Conversations With Carole

He's gone from his grandmother's encouragement to accounting to now becoming the Massachusetts teacher of the year.

What an amazing journey he's been on… from an encourager, a top educator, and one who is planting seeds with fourth graders who will blossom in years to come. We're talking about De'Shawn Washington and a wonderful interview I've just conducted with him. I hope you'll enjoy the program, be encouraged, and help others find their path in life.

Hello! This is Carole Copeland, Thomas, and thank you so much for watching or listening to conversations with Carole.

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About DeShawn Washington

De’Shawn C. Washington is the 2024 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year. De'Shawn is a fourth-grade teacher at the Maria Hastings Elementary School in Lexington, MA. He has been teaching for seven years. In addition to teaching, De’Shawn is also a doctoral student at Vanderbilt University, studying K-12 Educational Leadership and Policy. 

De’Shawn is also passionate about equipping teachers of color with the tools they need to become licensed educators. He leads the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) workshops for aspiring teachers. He leads workshops in various MTEL tests, including Communication and Literacy, Foundations of Reading, and General Curriculum: Multi-Subject and Mathematics subtests.

Above all, De’Shawn is a servant of the Lord. He devotes his time to prayer, meditation, and studying the Word of God in various Bible Study groups and independently. De'Shawn firmly believes his current role as an ambassador of public education is a ministry to highlight God's work through education to the world at large. 

She is a powerhouse in the United Kingdom, Zambia, and in other parts of the world. And a few weeks ago, she rocked our US UK Summit on Race event by delivering a spellbinding message on the significance of the group responsible for starting and expanding our entire world: Who is this group???? African Women!! 

Her Excellency Dr. Justina Mutale has been globally acclaimed as one of the most influential and inspirational African women. In 2012, she was named 'African Woman of the Year,' sharing a platform with various African Heads of State. Listen carefully to this presentation and share it with your friends, colleagues, and particularly the girls and women in your life. It is an inspiration to us all!! 

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*Please note with respect to Dr. Mutale, some of the words spelled here are the correct spelling for those countries in the United Kingdom.

Her Excellency Dr. Justina Mutale has been globally acclaimed as one of the most influential and inspirational African women. In 2012, she was named 'African Woman of the Year,' sharing a platform with various African Heads of State. Dr. Mutale is a global impact visionary leader with over 30 years of experience in diplomatic and international development. She leads and serves on various boards across the globe, including the World Leaders Forum Dubai, headquartered in the United Arab Emirates. She also serves as a Global Envoy for Gender Equality at the International Women's Think Tank headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia (US). 

Dr. Mutale is the Founder and President of the Justina Mutale Foundation and its University Scholarship Program, incorporating the $100,000,000 STEM & SPORTS Fellows Program for Masters Study covering 10 African countries. Through her Foundation, Dr. Mutale advocates for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in political leadership and economic empowerment by providing leadership and entrepreneurship training, mentorship, coaching, and quality education. Her Foundation also advocates for the retention and completion of tertiary education for young people from rural and disadvantaged African communities by providing them with scholarships to access tertiary education worldwide and upward academic, social, and economic mobility. 

Dr. Mutale has been honoured with over 10 Honorary Doctorates from different institutions around the world in recognition of her outstanding leadership and contributions to public service. She is the sole winner of the MANDELA 100 Prize and a recipient of numerous honours, awards, and accolades from around the world. 

Acclaimed as a Stateswoman who is changing the game, changing the rules, and changing the future, Dr. Mutale has been hailed as one of the 21st-century new leaders and influencers of our time who are challenging what we have known for ages, challenging the stereotypes, challenging the norms and creating their own reality, which resonates with the needs of people around them. Dr. Mutale has been highlighted as one of the 21st-century leaders who lead by maximising resources around them to create powerful ripple effects that are changing lives around the world, using the power of her gifting, vision, and creativity.  

Dr. Mutale is the bestselling author of The Art of Iconic Leadership: Power Secrets of Female World Leaders and co-author of the highly cerebral book Women on Corporate Boards: An International Perspective. She has also contributed to several other global publications and books on leadership, gender, equality, diversity, and inclusion, including FORBES Magazine. More information: https://justinamutale.com

Go from wishing to planning where you will travel by cruise ship in the next 3 to 5 years! In Part Two, Carole will share 10 different tips and techniques to use when organizing and planning for an upcoming journey across the world or across your country. From solo traveling to shore excursions, you can see the world and ports of call from a cruise ship! Welcome to Conversations With Carole!

Part One

Go from wishing to planning where you will travel by cruise ship in the next 3 to 5 years! In Part One, Carole will share eight different tips and techniques to use when organizing and planning for an upcoming journey across the world or across your country. From solo traveling to shore excursions, you can see the world and ports of call from a cruise ship! Welcome to Conversations With Carole!

RECORDED LIVE FROM GREECE:  You have to go back several thousand years to the ancient days of Father Abraham to understand the current conflict between Israel and Hamas. War broke out on October 7, 2023, and has gripped the entire world with the carnage, heartbreak, and uncertainty of the region's future.

In today's episode, Carole walks you through the beginnings in 3800 BCE through 2023 to understand the cultural dynamics of the Middle East, the countries in the region, and the predicament of the Jewish people throughout the years.

Check out Episode 006, where Carole and Dr. Stephanie Cappadona explore the human dynamics of this tragic war.

With the future still uncertain, you can gain more historical insight by listening to this podcast.

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RESOURCES:

---News Channel: The BBC www.bbc.co.uk 

---Good Historical Documentary on how Britain impacted Israel.  

https://youtu.be/ZXfuqUhzESg?si=R6Q_WQieFZaxwRMg

---TED TALK FEATURING DR. IAN BREMMER

https://youtu.be/wQmBsbt9blg?si=nDVV3zKc7t8u_IV_

---GAZA a documentary that you can watch on Netflix or YouTube

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AoUTiLTM-4

---CHRIS HEDGES REPORT

https://chrishedges.substack.com

---A Good Book To Read:

---Palestine 101 with Abby Martin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEUIR_JG_b8 
With the severity of recent events, this video could have been recorded yesterday…but it really is two years old.

---Carole’s podcast Interview with Dr. Stephanie Cappadona --EPISODE 006

www.conversationswithcarole1.com

---Giselle, YouTube solo traveler living in Cairo: Her video says Egypt is safe!

“https://youtu.be/xgA5yB_RB9g?si=GutdiSzweqccjy0f”

---BBC Israel Timeline through 2021

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29123668

---Palestinian Christians, A Forgotten Group. This video discussion on YouTube was apparently produced days before the October 7th attack.

https://youtu.be/vlAuliY0pnw?si=61UU520oTvWltksX

---Farha, A Netflix Movie

Based loosely on historical facts in 1948, this movie depicts the coming of age experience of a young Palestinian girl during the Nakba (the Palestinian loss of society and homeland in 1948 when Israel became an official country).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farha_(film)

---Judaism Explained - The History Channel
https://www.history.com/topics/religion/judaism

---Three Worlds: Memoirs Of An Arab Jew By Avi Shlaim
https://www.amazon.com/Three-Worlds-Arab-Jew-Avi-Shlaim/dp/0861548108/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1700250439&sr=8-3

---Excellent YouTube discussion by Dartmouth College Jewish and Muslim Professors and how they are bringing their campus together.
https://youtu.be/QcBCmpqn708?si=TawPGyhBPBZ-jMhN

Ever wonder what it's like to work in the C-suite in the hospitality industry? How do you sell a city or region with enthusiasm and effectiveness? Today, we're talking to a travel and tourism powerhouse that is turning this upside down by orchestrating a monumental shift to reveal Boston as the ultimate international destination. My guest is Martha Sheridan, the President and CEO of what used to be called the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau… Now renamed Meet Boston. Hello this is Carole Copeland Thomas and you're listening to Conversations With Carole

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Martha J. Sheridan, President & CEO, Meet Boston

Martha J. Sheridan brings more than 30 years of destination marketing experience to her role as President & CEO of Meet Boston, formerly known as the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau (GBCVB). A seasoned tourism leader, she provides strategic direction to the 950-member organization in its mission to generate a robust visitor economy for the region. Annually, the tourism, travel, and hospitality sector generates more than $20 billion dollars for the greater Boston economy. 

Sheridan holds and has held leadership positions with several local, regional, and national industry organizations. She is on the board and Executive Committee of the U.S. Travel Association (USTA) and currently co-chairs USTA’s “Meetings Mean Business” coalition. 

Sheridan was recently appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Destinations International Foundation, which focuses on research, advocacy, workforce initiatives, and DEI. She is a leading member of the Boston Soccer 2026 committee that worked to successfully secure FIFA World Cup 2026 matches to take place at Gillette Stadium. Sheridan also played a key role in the winning bid to host the 2023 Army-Navy Game at Gillette Stadium, the first time in the game’s 124-year history that it will be held in New England.  

Sheridan chairs Governor Healey’s Advisory Commission on Travel & Tourism in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is co-chair of the Advisory Committee planning the 250th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. She is past Chair of Destinations International, the world’s largest association of destination marketing professionals. In 2022, she received Destination International’s Destination Organization Leadership Award, which is among the association’s most prestigious honors for those who have made a significant impact on the industry and in their communities. In 2015, she was named one of the Top 25 Women in the Meetings Industry by Meetings and Conventions Magazine. In 2022 and in 2023, she was named one of The 100 Most Influential Bostonians by Boston Magazine as well as a Boston Business Journal Power 50 Movement Maker. 

Prior to joining Meet Boston in 2019, Sheridan was President & CEO of the Providence/Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau (PWCVB), where she was instrumental in driving group and leisure business to the Ocean State, solidifying Providence as one of the premier destinations for conventions in the Northeast. A recipient of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association’s (RIHA) Mary Brennan Tourism Award for outstanding achievement in tourism promotion, Sheridan was also named RIHA’s Woman of the Year. She is the recipient of the MPINE President’s Award and the MPINE Supplier of the Year Award. In 2014, she was presented with Junior Achievement of Rhode Island’s highest honor, the Morris J. Gaebe Profile in Excellence Award.

Find out more at www.meetboston.com

With over 400,000 subscribers, he has created the number one Cruise channel on YouTube. And he takes us along wherever he goes on the planet, from Greenland and the Arctic Circle to Antarctica. He's been on over 109 cruises in the last 20+ years, and there's so much more to come. Gary Bembridge is my guest today, and you will be fascinated to learn about his birthplace, corporate background, and his trek around the globe. Hello! You're listening to Conversations with Carole!

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Gary Bembridge started “Tips For Travellers” as a hobby podcast when Apple first launched podcasts on iTunes and YouTube began to host videos. At the time, he was the Global Vice President of Marketing of Johnson’s Baby products and was travelling around the world a few weeks every month. At first, he shared the cities he was visiting, but after trying and getting hooked on cruising, he started to cover that more. 

After retiring from Johnson & Johnson following a 24-year career path, he focused on cruising and making more videos, leading to his channel becoming the number one cruise vlog channel on the platform, hitting 400,000 subscribers and 140,000,000 all-time video views in September 2023.

Gary was born in Zimbabwe to British parents and has been based in London since 1987.

Learn more about Gary at www.tipsfortravellers.com.

Here's a longer quite interesting autobiography about Gary Bembridge:
https://www.tipsfortravellers.com/about-gary-bembridge

From a Jewish summer camp, Leverett Wing embarked on a profound journey of self-discovery. Raised in Chelsea, Massachusetts, he found minimal connection to his Asian American heritage in the classroom. But through that camp, he unearthed the treasures of his culture. Today, as the leader of Boston's essential civic engagement organization, The Commonwealth Seminar, Leverett's story is a compelling testament to the power of embracing one's ethnicity, paving the way for impactful civic leadership. His inspiring journey embodies the significance of cultural identity, self-discovery, and leadership for us all.
Hello! You're listening to Conversations With Carole!

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Leverett Wing - Executive Director, 

The Commonwealth Seminar

Leverett is the Executive Director of the Commonwealth Seminar, a non-partisan organization seeking to "Open the Doors of Government to Everyone" by educating advocates and leaders who live in & work with underserved communities about the "ins & outs" and "essentials" of working with, and within, all levels of government.

Before the Seminar, Leverett led the Community Services Division at The MA Department of Housing & Community Development, overseeing a budget of over $200 million. Leverett was also the Executive Director of Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), a national, D.C. based organization focusing on civic engagement in the Asian American community. Before that, Leverett helped spearhead an effort to create the Massachusetts Asian American Commission and was named the Commission's first permanent Executive Director.

Leverett also serves on the boards of several highly respected organizations. Among them, Leverett sits on the Board of Overseers at Joslin Diabetes Center, the Board of Advisors at Eastern Bank, the Board of Overseers of the Boston Children's Museum, and the Board of Overseers of 'GBH-TV/Radio.

He also serves on the Board of Directors of Boston's Higher Ground in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Leverett is also a Board member for Meet Boston and serves on the Bureau's Multicultural Committee.

In Boston, Leverett was recognized by Get Konnected as one of their "One Hundred Most Influential People of Color" and is a recipient of the prestigious "Good Guy Award" from the M.A. Women's Political Caucus, only the second Asian American to receive the award.

IN 2021, The Multicultural Symposium Series Empowerment Breakfast honored Leverett for his unwavering leadership and commitment to communities across the region.

A Special Edition Of Conversations With Carole

Young revelers danced the night away in the heart of the Israeli desert, their joyous celebration turning into a harrowing dash for survival at the break of day. Innocent families perished within the secure confines of their kibbutz, desperately clinging to life as they remained devoid of any military aid. 

Meanwhile, the vulnerable, both young and old, cowered in fear as missiles rained down upon the buildings beside them in Gaza. These are the unsung heroes and victims of the ravages of warfare – men, women, children, couples, families, and individuals from both Israel and Gaza – all caught in the crossfire of a brutal conflict with no clear victor in sight. 

Today, we sit down with criminal justice expert and acclaimed sociologist Dr. Stephanie Cappadona of Curry College to delve into the profound and enduring impacts of the Israeli-Hamas Conflict on us all.

This is a special edition of Conversations with Carole.

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About Dr. Cappadona

Ph.D., Sociology, Northeastern University 
 M.S., Criminal Justice, Northeastern University

Stephanie Cappadona is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Curry College. She received her M. S. in Criminal Justice and Ph.D. in Sociology with a concentration in Violence and Conflict from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Dr. Cappadona's dissertation is entitled "Which Bias Crimes Get Prosecuted? An analysis of bias-motivated incidents and prosecutions in the City of Boston, Massachusetts 2007-2008". Her teaching and research are grounded in social justice and human rights. She teaches courses in Sociological and Criminological Theory, Sociology of Violence, Criminology, Justice and Human Rights Advocacy, Human Diversity in Criminal Justice, Hate Crimes and Hate Groups, and Juvenile Justice. 

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RESOURCES ON ISRAEL and  PALESTINE 

Good Historical Documentary on how Britain impacted Israel.  

https://youtu.be/ZXfuqUhzESg?si=R6Q_WQieFZaxwRMg

TED TALK FEATURING DR. IAN BREMMER

https://youtu.be/wQmBsbt9blg?si=nDVV3zKc7t8u_IV_

GAZA a documentary that you can watch on Netflix or YouTube

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AoUTiLTM-4

CHRIS HEDGES REPORT

https://chrishedges.substack.com

A Good Book To Read:

AGREE TO DISAGREE: A Critical Thinking Guide to Communication, Conflict Management, and Critical Media Literacy 

BY Nolan  Higdon (Author) and Mickey Huff (Author) 

https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Agree-Disagree-Nolan-Higdon/dp/1032168986/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1UVKZAEA31DJY&keywords=let%27s+agree+to+disagree+book&qid=1697384674&sprefix=%2Caps%2C66&sr=8-1

Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) takes place between September 15th to October 15th as a time to recognize and celebrate the many contributions, diverse cultures, and extensive histories of the American Latino community.

Beginning in 1968, Hispanic Heritage Month was originally observed as “Hispanic Heritage Week”, but it was later extended to a month in 1988. Since then it has been celebrated nationwide. The month also celebrates the independence days of several Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua on September 15th, Mexico on September 16th, and Chile on September 18th. They also include holidays that recognize Hispanic contributions such as Virgin Islands-Puerto Rico Friendship Day that is celebrated in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

From Spain to the cultures in South America we’ll talk with our expert guest today, who made his way from Venezuela to Florida to Rhode Island. He’s Oscar Mejais, the Founder, President, and CEO of the Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, an organization that has grown from 100 hundred members to nearly 1000 in 7 short years!  You won’t want to miss this show! You’re listening to Conversations with Carole!

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Oscar Mejías was born in Venezuela. He graduated as a computer engineer and arrived in the USA in 2003. 

  
After relocating from Venezuela to Florida, Oscar has been working in Business, Education, and technology for the last 16 years in Rhode Island. He worked with several organizations, including the SBA, SBDC, RI Economic Development Center (EDC), and Center of Women & Entrepreneurs (CWE), for training and educational purposes. Oscar is the Chairman of the Emerging Markets Committee in the Economic Summit organized by the Small Business Administration of Rhode Island (SBA) since 2015. He worked as an IT Implementation Project Manager for a Global Financial Institution in Massachusetts (2011 - 2014). 

Oscar Mejías is a recognized business and civic leader whose involvement with the Latino community in the last 15 years has given him a well-obtained reputation for dedication and leadership. As a business owner, and has been awarded as New England Minority Business Owner 2015(SBA).

He was recognized by The White House Initiative for Excellence in Education for Hispanics. He is the CEO of BETECH (an IT Consulting firm) and EMERGING STUDIES INSTITUTE, a Bilingual Vocational and Technical School. 

Oscar Mejías is the Founder & CEO of the Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, whose mission is to advocate, promote, and lead Hispanic-owned businesses to success. This successful organization provides technical assistance and resources to Latino Business owners, supporting the Latino Community's economic development in Rhode Island. With nearly 1,000 members, this organization represents a force in the state's economic ecosystem. 

  He is a recognized former member of several Diversity & Inclusion committees: Providence Foundation, Providence Community Library, Cranston Armory Steering Committee, and Governor's Working Group for Diversity in Construction, among others. He is a New England Council Diversity Committee member, the City of Pawtucket Mayor's Community Board and Co-Chair of the ARPA Task Force for the City of Providence. He is also an active member of several economic development committees in the state of Rhode Island, including the Board of Directors of the RI Public Expenditure Council, the RI Commodores Group, and the RI Committee for Economic Development Strategies. 

He is married with two daughters and is proud of his first granddaughter.