cross culture

When you think of the appearance of a newspaper editor, what type of person comes to mind? This is the question Lauren Gustus, former executive editor at the Coloradoan, once asked a room full of potential future journalists during a 2016 panel on diversity in media. The answer most gave? They pictured an older, white male — and they’d be correct. As of November 2018, 77 percent of newsroom employees were white.

The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, which aired in September of 2019, awarded many fresh faces in Hollywood for their powerful acting, directing, writing and other achievements in television — but the question of diversity and cultural representation remained.

My earliest childhood memory is a jumbled concoction of airport images. Rough landings on rocky tarmac and the irritatingly redundant voices over the loudspeaker announcing gate changes. Delayed departure times. Layovers, turbulence and sleeping on leather benches — the arm-rest sharply stabbing me in the ribs. Duty-free perfume samples. Metal detectors. Overweight luggage. Airsick bags. Passport control — my eyes heavy and legs shaky, as I slowly waddle forward in the crowd, waiting for my turn. A deep grumbling in my stomach lets me know I’m either hungry or nauseated.

Denver is near the mountains, not in them. The Mile High City is located on high rolling plains, 12 miles east of the foothills — a series of gentle mountains that climb to 11,000 feet. Just beyond is the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, picturesque snowcapped peaks that rise to 14,000 feet (fourteeners as described by locals). Denver might not be in the mountains, but the mountains still dominate the city.

As a hot chocolate aficionado who no longer uses added sugar, cold winter days felt a bit more empty. Black coffee doesn’t always fill that snowy-morning-by-the-fire vibe — but Golden Root’s creamy, somewhat spicy, frothy blend of turmeric latte goodness hits the spot every time. With just the right amount of (coconut) milk, spice and warmth to keep one cozy, it finally feels like the yearn for cocoa will fade away.

There’s an old adage that says, “Love comes when you least expect it.” Cara and Brandon Kelley, and now their son Sidney, are living proof that there’s truth to that proverb. Growing up a world apart, they had no clue that a chance encounter on social media would end in the creation of a happy family. For anyone who hears the story, it seems like destiny.

When I decided to travel to Kenya, I centered my documentary for Global Storytelling for Global Development around understanding the beauty of the Maasai culture. I couldn’t have been more excited about spending time with the people and learning about their traditions, rituals and daily life.

The Hollywood film industry has been heavily criticized in the past because of the lack of representation and diversity among casts of films and movies. In recent years, the rise of social media and the ability to state our thoughts on a public platform have upped the conversation around this issue — and the 71st Emmy Awards, which aired September 22, 2019, was no exception.