1900s, with only one in existence today.
4. Pullman's Capitalist Utopia
Located 15 miles south of Chicago, the town of Pullman [wiki] was founded in the 1880s by George Pullman [wiki] (of the luxury railway car fame) as a utopian community based on the notion that capitalism was the best way to meet all material and spiritual needs.
According to Pullman's creed, the community was built to provide Pullman's employees with a place where each resident had to adhere to the strict tenets of capitalism under the direction and leadership of Pullman.
The community was run on a for-profit basis--the town had to return a profit of 7% annually. This was done by giving the employees two paychecks, one for rent, which was automatically turned back in to Pullman, and one for everything else.
Interestingly, the utopian community had very rigid social class barriers, with the management and skilled workers living in tenements. Within 20 years the experiment failed miserably. Pullman began demanding more and more rent to offset company loses, while union sentiment grew among the employee residents.
From mental_floss' book Forbidden Knowledge: A Wickedly Smart Guide to History's Naughtiest Bits, published in Neatorama with permission.
Be sure to visit mental_floss' extremely entertaining website and blog!
Tags: Mental Floss Magazine, Utopia, Commune, Communities
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Newest 5 Comments
Tamar Osborne • 10Feb11 7:16am • 0
i dont carabout this i just have to do this for a project> dont get it stwisted i really dont kare i think this stuff is mad crazy thoiugh ppl shouldent join that because how do they suppose to be peacfull when. When u try to leace they wil ltry to kill u and they eat each other that is sooooo nasty i never herd of anyhting like that in my en tire life....WIERDOS!!!
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meenia • 28Oct10 11:24am • 1
i am team rockin jacob
awesome!! so cool
RANDOMNESS ABOUND • 23Feb10 2:29pm • 1
Just realized that was aeons ago... oh well!
To the person who is doing a report but can't use Wikipedia... go to Wikipedia anyways and look at their sources. It's a neat trick that my Dad taught me ;)
Am I Team Edward or Team Jacob? Neither! I'm Team Rocket!
~Team Rocket's Rockin'~
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Luke 9:62.Heb. 11:6. -Jas. 1:6,7. -Mark 11:24.Eph. 4:14,15.John 15:4. -I Cor. 15:58.


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Demetri Broxton's Beaded Boxing Gloves
Investigating Race, Masculinity, and Sport in the United States
By Rebekah Frank
This is the first article in a series focused on artists whose work is adjacent to jewelry. For my purposes, jewelry-adjacent artists use material, techniques, or themes related to jewelry practices. The body is present in their work, not necessarily as the recipient of adornment, but in the importance of the physical body to their form, topic, or narrative. The adjacency of these artists to jewelry provides fresh perspectives to those of us immersed in the field.
Bowls of beads and beading tools with work in progress in Demetri Broxton's studio, photo: Demetri Broxton
Boxing is an arena where legends are made, teeth-shattering violence is celebrated, and hypermasculinity is normalized. It is also a highly racialized space, where Black men dominate and simultaneously put on display. So why would a bead artist who has never boxed create art about boxing?
Demetri Broxton[1] is a mixed media artist of Louisiana Creole and Filipino heritage, born, raised, and currently residing in Oakland, CA. He uses beadwork to embellish boxing gloves, covering their surfaces with cowrie shells and glass beads. Broxton uses the cultural histories of these materials to draw parallels between history and current culture, positioning his work in the imaginary divide between craft and fine art.
Early jewelry pieces by Demetri Broxton, photo: Demetri Broxton
Having started as an oil painter, Broxton found it impractical to carve out dedicated studio time after the birth of his second child. At the time, he didn't want to abandon his creative impulse, so he asked his mother to teach him knitting, then tatting, then tatting with beads, which brought him to Blue Door Beads[2] in Oakland. There, he found a supportive community of the bead obsessed. He started weaving beaded jewelry—nothing too complicated, but delightful, wearable, and accessible—learning techniques from a book on traditional Native American beading patterns. He quickly discovered the public was reluctant to pay for laborious hand-beaded jewelry, a familiar dilemma to many in the craft world. Through his network, he connected with Patricia Sweetow, a San Francisco-based gallerist with an interest in artists who "mine the rich, multifaceted traditions of craft, in ways that embrace diverse cultural origins and conceptually nuanced discourse."[3]
The interior of Blue Door Beads, Demetri Broxton's local supplier of beads and beading materials, photo courtesy Blue Door Beads
With Sweetow's encouragement, Broxton began working on a project that he'd been contemplating, most likely as he sat for hours beading pairs of earrings. He searched the internet for male-bodied beaders for camaraderie and to ground his work in his personal experience. Through Instagram, he connected with BigChief Demond Melancon,[4] who works within the Mardi Gras Indian tradition in New Orleans. Melancon shared videos showing his techniques and provided encouragement as Broxton began working at a larger scale. As his stitch work evolved and he developed his own patterns, Broxton had the base he needed to launch a project that combined three major interests: the transatlantic slave trade, hip-hop, and boxing.
Cowrie shells and the transatlantic slave trade
Broxton's piece Worth the Weight uses a combination of cowrie shells and glass beads to embellish a pair of Everlast boxing gloves, "the preeminent brand in boxing since 1910," according to the company's website. Long strands of cowrie shells extend from the gloves, pooling on the floor or pedestal when displayed. Text woven with glass beads on the gloves is both the title and a reference to a method of financial accounting during the transatlantic slave trade, when cowrie shells were used as currency.[5] Broxton grounds his use of cowrie shells in research from Saidiya Hartman's 2007 memoir Lose Your Mother. As Hartman traces the slave routes, her research reveals that roughly one pound of cowrie shells purchased 13 pounds of a person sold into slavery. In Worth the Weight, the amount of cowrie shells Broxton incorporates is equivalent to the purchase price, in weight, of a modern heavyweight boxer, had that man been sold into slavery some 400 years ago. Broxton's use of cowrie shells in this way connects two different periods—the transatlantic slave trade and the modern boxing era—through a looping of material, data, and time that reiterates the non-linearity of history and the ability of one material to relate multiple meanings.
Demetri Broxton, Worth the Weight, 2020, 198.1 x 71.1 x 61 cm, Everlast gloves, cowrie shells, 24-karat gold Japanese Delica beads, Czech seed beads, redwood, frankincense, High John the Conqueror root, cotton and nylon thread, brass nails, mirrors, stainless steel chain and hardware, photo: Patricia Sweetow Gallery
The way Broxton applies the cowrie shells to the surface of the gloves also refers to the Yorùbá tradition of the Ilé Ori.[6] These ritual objects were traditionally covered with cowrie shells and were shrines that housed and protected an individual's head or orí, the seat of a person's character, behavior, and ultimate life destiny.[7] The Yorùbá believed these objects of wealth and status provided a level of protection for the owner from Portuguese slave traders. Broxton's gloves draw several parallels to these ritual objects, first in the material choice, second in the appearance of the finished object, and third in the way that the gloves protect the boxer's hands, bringing wealth and prestige if the wearer is successful in the ring, as well as a modicum of protection from white society.
Unknown craftsperson, House of Ori (Ile-Ori), leather, fiber, cowrie shells, pigment, photo courtesy of FAMSF, de Young Museum of San Francisco
The transatlantic slave trade started roughly in the 1450s and continued for over 250 years and, during that time, cowrie shells went from being a currency of significant value to being worthless. Today, both jewelry and ritual objects tend to be made of materials that are expected to retain value and appreciate over time: gold, silver, platinum. Several contemporary jewelry artists play with concepts of value by using currency as material, including Katrine Borup[8] and Lauren Tickle.[9] That Broxton's materials were once valuable enough to trade for a human life and now can be purchased for pennies provides a different perspective on the concept of material value, let alone the questionable morality and cultural norms that made the transatlantic slave trade possible.
Glass beads and hip-hop
Broxton often titles his pieces with phrases from hip-hop or rap lyrics. For example, Worth the Weight is also the title to the first track in Nigerian-American musician Jidenna's 2019 album 85 to Africa,[10] an album described as "a trip through the African diaspora that verges on sonic cinema."[11] Broxton beads the text onto the boxing gloves using Czech or Japanese glass beads. Czech glass beads were introduced as trade goods to the indigenous people of North America and Africa by European colonialists and slave traders, respectively. The new material was quickly absorbed into traditional methods of making in both cases, taking on new meanings within different cultures.
Demetri Broxton, Still N***A, 2019, 121.9 x 71.1 x 20.3 cm, Everlast boxing gloves, mahogany wood, brass-coated nails, Japanese seed beads, Czech seed beads, brass wire, mirrors, leather, brass bells, nylon thread, brass chain and hardware, photo: Patricia Sweetow Gallery
Broxton researched how the Yorùbá incorporated beads into their material language, specifically how artisans selected the colors of the beads for the embellishment of clothing, everyday items, and ritual objects. Yorùbá color theory includes three color groupings: funfun (white, gray), pupa (red, pink), and dudu (black, green). Each grouping includes different associations with temperature, with funfun representing coolness, pupa representing heat, and dudu bridging the spectrum. The color groupings also contain personalities. For example funfun is wise and calm, while pupa is quick to anger and reactionary, as well as having connections to deities, ancestors, and healing properties. Within the context of beading, the selected colors are more than a visually pleasing composition. They communicate complex messages about power, status, protection, and cultural beliefs.
Video courtesy of Patricia Sweetow Gallery
The video above includes a sample of the song "Money," by Cardi B, playing as the video pans over Broxton's I Was Born to FLEX. The video highlights the intricacy of the surface beading and shows the incorporation of other materials, including chains, bullets, glass gems, and leather pouches containing herbs, roots, and essential oils. The colors of the glass beads Broxton selects to weave the text are influenced by his knowledge of Yorùbá color theory and inspired by the lyrics of Cardi B's track "Money"—a frank discussion of money, wealth, and power.[12] Broxton's mashup of the culturally coded language of hip-hop and the symbolic language of beads provides different entry points for viewers to engage with his work.
Demetri Broxton, I Was Born to FLEX, 2019, Everlast gloves, cowrie shells, thread, Japanese and Czech seed beads, chain, herbs, essential oils, High John the Conqueror powder, mirrors, 7.62 caliber brass rifle bullets (inert), leather, cotton, 14-karat gold-plated wire, photo: Patricia Sweetow Gallery
Contemporary jewelers often use beads to add color, light, and materiality to create beautiful pieces. German jeweler Axel Russmeyer[13] comes to mind as a meta beader, using tiny seed beads and antique beads to make larger beads that are juicy, luscious, and mind-blowingly complex. French jeweler Jacqueline Lillie,[14] who is based in Austria, is another well-known jeweler who makes gorgeous, flexible, and wearable compositions of tiny glass beads, reminiscent of textiles in their behavior and surface patterning. Broxton's layering of different meanings through the use of color and the incorporation of already powerful lyrics adds complexity to the use of the glass beads, without detracting from their beauty or the visual interest of the finished object.
Boxing gloves and boxing mythologies
The final material in Broxton's work, clearly evident throughout all these pieces, is his core material, the boxing glove. The title of the piece Save Me, Joe Louis comes from an apocryphal story of a death row inmate in the 1930s crying out for prize boxer Joe Louis in his final moments.[15] This story shows the tension between a hypersensationalized otherworldliness achieved by an elite few through sports and the lack of dignity afforded to the average Black citizen, specifically during the Civil Rights era, where the story is positioned. The video below includes a voice-over of Broxton explaining the piece, interspersed with archival images and detailed closeups of the beadwork.
When looking at wearable objects that require the body to be activated, viewers use their imaginations to fill in the absence of the body. In Broxton's case, the gloves conjure the fists, the muscled forearms, the broad shoulders, and the brutal full-bodied dance of a boxer. The objects themselves are heavy with cowrie shells and verge on shapelessness, almost losing the legibility of the boxing gloves, though the Everlast label remains readable. The gloves aren't wearable, not even temporarily, since Broxton has stuffed the gloves with herbs to maintain the glove form. These pieces aren't decorated to be used; they have become something else entirely. Their functionality is lost.
Demetri Broxton, Save Me, Joe Louis (in process), 2019–2020, Everlast boxing gloves, redwood, cowrie shells, Japanese and Czech seed beads, cotton, silver wire, stainless steel chain and hardware, frankincense, nylon thread, mirrors, photo: artist
So, what attracted Broxton to the boxing glove as an artistic form? His grandfather was a boxer for the US Army—a not-so-distant family member is often a classic start to many American craft stories. And, while Broxton was never a boxer himself, he didn't avoid the rite of passage that demanded a fight or two to prove he wasn't a "punk." These two personal connections made the legacies of American boxers Peter Jackson ("The Black Prince,"1861–1901), Joe Louis ("The Brown Bomber," 1914–1981), and Muhammed Ali ("The Greatest," 1942–2016) very real to Broxton. All three of these boxers used their success in the ring to accomplish great things in the world and were inspirational figures to successive generations of young men. When Broxton found himself dreaming of larger projects, he reached for materials he had on hand: a pair of dusty boxing gloves, a surplus of beads from his early jewelry projects, and an interest in Black culture in America.
Demetri Broxton, Hustle & Motivate, 2019, Everlast boxing gloves, redwood, cowrie shells, silver-plated Japanese seed beads, Czech seed beads, quartz crystal points, onyx points, silver wire, mirrors, nylon thread, stainless steel chain and hardware, 121.9 x 71.1 x 20.3 cm, photo: Patricia Sweetow Gallery
As the project unfolded, Broxton discovered both boxing and beading merged stereotypical masculine and feminine characteristics. The delicacy of the footwork in boxing is as important as the force of the punch. And the heroes of his childhood strove to balance the in-the-ring brutality with an elegance that matched their prosperity outside the ring. Beads had a similar merging of delicacy and brutality in their use as a culturally rich, decorative embellishment as well as blood money in the slave trade. Broxton underlines the brutal history of glass beads by weaving brilliant red glass beads dripping like blood from the text sections of his work.
The identity of bead artists also provided tension for Broxton to explore. In an American and European context, women performed the time-consuming and tedious bead work, while in the Yorùbá and Mardi Gras Indian context, men did. Broxton's evolution as a beader involved the research of other male-bodied bead artists, specifically to reconstruct and question the concepts of masculinity, decoration, and power within culture. The tension between masculine and feminine, the ideals of beauty and who defines it, and the ways power and freedom are accessed, and by who, loop throughout his work, creating a labyrinth of connections across centuries and cultures.
Demetri Broxton working with a leather needle to embellish the surface of Everlast boxing gloves, photo: Demetri Broxton
Broxton's work combines archival data with modern culture, interspersed with sports and academic references while using material heavy with history, all of which can be dizzying to take in at once. The method of making the pieces, though, is rather plodding. Broxton uses a brick stitch to build the pieces, one bead at a time, in a linear, time-consuming fashion. Perhaps it is the time it takes Broxton to complete a piece that allows him to engage with the labyrinth of history that brings new connections at every turn and instills his work with an abundance meaning. Or maybe history is that complex, layered, and interconnected. Regardless, the pieces are what the viewer sees first, before understanding the history: the seduction of the beads, the punch of the text, and the physical presence of the objects. Each of the layers provides an entry point. Perhaps the boxing gloves are seen first and the viewer wonders why, or the Cardi B reference makes someone do a double take, or the colorful, intricate beading requires a closer look. Then, once viewers are hooked, the decoding of the messages held within the material and the layering of history pulls them in deeper, as deep as they are willing to go.
Demetri Broxton, The Power, 2018, Everlast boxing gloves, cowrie shells, Japanese seed beads, Czech seed beads, mirrors, nylon thread, stainless steel chain and hardware, 121.9 x 71.1 x 20.3 cm, photo: Patricia Sweetow Gallery
Henry John Drewal, "Yorùbá Beadwork in Africa," African Arts 31, no. 1 (1998): 18–94. JSTOR. Accessed 26 Jan. 2021.
Rebekah Frank, Demetri Broxton, and matt lambert, "Queering Masculinities," New York City Jewelry Week, panel discussion, recorded Nov. 15, 2020.
Saidiya Hartman, Lose Your Mother: A Journey Along the Atlantic Slave Route (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007).
Olatunji Ojo, "The Organization of the Atlantic Slave Trade in Yorùbáland, Ca.1777 to Ca.1856," The International Journal of African Historical Studies 41, no. 1 (2008): 77–100. JSTOR. Accessed Feb. 15, 2021.
William Wilson, "'Beads' Lights Culture of the Yorùbá," Los Angeles Times, April 1, 1998. Accessed Jan. 26, 2021.
[1] Demetri Broxton: https://www.instagram.com/dbroxtonstudio.
[2] Blue Door Beads: http://bluedoorbeads.com.
[3] Patricia Sweetow Gallery: https://www.patriciasweetowgallery.com.
[4] BigChief Demond Melancon: Instagram + BBC's In The Studio.
[5] Cowrie shells were used as a standard currency in West Africa for centuries, both by Africans and Europeans. Even though they no longer serve as money, they've been woven into the culture, both symbolically and ritually. Learn more about this history here.
[6] The llé Ori pictured here is from San Francisco's de Young Museum. To hear Natasha Becker, de Young's Curator of African Art, speak with Dan Hicks, author of the book The Brutish Museum, about the complexity of western museums holding African ritual objects as part of a larger conversation, visit this link.
[7] Adenike Cosgrove, Ile Ori (House of the Head Shrine), ÌMỌ̀ DÁRA. Accessed February 4, 2021.
[8] Katrine Borup's power-flower.
[9] Lauren Tickle's website.
[10] Jidenna's music video for "Worth the Weight," from the album 85 to Africa.
[11] Jenni Moore, "Jidenna's 85 to Africa Is a Trippy Jaunt Through the African Diaspora," The Stranger, September 26, 2019. The Stranger. Accessed February 4, 2021.
[12] Cardi B's music video for Money.
[13] See work by Axel Russmeyer here.
[14] See work by Jacqueline Lillie here.
[15] David Margolick, "Save me Joe Louis!," L.A. Times, November 7, 2005. Accessed February 9, 2021.
Rebekah Frank
Rebekah Frank is a studio artist, independent writer, and arts consultant. Her essays can be found on Art Jewelry Forum as well as in Metalsmith magazine and Surface Design Journal. She enjoys traveling the world in search of interesting experiences to fuel both her art and writing practices.
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HEALTH Secretary Francisco T. Duque III on Wednesday asked the business sector to invest in improving health services for Filipinos, particularly in the areas of affordable medicine and the construction of medical* facilities. "I propose this challenge to the business sector to innovate and bridge the existing gaps (in health care) and become a partner with DoH in providing better health outcomes toFilipinos," he said at a EuropeanChamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) luncheon in Makati City. Mr. Duque also proposed investment in medical equipment, electronic health systems, arid medical tourism. The Department of Health (DoH) is currently evaluating eight public-private proposals for its health programs, as well as four unsolicited proposals covering vaccine production, research and development as well as equipment maintenance and radiation therapy for DoH regional hospitals. "I encourage you, the private Sector, to take part of these, private-public partnership opportunities," he said. Mr. Duque said the department's focus is on reforming health financing, regulation, service delivery, governance and performance accountability, with the goal of making Filipinos the healthiest in Southeast Asia by 2022, supported by a universal health care system. Proposed measures for universal health care remained pending in Congress. The House of Representatives approved its version last year while the Senate has been conducting public consultations. Sen. Joseph Victor G. Ejercito,chair of the Senate committee on health and demography, has committed to passing the proposed measure at the Senate before the end of the year. Mr. Duque also hoped to increase the resources available to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHeath), with measures including increasing the premiums.


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A History of the Falmouth Road Race: Running Cape Cod
By Paul C. Clerici, Foreword by Tommy Leonard, Falmouth Road Race Founder
The seven-mile Falmouth Road Race catapulted Cape Cod onto the running radar. Frank Shorter winning gold in the 1972 Olympic marathon inspired local barkeep Tommy Leonard to start a race in his own town. That inaugural race in 1973 garnered fewer than one hundred runners. Participation soon swelled to the thousands, thanks to the success of organizers, volunteers, and talented fields, including running legends like Bill Rodgers and Catherine Ndereba, as well as wheelchair champions Bob Hall and Tatyana McFadden. Follow author Paul C. Clerici along every bend and uphill battle of the race's history from the early stages of the running boom to resetting the road-racing calendar.
Paul C. Clerici is a freelance journalist, writer, photographer and former newspaper editor and sports editor. A dedicated runner, Clerici has competed in nearly every distance from the mile to the marathon, including two triathlons, more than forty marathons, the Boston Marathon more than twenty years in a row and the Falmouth Road Race several times.


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It was lonely being a black actor in the 70s. It's even lonelier now behind the camera
Lenny Henry
Only tax breaks will persuade the film and TV industry to employ more people from ethnic minority backgrounds
Tue 6 Nov 2018 03.00 EST Last modified on Sun 11 Nov 2018 13.50 EST
Lenny Henry. Photograph: Jeremy Hewson/BBC/BAFTA/Jeremy Hewson
In the 1970s in black and Asian households up and down the country, there's a familiar story that when we saw a non-white person on TV we would call the rest of the family to the sitting room to have a look. The story that is less well known is what it was like to be that one black person on TV. That one person was often me and it was a very lonely experience.
Thankfully, 45 years since my career began, a lot has changed. It is now common to see black and Asian people on our TV screens, although progress still needs to be made. However, in many ways I am even lonelier now as a black person working in TV and film than I was back then. That is because I am now more often working behind the scenes, behind the camera as a producer and a writer – and just like those bad old days in the 1970s in front of the camera, I am still all too often the only black person in the room.
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Here are some statistics that show how bad things are: only 2.3% of UK television is made by directors from a black, Asian or minority ethnic background. Just think about that for a second: if I am lucky enough to be involved in 100 TV programmes, 97 of them will have a white director.
According to the British Film Institute, only 3% of people who work behind the camera in the film industry are from racial minorities.
Also under-represented are women: over the last decade they made up just 13.6% of working film directors. And only 0.3% of the total UK film workforce are disabled. That's well short of the 18% of people in Britain who consider themselves disabled.
These statistics are dire. Equal representation of women, ethnic minorities and disabled people among staff would truly reflect Britain's diversity and is vital for our democracy and for the very fabric of our society.
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It is wrong if how we see women on TV is largely determined by male directors. It is wrong if nearly every time we hear a black or Asian actor portraying their lives they are actually speaking the words of someone who has never experienced their reality. And to effectively silence disabled people from telling their own truth on film or TV is close to criminal and will not help wider society understand their reality.
For years now I have been campaigning with others to change our industry. Despite good words from politicians and a string of training programmes and diversity initiatives launched by almost every major broadcaster, the situation has not improved in any significant way. Which is why major industry figures in film and television – from Bafta winner Chiwetel Ejiofor to Britain's largest broadcast workers' union, Bectu – have come together to demand real action. Together, we are calling for the government to provide tax breaks to promote representation behind the camera.
'Major industry figures in film and television – from Bafta winner Chiwetel Ejiofor to Britain's largest broadcast workers' union, Bectu, have come together to demand real action.' Photograph: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
Why are we calling for tax breaks? The simple answer is, unlike all the initiatives that have been shown to fail time and time again, tax breaks work. Tax breaks have been shown to stimulate the film and television industry and increase employment. In 2016, an estimated £632m in tax relief stimulated £3.2bn of direct production spend. In other words – for every £1 of tax break offered, the industry grew by £5. That's a great return on investment.
Not only that, with the current tax breaks, employment levels in the sector have grown 5% year on year to almost 2 million people, compared with just 1.2% growth for the wider job market. These are great results.
Imagine growing by 5% year on year the number of women, ethnic minorities and disabled people directing films, producing TV programmes and working behind the scenes. There would be a seismic change to how British media looks and feels.
We are suggesting taking a system that is already working very well, and adapting it to increase these diversity numbers. We are calling the system "representation tax relief". It would reduce the taxes on UK film and television productions that meet certain criteria for women, ethnic minorities or disabled people working behind the camera.
Versions of what we are asking for are already being rolled out in some US states. Earlier this year, the French film council approved a 15% bonus for films where women are in key "behind-the-scenes" roles – such as director, director of photography or head of production. And for those who think we can't afford another tax cut, an existing industry tax scheme brought in an extra £2bn to the Treasury. Representation tax relief would create jobs and help the economy.
After a long 40 years, we have successfully got to the point where black people are no longer shocked to see another black person on TV. With representation tax relief I hope we can even more quickly get to the point where people like me are no longer surprised to see another black person working behind the camera, a disabled person producing a programme, or a woman sitting in the director's chair. Now that will be progress.
• Lenny Henry is an actor, writer and producer


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Watch | John Fogerty Performs "Up Around The Bend" With Family
John Fogerty with Fogerty's Factory, his family band - John Fogerty / Youtube
Another lockdown performance from John Fogerty and his family comes in the form of their updated rendition of CCR's "Up Around The Bend".
The Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman welcomed viewers with, "Coming to you today from Studio B – RADIO ASTRO – Studio! Here is TAKE 1 of Fogerty's Factory playing 'Up Around the Bend'. We thought it was funny and an insight into a day in the life of our family. We can't wait to get back on the road!"
The said hit was part of the band's 1970 album, Cosmo's Factory. This particular album cemented the roots rockers into fame, being their second number one record and became their best-selling catalog – 4 million units were sold in the US alone.
Creedence Clearwater Revival released seven albums for their entire career run, which included the amazing three-part release that scored platinum in 1969. They were also frequent Top 40 rankers with their singles before disbanding in 1972, but not before selling around 26 million album units in the US alone. The band was finally inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.


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Justin Perez joins Louisville with NBA dreams
José de Jesus Ortiz, Founder & Editor in Chief
The son of Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez honors his Cuban and Dominican Republic roots
Justin Perez was making a backdoor cut in practice during his freshman year at American University when his right knee gave out. He fell to the ground with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Perez didn't know it at the time, but the knee injury put him on a path toward new goals and challenges off the court.
As the son of a woman he describes as the "Michael Jordan of working," Perez got to work after he underwent surgery. As soon as he was healthy enough, the walk-on put himself through two-a-day practices in his quest to earn a scholarship on the basketball team.
On his return to the court five months after the initial tear, he tore the ACL again. That's when the University of Louisville's new director of men's basketball administration changed his focus to plot a path toward one day becoming president of an NBA team.
"During the second tear, I had to really rethink how serious I could be about playing basketball for post college," he said.
He employed the same dedication he devoted to rehabbing from his first ACL tear to prepare for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). He graduated from American University in three years. Then he applied to eight law schools, earning acceptance letters from all of them except NYU.
Pivoting to academic pursuits
The son of two top executives at rapper Jay-Z's entertainment company Roc Nation chose Columbia University Law School. His NBA aspirations didn't go away while he was at one of America's most prestigious law schools even while he filled his resume with impressive internships and volunteering efforts.
He's the son of two prominent entertaining executives. His mother Desiree, the daughter of Cuban immigrants, is Roc Nation's CEO. Justin's father Juan, the son of Dominican Republic immigrants, runs Roc Nation's sports division.
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Desiree and Juan Perez were both the first of their siblings born in the United States. They rose from humble upbringings to the top of the entertainment business. Justin Perez honored his immigrant roots during his Columbia Law School graduation by wearing a stole that replicated the Dominican flag on the left side and the Cuban flag on the right.
Justin Perez, the University of Louisville's new director of men's basketball administration, honored his Cuban and Dominican Republic roots at his Columbia Law School graduation.
Perez strives to set an example and open doors in the future for other Afro Latinos, Blacks, women and other under-represented groups. He is proud of the work ethic his grandparents displayed after his maternal grandparents settled in the Bronx and his paternal grandparents settled in Harlem.
"Every immigrant family has to do work that seems unbearable," said Justin Perez, who was born in New York and attended high school in Miami. "I take every situation to the fullest. I'm not trying to take anything for granted. I have to keep pushing, keep pushing. It's more than just me."
Justin Perez is fluent in Spanish and English
While at Columbia Law School, Justin Perez used his bilingual skills as a volunteer for Latino Justice's Cada Voto Cuenta (Each Vote Counts). He also volunteered as a court watcher for Reform Alliance, which fights to ensure fair trials.
He also interned at Roc Nation, where his parents gave him a first-hand look in different aspects of the sports and entertainment company.
"I've watched since I was 10 years old (2008) watching them grow this company from nothing," he said. "It's probably the biggest minority-owned entertainment business. Watching them build it and show that success can come from two Hispanic individuals and multiple African Americans to build a billion dollar company, it's been inspiring.
"It always pushed me to strive for more and do right. I've watched high-level meetings. I've gotten to meet a lot of people with both my parents' working hard. Legitimately, my mom is like the Michael Jordan of working. I'd put her up against anyone."
It's clear that Justin Perez's parents are a major influence on him. His NBA aspirations, however, blossomed at home with his brother Christian Santini, who is 11 years older. Since around the time Justin was in fifth grade, he and his older brother played NBA2K in franchise mode. They would draft a team, build a roster and finesse the salary cap.
Late nights on NBA2K
Justin remembers often staying up until 3 a.m. playing NBA2K with his brother.
"We'd do it over and over and over and over, getting to know how the salary cap worked," Justin Perez said. "I started playing basketball at the same time. The only thing that stopped me from playing was injuries."
Justin suffered a major shoulder injury in high school, hurting his recruiting prospects. Then the right knee ACL tears essentially ended his pro basketball dreams while accelerating his front office dreams.
An internship in the New York Knicks' front office last summer put him in contact with Kenny Payne, who helped Louisville win the 1986 NCAA title. Payne, 55, was an assistant with the Knicks during Perez's internship in the summer of 2021.
Payne, who was hired by Louisville, this year, mentored Perez last summer as the Knicks prepared for the draft.
Key mentor
"Justin is one of the brightest young men I've ever met, a person who is goal-oriented and has high character," Payne said in a statement. "We're thrilled to have him on our staff with his background both as an athlete and a recent law school graduate."
Payne and Perez often sat together to prepare before watching players go through their pre-draft workouts for the Knicks.
"I'd tell him strengths, weaknesses, and what I thought about (a player's) career (prospects)," Perez said. "That just really forged our relationship. Kenny is one of the most humble, honorable people I've met. I'm glad I'm here to help him and do anything. I'm a Swiss army."
Justin Perez is more than a Swiss Army knife for Louisville. He also brings some Cuban, Dominican and New York roots to the job with a prestigious law degree.
He's hungry to showcase what his immigrant grandparents' work ethic and his parents' lessons can help him accomplish.
Justin Perez's ultimate goal at this time is to become president of an NBA team. Somehow, though, he seems destined for even more. And that's saying something considering there has been only one Latino president in NBA history, Gersson Rosas.
José de Jesus Ortiz
Award-winning writer José de Jesus Ortiz, a former lead sports columnist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, has covered Major League Baseball since 1997 in Los Angeles, St. Petersburg, New York and Houston. He was the first Latino to serve as president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.


For media enquiries please phone Ad Standards on 02 6173 1500.
Decisions made by the Advertising Standards Board (the Board) over the last 10 years have largely been in line with community standards according to a new report from the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB).
Positive findings about the efficiency, responsiveness and cost effectiveness of the work of the Advertising Standards Bureau have been released in a report from Deloitte Access Economics.
When lodging a complaint about advertising or marketing on a vehicle the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) requires complainants to provide a photographs with the complaint.
Ongoing community concern about discrimination and vilification is highlighted in this year's 10 most complained about ads.
After 12 years of dedicated service, Chairman of the Advertising Standards Bureau Board of Directors, Mr Ian Alwill, has retired.
The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) and the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) welcome moves by the Queensland Attorney General to deregister commercial vehicles which display offensive material.
A low level of general concern about advertising toys or food and beverages to children has been highlighted in recent community perceptions research commissioned by the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB).
Swearing, overly sexual and ill-mannered behaviour and affairs have all featured as issues in the list of most complained about advertisements in 2015.
Politicians, Government and advertising and media industry association representatives will celebrate 40 years of advertising self-regulation at Parliament House tonight.


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Baby boomers hold on to your houses, kids coming home
Baby boomer mums and dads contemplating a long, carefree retirement, don't downsize your house just yet - the kids are coming back home… or at least that's the backup plan for a chunk of New Zealanders under 40 if they suffer a sudden loss of income due to illness.
That is one of the findings from a recent survey1 of more than 600 Kiwis between the ages of 18 to 39 ahead of the launch of AMP Essentials2, New Zealand's first combined life, trauma and temporary disablement insurance product (linked with the AMP KiwiSaver Scheme).
Insured with mum and dad
When asked the question: 'If you couldn't work for more than three months due to illness, how would you survive?', 11 per cent of respondents said they would move back in with mum and dad, and a further seven per cent said they would turn to friends or family for help paying the bills.
Therese Singleton, AMP's General Manager of Insurance and Investments, said parents shouldn't sell-up for sunnier climes or a smaller home just yet, because you could well need those extra bedrooms.
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Why personal insurance?
life, trauma, income, disability
Check your children have insurance policies
"The only way to potentially stave off having your retirement plans scuppered is to check that your kids have adequate insurance, and don't take it for granted that they have insurance even if they are married with children and have their own home.
"A Financial Services Council study3 released in 2013 found that 84 per cent of Kiwis insure their car from accident or theft, but just 20 per cent have income protection, and only 56 per cent have life insurance."
Therese said that annually nearly 15,0004 of those families will experience an illness that sees the primary bread winner off work for more than six months.
And those that have no plan at all
"While many New Zealanders will turn to mum and dad or friends, 16 per cent of respondents have no idea what they would do.
"What is particularly worrying is that more than half (55%) of the respondents in this age category still chose flights and accommodation to a mystery break, instead of a year's worth of life and income protection insurance. Fifty-four per cent said they would choose a $1,000 gift card over insurance," she said.
Moving back to the parents and staying longer
It's not a statistic that should surprise though, following studies like that of the Pew Research Centre which reported that in the United States more millennial are moving back home with their parents - and staying longer.
"26 per cent of 18 to 34 year-olds are living with their families," analysts said.
Therese said that while most of us can laugh and joke about not selling the family home just yet, it is a potentially disastrous situation that could set families back years.
AMP Essentials bridges the divide
To help make insurance easier for under 40s, AMP's Essentials product has been designed to make basic life, trauma and temporary disablement cover affordable and easy to sign-up to. It is only available to people who are also members of the AMP KiwiSaver Scheme.
1606 participants completed the AMP Essentials survey. Margin of error+/-4% at the 95% confidence of interval (considered an acceptable margin of error).
2AMP Essentials is available to existing AMP KiwiSaver Scheme members only (members as at 21 March 2016. The offer is only available from Monday, 11 April for 60 days).
3Summary Report: The People Insurance Gap - Exploring Underinsurance in New Zealand (Financial Services Council).
4The Financial Services Council (FSC) Income Study 2013.
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AMP Wealth Management New Zealand Limited is the issuer and manager of the AMP KiwiSaver Scheme (the 'Scheme'). The Supervisor of the Scheme is The New Zealand Guardian Trust Company Limited.
For more information, download a copy of the AMP KiwiSaver Scheme Product Disclosure Statement and Fund Update Booklet, which have been lodged on the Scheme's offers register entry at companiesoffice.govt.nz/disclose.