New York, N.Y. I marched in the very first Gay Pride parade in 1993 with the Queens Gay and Lesbian Unted (Q-GLU) with a great group of people including its founding member Ed Sedarbaum and Danny Dromm.
A few of the first Q-GLU meetings were held in our Jackson Heights, Queens apartment.
My mother, Frances Dudley Alleman-Luce, supported me by coming out for Q-GLU galas. My partner at that time was my second, Jeff Tendean, the other father of our son Mathew James Tendean Luce. Jeff and I became New York City Domestic Partners the first day the program was launched, legally becoming couple #76 in the City of New York. Domestic partnership was the precursor to gay marriage.
The pride parade is held in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, a pivotal moment in modern LGBT social movements. We march to create community and honor the history of our movement. In 1970, pride and protest marches were held in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco around the first anniversary of Stonewall. The events became annual and grew internationally.
I have attended pride celebrations in San Francisco and Chicago, and traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico for their first Pride Parade in 1990 that commemorated those who had passed during the AIDS epidemic.
The struggle for LGBTQ+ equality represents one of the defining civil rights movements of our time. Across the globe, millions of people face persecution, violence, and systemic discrimination simply for being who they are. From workplace harassment to denial of basic services, from family rejection to state-sanctioned violence, LGBTQ+ individuals navigate a world that too often treats their existence as controversial rather than celebrating their contributions to our shared humanity. This ongoing fight for recognition, protection, and equal treatment under the law reflects broader questions about how we define justice, dignity, and belonging in modern society. As we examine these issues, we must consider not only the legal and political dimensions of LGBTQ+ rights, but also the deeply personal stories of resilience, courage, and hope that drive this movement forward.
Welcome to Jim Luce’s exploration of the literary world, where poetry and prose serve as bridges between cultures, generations, and human experiences. Drawing from his academic background as an East Asian Studies major with a specialty in contemporary Japanese literature—including studies at Waseda University in Tokyo—and influenced by his father’s distinguished career as a translator of contemporary French literature at Miami University, with guest assignments at Harvard and the Sorbonne, Luce brings both scholarly depth and a truly global perspective to his literary analysis. Through his thoughtful commentary and reviews, he examines works that span from the streets of Haiti to the philosophical landscapes of Japan, from the Victorian salons of Henry James to the modern voices of Asian American identity, illuminating how literature continues to shape our understanding of ourselves and our interconnected world while celebrating both established masters and emerging voices who deserve wider recognition.
Jim Luce has been a longtime advocate and observer of the United Nations, bringing a unique insider-outsider perspective shaped by decades of engagement with the global institution. After leading Orphans International Worldwide to U.N. accreditation (UNDPI) in the 2000s, Luce has spoken at and convened major conferences within U.N. halls, including a memorable fifth anniversary celebration that drew over 1,000 guests. His connections run deep: he has met numerous Secretaries-General, and several Presidents of the U.N. General Assembly have served on the advisory boards of his charitable organizations. In this collection, Luce explores the U.N. through various lenses—profiling leaders like António Guterres with his socialist roots, celebrating initiatives from International Happiness Day to UNICEF’s goodwill ambassadors, and examining how nations like Indonesia navigate their roles in an increasingly fractured multilateral system. These essays reflect both the idealism and the complex realities of an institution striving to unite a divided world.
Isaac Bayoh of Sierra Leone is one of the Young Global Leaders of the J. Luce Foundation. He recently spent a week with Harlem’s Queen Mother who he met in our office in Roosevelt Island. She has been a friend of ours for many years.
Isaac writes:
I want to make a difference in the lives of young women and the girl child in Sierra Leone. Discrimination has no place in the 21st Century, and I believe every girl has the right to go to school, stay safe from violence, access health services, and fully participate in her community.
Back home in Sierra Leone, equality for women’s rights doesn’t exist. I want to create an organization that can create the possibility of young women and girls to empower themselves in all aspects of life.
I strongly believe that when girls are educated, healthy, and empowered, families are healthier. I think empowered, educated girls have healthier, better educated children and higher wages – helping to break the cycle of poverty.
I also believe that every girl has the right to be in charge of her future and her fate, and I want to create an organization that empowers a collective obligation to protect her rights and promote her well-being.
To reach our world-wide goals, we have to reach girls
I am not only committed to empowering women and girls, but also committed to empowering others who are suppressed, including those whose sexual and gender orientation are not accepted by the cultural majority.
In partnership with Queen Mother, Delois Blakely, and with the help and support of The J. Luce Foundation and the United Nations, I plan on establishing an organization back home in Sierra Leone with the goal of mobilizing resources and partners in support of the implementation of Africa‘s priority programs and projects.
My aspiration is to see a Sierra Leone where development is people-driven by unleashing the potential of its women and youth and utilize the strength and knowledge gained to empower and transform Africa at large.
Jim Luce brings a distinctive voice to film and television criticism, offering thoughtful analysis that spans from independent cinema to major streaming releases. His writing demonstrates a particular interest in international perspectives, social justice themes, and the evolving landscape of global entertainment. With reviews and essays published across platforms including The Huffington Post and Daily Kos, Luce examines both acclaimed auteur works and contemporary streaming content, consistently seeking out stories that challenge audiences and illuminate diverse cultural experiences. His commentary reflects an appreciation for cinema’s power to bridge communities and provoke meaningful dialogue about the issues that define our time.
New York, N.Y. I recently attended Ticket2Bollywood (T2B) sponsored by Molecule Communications. I had the opportunity to interview its director Ajay Shrivastav and his sister and business partner Kiren.
Brother and sister Ajay and Kiren Shrivastav are opposites. He is the creative one and Kiren more the businesswoman operating Molecule Communications in Mumbai and Ajay is opening their first overseas branch in New York, where he has lived for twelve years involved with food and fashion – and now film. The siblings share the same passion but view different approaches.
Left to right: Anuraadha Tewari, and Kanika Chadda (Zee TV). Photo: Kabir Chopra.
“I am the opposite of Ajay,” Kiren told me. “Ajay wants to save the world first, but I believe I must first help myself and build our business. I want to build this company so strong we are in a position to help others,” she confided.
Ajay shared with me his own passion for bringing Indian entertainment to an international audience. I shared with him my passion about writing for an American audience so that they can better understand international phenomenon such as Bollywood. A match!
The audience during Q&A, asking the speakers about Bollywood. Photo: Kabir Chopra.
“It is no longer Bollywood vs. Hollywood,” Ajay explained to me at the two-day conference Ticket2Bollywood (T2B) his company sponsored in Manhattan’s Chelsea’s Dream Downtown Hotel. “Today, we have global entertainment,” he said. He plans to expand his T2B conference to London, Sydney, and Singapore.
Zoya Akhtar, Imtiaz Ali, and Anuraadha Tewari. Photo: Kabir Chopra.
“In the West, Bollywood is perceived as song, dance and weird colors,” Ajay said. “Trust me, Bollywood has travelled far beyond ‘song and dance.’” One factor he cited for this is India’s own growing middle class. “They are more in tune with global cinema,” he said.
However, Bollywood also resonates with audiences throughout the Developing World – especially in Asia and Africa. “A large part of the world is Third World, where there is a rooting for the underdog – the essence of Bollywood film,” Ajay elaborated.
Zoya Akhtar and Aarti Virani. Photo: Kabir Chopra.
Ajay has been excited about cinema for a long time, but only recently understood how best to build a bridge between Los Angeles and Mumbai, with a stopover in New York. His dream is to create a cross-cultural pollination between filmmakers around the globe.
Indian film producers and actors whom I have written about include Shah Rukh Khan, Mani Ratnam, Mira Nair – as well as covering the New York Indian Film Festival for years. Ratnam is not well known globally but represents the status quo of Indian cinema. I attempted to the American audience several years ago on video. “Generation X will make the next generation of global cinema from India,” Ajay told me.
Ajay practices what he preaches. He is a vegetarian, which I wish I was but can’t, and volunteers at both NYU and Columbia helping others reach their goals and obtain their dreams.
Jim Luce Writes on Haiti chronicles over two decades of firsthand experience in one of the Western Hemisphere’s most challenging yet resilient nations. From his arrival in Port-au-Prince on New Year’s Eve 1999 through the devastating 2010 earthquake that claimed 250,000 lives and into Haiti’s ongoing struggles with gang violence and political instability, Luce documents his work with Orphans International Worldwide across multiple Haitian communities, including Gonaïves, Jacmel and Léogâne. These writings offer an intimate, ground-level perspective on Haiti’s complex realities—from the hope of the early Aristide years to post-earthquake recovery efforts, capturing both the profound challenges and enduring spirit of the Haitian people through the eyes of a humanitarian who chose to stay and serve rather than observe from afar.
Jim Luce brings a unique perspective to writing about Tibet and Tibetan-Americans through his deep personal involvement in humanitarian work and direct access to key figures in the Tibetan community. As founder of Orphans International and collaborator with Dr. Kazuko Hillyer Tatsumura in supporting the Manjushree Orphanage for Tibetan orphans in India’s sensitive border region with Chinese Tibet, Luce writes from firsthand experience rather than distant observation. His work spans cultural commentary, political analysis, and intimate portraits of Tibetan Buddhist life, offering readers insights gained through years of on-the-ground engagement and multiple audiences with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. From exploring the iconic Potala Palace’s place in popular culture to covering contemporary political developments affecting Tibetan succession and autonomy, Luce’s writing bridges the gap between Tibet’s ancient spiritual traditions and the modern challenges facing Tibetan communities worldwide.
Bangkok, Thailand. Having traveled extensively through Japan and India, visiting countless Buddhist shrines and temples, I thought I was well-prepared for any religious site. Yet, nothing could have prepared me for the grandeur and spiritual energy of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok.
As I approached Wat Phra Kaew, nestled within the grounds of the Grand Palace, the first thing that struck me was the temple’s intricate architecture. The dazzling gold spires, vibrant murals, and ornate statues seemed almost otherworldly. The entire complex radiated a sense of majesty that felt both timeless and deeply spiritual.
Entering the temple grounds, I was immediately enveloped in an atmosphere of reverence and tranquility. Monks in saffron robes moved silently through the crowds, their presence a gentle reminder of the temple’s sacred purpose. The air was thick with the scent of incense, blending with the fragrant blossoms that adorned the altars.
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha itself is a masterpiece of Thai art and architecture. As I stepped inside, I was greeted by an awe-inspiring sight: the Emerald Buddha, perched high on a gilded altar, resplendent in its seasonal attire. Carved from a single block of jade, the statue, though small in size, exudes an aura of immense spiritual significance.
Visitors moved slowly and respectfully around the statue, some kneeling in prayer, others merely absorbing the serene atmosphere. The walls of the temple are adorned with elaborate murals depicting scenes from Buddhist mythology, each stroke of the brush telling a story of devotion and faith.
Despite the bustling crowd, a profound silence enveloped the temple. It was as if the very air inside was charged with centuries of prayers and rituals, creating a palpable sense of peace. I found myself a quiet corner to sit and reflect, overwhelmed by the beauty and tranquility of the place.
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, known locally as Wat Phra Kaew, is one of the most venerated sites in Thailand, located within the grounds of the Grand Palace in Bangkok. This exquisite temple complex is a stunning example of traditional Thai architecture and craftsmanship, encapsulating centuries of religious and cultural heritage.
Architectural Splendor
The temple’s architecture is a feast for the eyes, featuring soaring golden spires, intricately decorated roofs, and richly adorned facades. The structures are embellished with colorful mosaics, gold leaf, and vibrant murals that depict scenes from Buddhist mythology and Thai history. The meticulous detail and artistry in every element of the temple’s design reflect the deep devotion and reverence held for this sacred place.
The Emerald Buddha
The centerpiece of Wat Phra Kaew is the Emerald Buddha, a revered statue carved from a single block of jade. Despite its modest size, standing about 26 inches tall, the statue holds immense spiritual significance. It is placed high on a grand, multi-tiered pedestal, surrounded by opulent decorations. The Emerald Buddha is adorned with seasonal robes, which are changed three times a year by the King of Thailand in a solemn ceremony, marking the changing seasons and ensuring the kingdom’s prosperity.
The Grand Palace Grounds
The temple is part of the larger Grand Palace complex, which served as the royal residence for generations of Thai kings. The grounds are a labyrinth of courtyards, halls, and pavilions, each showcasing the grandeur of Thai royal architecture. The contrast between the vibrant, bustling city of Bangkok and the serene, sacred ambiance of Wat Phra Kaew is striking.
Cultural and Spiritual Significance
Wat Phra Kaew is not only a major tourist attraction but also an active religious site. It plays a central role in Thai Buddhism, hosting numerous rituals and ceremonies throughout the year. The temple is a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists from around the world, who come to pay homage and seek blessings.
Visitor Experience
Visitors to Wat Phra Kaew are often struck by the profound sense of peace and spirituality that pervades the temple. The air is filled with the scent of incense, and the soft murmurs of prayers and chants create a serene atmosphere. Despite the influx of tourists, the temple maintains a sacred and respectful environment, inviting all who enter to reflect and find inner peace.
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is a magnificent embodiment of Thai culture, religion, and artistry. Its awe-inspiring beauty and deep spiritual resonance make it a must-visit destination in Bangkok, offering a unique glimpse into the heart of Thailand’s Buddhist heritage.
As I sat there, memories of my visits to other Buddhist sites in Japan and India flooded my mind. I recalled the serene gardens of Kyoto’s temples, the colossal statues of Nara, the ancient stupas of Bodh Gaya, and the vibrant monasteries of Ladakh. Each place had its own unique charm and spiritual energy, but the Temple of the Emerald Buddha felt different—more intense, more immediate.
I realized that what set this temple apart was not just its physical beauty but the deep, living tradition it represented. Wat Phra Kaew is not merely a historical site; it is a living, breathing center of Thai Buddhism, where ancient rituals continue to be practiced and revered.
After spending several hours within the temple grounds, I emerged back into the bustling city, feeling a profound sense of gratitude and peace. My visit to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha had been a deeply moving experience, one that would stay with me long after I left Bangkok.
This visit reminded me that no matter how many temples or shrines one visits, each has the power to touch the soul in a unique way. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, with its unparalleled beauty and profound spiritual significance, had done just that. It was a place where history, art, and spirituality converged, offering a glimpse into the heart of Thai culture and Buddhist devotion.
Social causes were more important to her than social standing
Boston, MA — My mother’s words still ring out in my head, year after year. It was Thanksgiving 1998, Boston.
I was continuing to complain about how traumatized I felt having experienced the Dicksonian conditions of the orphanage where I found my infant son Mathew in Indonesia. The warehouse institution was crib-to-worn-out-crib of children dressed in rags, clean but threadbare. Impoverished would be an understatement. ‘Dirt poor,’ as my mother would say.
Mom, post-divorce, with her beloved dog and Women’s Empowerment Groups in the 1970s.
I had hoped my mom, a child psychologist, would commiserate with me. Allow me to suffer quietly for what I had seen.
I was wrong. She wanted action. “If you identify something wrong in this world, it is up to you to fix it. Stop complaining and do something!”
To humor my mom, I agreed to write a feasibility study on how orphan care could be improved in the developing world and settled onto the SOS Children’s Villages model, writing a 350-page thesis on how to raise children in small homes connected to one caregiver rather than in large, cold institutions with revolving staff.
As a child, my mother was chosen to open the Bath Bridge in Portland Maine, 1927.
I worked in finance, which back then we called Wall Street, and knew little about children or NGOs. Over two years, mom edited my thoughts leaving us with the blueprint for orphan care still in use today.
Several weeks after the thesis was completed my mother, Frances Dudley Alleman-Luce, unexpectedly passed away.
Unbeknownst to me, she had left my portion of her estate to begin what we called Orphans International Worldwide (OIW), an organization that played a significant role in orphan care following the 2004 Tsunami in Indonesia and Sri Lanka, and in Haiti after Hurricane Jeanne and later the earthquake of 2010.
Today, OIW continues to support orphans in Asia, Africa and the Americas.
Mom and Dad’s marriage was essentially arranged by their two families and did not last.
Social causes were more important to her than social standing — or academics.
Despite her multiple degrees, she allowed me to miss significant amounts of high school to march in civil rights marches and to serve as the Episcopal Diocesan Youth Representative at the state capital.
Her own causes, embraced in the 1960’s and ’70’s, were civil rights and women’s liberation. She was rebelling against the slave owners on her maternal grandfather’s side, and from the man her family had expected her to marry — my father.
As a child, my mom would always take me to see the Dudley Gates at Harvard Yard.
My kindergarten year — just before mom embraced Martin Luther King and Gloria Steinem — my family lived in Paris and mom spoke French with the best of them.
She would occasionally slip and declare herself at the table to be ‘pregnant’ when she was simply full.
She knew how bored I was of touring the endless chateaus my father wanted to see, so she convinced me that each and every one was the home of Thierry la Fronde, the Robin Hood of France whom I idolized.
I have volumes of Thierry la Fronde comics on my bookshelves today.
My mother (middle child) in their back yard in Portland, Maine in 1928, was active in civil rights. Her mother, standing, came from Maryland where her father had owned slaves.
Moving to public school in junior high school following her divorce in 1972, I was often bullied.
It was then that I changed my name from “James” to “Jim,” seeking to mitigate my roots.
Not until the last year had I ever embraced my real name when we used it to name our foundation.
In high school, when not editing the school paper, I sought solace alone in my room reading Gandhi, MLK, Khalil Gibran, and Elie Wiesel.
Mom gave me a beautifully framed Desiderata for Christmas during that era. I found comfort in its “Go placidly amid the noise and the haste…”
Mom would take me out of school repeatedly to join in civil rights marches in the 1960’s.
Perhaps the happiest times with my mom were summers on Martha’s Vineyard, where she would relax as I explored ancient cemeteries, collecting grave rubbings of the Luce family.
Mom was always accepting of my sexuality — I’m gay — and embraced my adopted Chinese-Indonesian son as if her were her own blood.
In fact, given the Anglican nature of my family, marrying outside the Church of Englandwas a bigger transgression for her than same sex marriage.
As she told me once, “When you decided to break with tradition, you really went for it!”
My mom’s grandfather Warfield Simpson owned slaves, here recorded in the census of 1850.
Two other favorite oft-repeated remarks about me were that still make me chuckle:
“When my son came to the fork in the road, he decided to go cross-county,” and “My son walks through life as if it he is on a trapeze without a net.”
Mom’s 2001 memorial service in New York, in a church belonging to the American Baptist denomination of Martin Luther King, included Buddhist, Muslim and Jewish prayers, Japanese modern ballet, Dominican drums, and majestic trumpeters to blast that stirring hymn Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee.
Then-mayor Giuliani wrote a letter in her honor. In Washington, The Congressional Record sadly noted her passing and the president sent his condolences.
Vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard, American origin of the Luce family, with my mom in 1990.
Ms. Alleman-Luce was an extraordinary woman far ahead of her time. She played an active role in the Civil Rights Movementduring the 1960’s, training the Freedom Ridersas they gathered in Oxford, Ohio before driving down to Mississippi. Ms. Alleman-Luce was an exceptional individual and a caring mother. A proud lifelong Democrat, a friend of the disenfranchised, and a caring educator, Ms. Alleman-Luce will be sorely missed.
Former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani who was then in office noted:
Frances D. Alleman-Luce was a towering personality who gave of her time and efforts towards the betterment of humanity. It is indeed fitting that we honor her by creating this orphanage fund which will help overseas orphans in Indonesia, Haiti and elsewhere. This is truly a noble pursuit that I wish tremendous success.
My mother attended LGBTQ+ galas with me, here at our table in 1994.
At her memorial I spoke about what my mother had taught me and how she was the impetus to form Orphans International Worldwide:
My mother taught me — by words and deeds — to stand up for the oppressed, fight against injustice, and believe in both myself, and the inherent goodness of humanity. I remember walking the picket line with my mom at the age of ten, protesting on behalf of the United Farm Workers. I remember being taken out of school for civil rights marches.
My most vivid childhood memory of my mother was hearing her anguished cry when she learned that Dr. Martin Luther King had been shot. Because of my mother, I have developed an interest in helping children around the world — children who are the “underdogs” — victims of poverty, disease, and conflict.
This is a time for remembering the dead. Letting their death provide the impetus to serve the living. This is what my mother wanted, and this is what the Frances Dudley Alleman-Luce Memorial Orphans Fund will do.
Frances Dudley Alleman-Luce in 1944.
My mother was special in that all mothers are special. Reach out to your mom today if you are lucky enough to still have her around and tell her how much you love her. Many of my friends have lost their parents because they could not accept them for being gay or lesbian, but remember all mothers are special, even if they have turned their back of you for whatever reason. Not everyone is perfect. But they are still your mother. They might not realize it, but they need you.
Many people think that I rebelled against my Republican family, but both of my parents were very liberal. ProgressiveEugene McCarthy/George McGovern Democrats through and through. It is they that broke the family’s conservative traditions, not me. My parent’s bitter divorce when I was twelve makes it hard for me to think of them together, and I loved my dad deeply, but for sure I miss my mom very much – and thank her for who I am today.
Betty Millard of Chicago, a long-time social activist had danced with Zhou Enlai after the Chinese Revolution and then was called to testify as a hostile witness during the McCarthy witch-hunt of the 1950’s, was memorialized last week in her home in Greenwich Village, New York City.
Betty Millard danced with Zhou Enlai in China after the revolution in 1949.
Friends and family from as far away as Manila flew in to pay homage to her life. She was remembered as a cultured, generous woman with a wicked sense of humor.
Betty introduced younger friends around her to her world: The New Massesfor which she had written and edited for, the short-lived but influential Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War that she had promoted while at Barnard beginning in 1932, and the Northstar Fundthat she had supported from the 1980’s. Betty was a bridge for her younger friends to Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Suffragette Movement.
Betty lived, breathed, and funded social action. Wealthy, she lived a modest life with a single exception: world tours on the QE II. She was addicted to old sweaters and the New York Times. She had a lateral relationship to U.S. president Millard Fillmore.
Betty was known for her regular habits, such as dining with individual friends once a week often down the block from her brownstone at Seville. She liked to spend weekends at her farm up the Hudson River in Duchess County where she would clear brush and hand-feed wild chickadees. Those that knew here there have vivid memories of using the farm’s outdoor shower, the outhouse, and her cast-iron wood stove.
Betty had met global liberation leaders such as Ho Chi Minh, Salvador Allende, and Fidel Castro. She wrote Women Against Myth in 1948.
The trails at her farm were lovingly named for the leaders of liberation movements around the world she admired so much: Ho Chi Minh, Salvador Allende, and Fidel Castro. These were not academic interests – she had met them all in her long and fascinating life.
Friends and family know how much Betty had given up to help “repair the world” – tikkun olam, as she liked to say. Betty was not so much interested in the love of humanity (philanthropy), as she was social justice (Tzedakah).
Betty taught those around her both The Internationale and how to say Long Live Chairman Mao! – in Mandarin. And far more – she showed by example how to grow old with grace and how to balance saving the world with not losing one’s life.
Betty used to regale her friends with stories of her “industrialist” father and affluent mother, growing up in Highland Park, Illinois outside Chicago. One favorite tale was one of her mother being driven around Chicago, where she would lower her window and give unsolicited advice to those on the sidewalk. She would critique the masses. At the memorial we watched early footage of her family – there she was, a child growing up literally in a log cabin mansion
Betty wrote for the prominent American Marxist publication The New Masses.
Betty taught her friends how to say Long Live Chairman Mao! – in Mandarin.
At the University of Chicago, Betty was friends with Janet Rosenberg. Janet soon married a handsome young dentist named Cheddi Jagan and both Cheddi and then Janet would become presidents of Guyana. World-renown leaders like the Jagans often dined with her. Folk-singer Earl Robinson who wrote Joe Hill and French Resistance fighter Marie-Claude Vaillant-Couturiervisited her whenever they passed through town.
Many have wondered about her support of Communism. Betty was an ardent supporter of women’s rights which had turned her on to Communism in the 1930’s, but by the end of the 1950’s she had grown disillusioned. But the ideal that the Party espoused – equality across race and gender – stayed with her. The Party’s lack of acceptance of gays and lesbians confused her greatly, delaying her own admission of being gay until her 80s.
Betty was lifelong friends with two presidents of Guyana, Cheddi and Janet Jagan.
Betty could cook exactly three dishes including square hamburgers. As a child they had had a cook, and as an adult, she did not wish to be trapped by women’s work. Her favorite foods were cucumber salad and chocolate cake form the bakery. Betty enjoyed her evening glass of sherry.
She loved to write. In addition to The New Masses, Betty edited long hours for Latin America Today. She was an avid reader. She was artistic, taking exquisite photographs and writing modern poetry.
Betty was remembered for her idiosyncrasies. Whenever she left home she would never lock her door – unless she was “going above 14th Street.” Then, she always felt compelled to lock it carefully.
Eventually, Betty gave her brownstone to charity and retired to a small garden apartment in the then-gritty Meat Packing District. It was in that garden apartment that we gathered for her memorial. The leadership of Betty‘s favorite charity, the Northstar Fund, showed up in great strength. One long-term friend spoke of Betty‘s life as one in sync with the twists, turns, and turmoil of the American Left.
Betty befriended French Resistance fighter Marie-Claude Vaillant-Couturier in Paris.
Betty had shown us how to age with grace and dignity. “I used to see old people as ugly, but now I see that they are very beautiful.” She had told her family and friends she wanted to live forever, and she set the stage for extreme measures to be taken to prolong her life over the last seven years. She always planned her 100th birthday party in Alaska. We had sworn to her I would attend. She almost made it, letting go at 98.
Betty’s memorial was particularly poignant. Most could not speak of her life influence without their voices cracking. She was born in 1911 when William Howard Taft was in the White House, dedicated her life to making America a more embracing nation, and died with Barack Obama as our president.
Betty was life-long friends with Janet Rosenberg Jagan who became Guyana’s president.
As we left Betty‘s home for the last time following the memorial, we realized that we were saying goodbye to the last of her generation. Betty was truly a Thought Leader and Global Citizen. She taught us how to connect goodness. Betty taught us in word and deed how powerful connecting good people can be.
Edited by Ethel Grodzins Romm. Originally published in The Huffington Post, May 13, 2010.
9/11 brings back haunting memories. Having buried by brother and mother almost back-to-back just before 9/11, losing all three of my life-long mentors over the passing years, and recently burying my father and step-mother, death to me is no longer a stranger.
My grasp of our human fragility stems from watching the Twin Towers fall. It has been heightened by my first-person experiences in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Haiti after the Tsunami and earthquake – where half a million perished. I know all too well that we are but temporary beings.
I preserve the legacy of my loved ones, brother Rick and Mom, Dad and his wife Luan, those who died on 9/11, and those who taught me the world, Cheddi Jagan, Paul Moore and Betty Millard, by writing about them. Subconsciously, I also preserve my own thoughts and feelings the same way. My Earth Creed from high school and the organization I co-founded in the 1980’s to fight religious extremism have as much relevance today as then. Although I made it to Bellevue Hospital to volunteer on 9/11, the fact that not one survivor came up the FDR shocked me beyond the ability to write.
My adopted son Mathew inspired me to have a passion for orphans.
9/11 is a thoughtful day. Having recently turned 51, I have reached the halfway mark in life. As fast as the first half has vanished, I am convinced the second half will disappear in the twinkling of an eye. I am torn between wanting to spend quality time with my son Mathew and partner John Lee, my nieces and nephews, my good friends, and our dog. My grandmother lived to be 102. With human life being extended daily, but with the female longevity advantage, I use this fine age as my own age goal.
I have overcome two life-threatening ailments in the first half of my life and defied death on four occasions – all in Haiti. The experience of thinking New York City is under attack or being chased up a mountain by an angry mob puts life in perspective.
One thing 9/11 and other brushed with death have taught me is that coming from a family – any family – is important. Our roots connect us to the planet, not so much genealogy as connecting goodness. If your family were abominable or you did not know them, then create your own family. One new friendship of mine is with Peter Yarrow, who I admire greatly. My own family has notable respectability, but it also included ship captains of slave ships. My post-9/11 family includes two whose genetics trace back to China, not England. I never would have guessed that ten years ago.
My mother’s father, Dudley Alleman, is the boy sitting in the middle.
Is the bottle half full or half empty? What do any of us wish to accomplish with our lives? Am I trying to accomplish too much or too little with my own life? I would argue too little, and it secretly annoys me. No matter how hard I excel, I cannot achieve in a day, a week, or a month my goals and objectives. Like many others, with literally thousands of friends and acquaintances around the world, addressing my e-mail alone is a challenge. If I have fewer than 2,000 unread “important” e-mails in my In-Box, it is an accomplishment.
Two years ago, approaching my fiftieth birthday, I expressed feeling incomplete. I wrote, “Part of me – my soul? – is still missing. In secular terms, I think I am not yet in touch with the best way to serve humanity. In theological terms, I have yet to find God’s full plan for my life.”
Writing in Haiti, after the earthquake, in front of typical Haitian sign.
I no longer feel that way and have filled my cup to the brim and beyond. With the estate of my mother in 2001, I expanded Orphans International Worldwide (OIW) which we began in 1999. With the estate of my father, I am endowing the James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation (Foundation) to fund the lifework of “Luce Leaders,” active in advancing humanity anywhere in the world. 9/11 helped me to settle into a simpler and more serene world view: Doing Good and Feeling Good™.
My new vehicle, The Stewardship Report, allows me to publish anything, drawing on the theme of Connecting Goodness. We have already covered 1,000 stories on thought leaders and global citizens. I want the SR to be the ultimate depository on all ways to develop humanity positively. I am particularly pleased with the Luce Index™ rating thought leaders, organizations, books – and soon multi-national corporations. Our 2011 editorial calendar is immense. After 9/11, we must focus on our common goodness, not our differences. Yet we must work collectively to eradicate the fundamentalist mindset of extremism.
The James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation will focus on funding Luce Leaders, working on issues related to the Arts, G.L.B.T. (Estate of Betty Millard), HIV & AIDS, Housing (estate of Stanford L. Luce), Orphans (estate of Frances D. Alleman-Luce), and Women.
To remain solvent and to continue an interesting journey, I am launching a consulting practice this fall, “Jim Luce & Associates,” focused on “Global Challenges. Global Solutions.“ My colleagues and I will deal with consultation related to international development, post-disaster housing, communications, public relations, non-governmental organizations, philanthropy, international affairs, and human rights. We have a dozen pro bono institutional clients already lined up, and our client roster will be confidential.
At the mid-point of my life, I kook back at those who have helped me. Hank Luce was not so much my mentor as an enormous benefactor, the largest in my life, in fact. I learned from Hank many lessons that I apply to living, including the need to operate from a strong position. Not keeping that principle close to heart has hurt me more than once. From former Episcopal Bishop Paul Moore I learned how best to help the most unfortunate among us, from social activist Betty Millardhow to live and operate humbly with resources, and from Cheddi Jagan, former president of Guyana, how to network for social change.
This fall I will make my 24th pilgrimage to Haiti since 1999. As 24 is my favorite number, I find it auspicious that on this trip I plan to stay. I will reverse my seven weeks here and one week there cycle, and remain there seven of eight weeks through 2012. Our projects have grown in Haiti so large I need to oversee them personally. With full Internet connectivity, I will be quite okay Connecting Goodness. 9/11 reaffirmed my need to get involved and give back, and the earthquake of January 12 in Haiti continued my resolve.
I will see my son Matt and partner John every two months, and I dream of Matt spending next summer with me in Haiti where he can learn Creole and fall in love with the culture, as I did at his age in Germany. John will join me there in 2012. I believe our home in Leogane will become the meeting place for the international and Haitian communities to connect, breaking bread and sharing a glass. Building global bridges is the best way for me to spend the beginning of the second half of my life.
I left my job in the World Financial Center days before 9/11. I could have been in the midst of it. I was spared. When my life does end — in another twinkling of an eye — I will not blink because I will have done exactly what I have chosen to do with my life: Doing Good and Feeling Good. Let us celebrate 9/11 as the time when our world came together to combat ignorance and extremism and focus on connecting goodness. In memory of those who perished.
Originally published in The Huffington Post, Sept. 7, 2010.
New York, N.Y. — I met Christopher Rim, the founder and president of an anti-bullying awareness organization called It Ends Today about a year before Lady Gaga did. His group’s message is startlingly simple: Students listen more to their peers than adults.
Enormously impressed that a high school student could be so savvy about organizing and branding — components necessary to create change no matter how well-intentioned you are — I knew Chris would make a large impact. His group’s message is startlingly simple: Students listen more to their peers than adults.
Through my friend and adviser Vlada von Shats, who advocates on behalf of the oppressed from Jews in her native Russia to students on the playground who get beat up for being different.
Founder Christopher Rim talking to a group of middle school students about the purpose and mission behind his anti-bullying network, It Ends Today. Photo credit: Sergio Orlov.
I sat with Chris two years ago as he sketched out his vision of organizing students in public and private high schools across New Jersey to stand up to bullying.
His approach reminded me of the union poster of many smaller fish forming into the outline of an enormous fish to eat the big fish stalking them. Brilliant.
Of course, anti-bullying efforts are not new: My friend and mentor Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary launched Operation Respect over a decade ago to use folk and rap music to combat bullying and is now operational in over 20 schools in six countries.
Peter Yarrow’s Operation Respect uses folk and rap music to combat bullying. Photo credit: Operation Respect.
Chris is closer to the playground. After successfully organizing over a dozen high school chapters in his home state, he has set his sights on Harvard, where he hopes to both matriculate and organize.
I spent as much time organizing in college as studying — from gay rights to Japanese culture and Jewish awareness — so I know what it takes and he’s got it in spades.
It Ends Todayis unlike many other anti-bullying and motivational non-profit organizations.
It is their belief that the most effective way to end bullying in our schools and community is for students to watch their own peers talking about problems and personal experiences related to bullying.
The organization believes that this kind of “peer-to-peer” action is more effective than having an adult dictate to children how they must behave.
Jessica Stanzione, Natali Taglic, Alice Cloe Cordero , and Carrie Chung of the Academy of Holy Angels High School It Ends Today Chapter in Demarest, N.J. Photo credit:It Ends Today)
So far the organization has reached over 65,000 students in total in countries including the U.S., Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Guam, Australia and Croatia.
No two schools will ever see the exact presentation, because since each school has their own atmosphere, Christopher believes that each presentation should be custom to fit into the school’s environment so the message of anti-bullying can better connect to the students.
When Christopher Rim was just 15 years old at the Academies @Englewood High School, in Englewood, N.J., he got tired of feeling powerless witnessing students being bullied, so It Ends Today was born.
Christopher had also served as vice president of his school’s Student Council. Apart from his school community, he has served as the Community Director for the AIDS Walk New York 2012.
Volunteers selling t-shirts and spreading awareness about bullying at Vlada Lounge in New York City. Photo credit: It Ends Today.
Christopher is being noticed. He was honored with the President’s Lifetime Call to Service Volunteer Award from Barack Obama, was appointed a Luce Leader by The James Jay Dudley Foundation, and received the Best Buy Scholarship Award and the Dr. John Grieco Scholarship, as well as countless other awards from national, state and local government levels.
When news articles about his anti-bullying organization appeared throughout the Tri-state area, Christopher was contacted by the Berkman Center at Harvard University to attend the launch of the Born This Way Foundation with Oprah Winfrey and Lady Gaga.
This Foundation is supported in part by The MacArthur Foundation. He says it was one of the high points of his life.
The James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation supports young global leadership and our Luce Leaders embody that virtue. Only two talented and passionate teens were appointed Luce Leaders in 2012 and Christopher Rim, founder and president of It Ends Today, was one of them.
One of my ancestors, Gov. Thomas Dudley, was a co-founder of Harvard almost 400 years ago, and my fatherStanford L. Luce was a guest lecturer there. It would tickle me enormously to see Christopher apply his talents and insights to assist in tolerance-building in that astute Cambridge community.
Post Script: Harvard never asked Chris Rim to enroll, so he accepted a full scholarship at Yale University instead, where he graduated with honors.
Tags: anti-bullying, Christopher Rim, It Ends Today, Harvard, youth leadership, bullying prevention, peer-to-peer, Operation Respect, Born This Way Foundation, school programs, Korean American
