Thanks to Michigan State University Bias Busters,
17 government offices are more welcoming to minorities

For more than a decade now, the Michigan State University School of Journalism’s Bias Busters program has partnered with Front Edge Publishing to produce a series that now includes 20 books that answer the most frequently asked questions about ethnic, racial, religious and other groups within our diverse population. Now, we’re all celebrating a great example of that outreach as these student-produced guides are now helping the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services with its work.  Please read this Cover Story and share it with friends, colleagues and neighbors who work with institutions, congregations and nonprofits that also could benefit from having an MSU easy-to-read “diversity library.”

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We also are thankful for—

Families who assist their disabled loved ones

DID YOU KNOW THAT MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES will be on the move this week all across America? Howard Brown, author of Shining Brightly, is well aware because his family is among those millions who don’t allow disabilities to keep anyone from the Thanksgiving table.

In Howard’s column, he tells a story that will be familiar to so many families—the challenges of helping his disabled Mom (the family’s matriarch) to reach that Thanksgiving table.

AND THIS IS KEY—His column also includes links to some national data you can share with others this week to heighten awareness of disabilities all around us—among our relatives, friends, co-workers and neighbors. PLUS—he’s got a printable guide to making a safe wheelchair transfer, so you’ll be ready to help with that disabled friend or loved one. Perhaps sharing this column might inspire someone else to make an extra effort this week to ensure that a disabled person joins the family feast. Do a good deed right now by reading Howard’s column and sharing it with others via social media or email.

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And, we’re thankful for—

Finally getting home again!

IN HER GOD-SIGNS COLUMN THIS WEEK, Suzy Farbman tells us about Jim and Karin Billings’ true story of ‘Planes, Trains and—a Wheelchair, too.’

Suzy begins her column this way: “Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, fun or exciting, right? For Karin and Jim Billings, this year’s annual trip to Europe proved a little too exciting.”

At this time of year, we all love to swap travel horror stories. This one certainly tops all the true stories we’ve heard so far this year!

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We also are thankful for—

All those who help boost the resiliency of families facing cancer 

CANCER-SURVIVAL cheerleader, coach and philanthropist Jeanine Patten-Coble is featured in PEOPLE magazine in a feel-good feature, headlined: Mom Who Beat Breast Cancer Gives Free Vacations to Patients and Their Families to Make ‘Priceless Memories’ Please enjoy that PEOPLE feature and learn more about Jeanine’s work through her memoir, Struck by Hope.

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Holidays & Festivals

Thanksgiving—

HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS expert Stephanie Fenton starts her holiday column: “Express gratitude and savor the smells and tastes of the season, for the holiday of (American) Thanksgiving. Many foods common on the Thanksgiving table are native to North America and to the season, such as corn, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squashes and cranberries.” AND—as always—she’s got links to some great recipes as well as instructions for DIY Thanksgiving crafts for families.

AUTHOR MARTIN DAVIS also wrote about Thanksgiving, as editorial page Editor for the Fredericksburg, VA, Free-Lance Star newspaper. The annual “Turkey Day” has lots of competition, these days, Martin writes and then tries “to make the case for pausing this Thursday, if just for a bit, to share some time with family and friends.” Martin always has his finger firmly on the pulse of American life and culture and is the author of 30 Days with America’s High School Coaches.
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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS?—It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com

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Faith & Film

ED McNULTY, for decades, has published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Most of his work is freely published. Ed supports his work by selling the Visual Parables Journal, a monthly magazine packed with discussion guides to films. This resource is used coast-to-coast by individuals who love the movies and by educators, clergy and small-group leaders.

Here are some of Ed’s most recent free reviews and columns:

• BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER—(in theaters; coming to Disney+) Ed writes: “The Black Panther sequel is both impressive and, if you are not an avid fan of the super hero genre (like me) confusing at times.”
• ARMAGEDDON TIME—(in theaters) “Eleven-year-old aspiring artist Paul Graff (Banks Repeta) is the protagonist in this semi-autobiographical coming-of-age memoir movie set in Flushing, Queens, New York, in 1980s, co-starring Anthony Hopkins as Paul’s grandfather.”
• HOMEBODY—(in theaters) “This is not so much a body-swap film, like Freaky Friday, as it is a gender-swap one, as well as a film of gender exploration in which a boy arrives at some degree of self discovery.”
• CAUSEWAY—(Streaming on Apple+) “Broadway director Lila Neugebauer, in her feature directing debut, brings us the story of a wounded warrior on the road to recovery, played by Jennifer Lawrence, who still is struggling when she returns to her native New Orleans.”
• TICKET TO PARADISE—(Streaming on Peacock in December) “The main reason for seeing it is to watch two pros, Julia Roberts and George Clooney, go through their paces in a story about as believable as anything from the Brothers Grimm.”
• THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL—(Streaming on Netflix) “Director Paul Feig’s long film is based on a young adult fantasy partially set in an 18th century village called Gavaldon.“
• THE PIANO LESSON—(Streaming on Amazon) “August Wilson’s wonderful play is currently in a Broadway revival, but there also is the excellent Hallmark TV version broadcast in 1995.”

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