East hill Notes: All Things Equal airs its 600th episode

To the readers of Tompkins Weekly:
Thanks for reading East Hill Notes the first and third Wednesdays of each month, with an appreciative nod to publisher Todd Mallinson and editor Jamie Swinnerton, both talented colleagues and friends.

I’ve worked with and for local media for a while, starting with 10 years at The Ithaca Journal as opinion page/senior editor, which was good experience for my 17 years at Cornell working on all things community and campus, for the common good.

In the late 1990s when working at the paper, I was engaged in a community dispute regarding a minority-owned business, a local government, and a few local activists who didn’t like what I wrote. Some neighbors marched in front of The Journal with signs claiming the paper was racist and uncaring.

It was a turning point in my life, i.e. it’s not enough to say we’re not racist, homophobic, classist, etc.., but we have to walk the walk.

Since then, I’ve been fortunate to work with local houses of worship, non-profits, campuses, media and the community on issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. It has been a privilege.

In late April, my office produced the 600th episode of All Things Equal, a weekly radio show that focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion. My guests were City of Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick and Ithaca City School District Superintendent Luvelle Brown. whcuradio.com/podcasts/all-things-equal-4-23-19/

My takeaway on the day of the show (mayoral proclaimed “All Things Equal Day” in the City of Ithaca) was Dr. Brown’s reiterating the importance of leading with love and listening more than talking.

Finally, I am grateful to my Cornell colleagues for reporting about the show, an excerpt from this news.cornell.edu/stories/2019/04/civil-discourse-all-things-equal-air-600th-episode below. Thank you.
— Gary Stewart/Cornell Community Relations

After 50 people were killed in a New Zealand mosque, Cornell’s Muslim chaplain spoke about the importance of giving Muslims space to mourn as they tried to make sense of the massacre.

When white supremacists marched through Charlottesville, Virginia, Ithaca City School District Superintendent Luvelle Brown discussed his own experience growing up in Charlottesville, as well as his efforts to combat racial injustice.

And after a transgender woman was found murdered at a Collegetown construction site, an Ithaca College LGBTQ leader talked about the death’s impact on Ithaca’s transgender community, whose members not only lost a friend but also face the threat of violence every day.

All Things Equal focuses on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and aims to provide an oasis of respect and empathy in what can seem like a sea of discord.

“I think it brings a level of decorum and participation to the community,” said Gary Stewart, Cornell’s associate vice president for community relations. Stewart and Cornell colleagues Kate Supron, and Susan Riley serve as hosts for the show, which airs Tuesdays at 8:35 a.m. on WHCU radio (870 AM) and averages 15 minutes.

“It’s not yelling. It’s a conversation,” he said. “There have been times when people have cried on the air. So have I. I think it’s very human and true to its mission.”

The show began after a spate of racial incidents in 2007 laid bare some deep divides in the community. In an effort to bridge those gaps, and with the support of then-Cornell President David Skorton, “All Things Equal” became a safe, thoughtful space.

“All Things Equal” has been honored by the New York State Broadcasters Association, the State University of New York Council for University Advancement, the Community Dispute Resolution Center and the Greater Ithaca Activities Center. The show was also recognized when Cornell’s Office of Community Relations received the Presidential Excellence Award from the International Town and Gown Association in 2016. In addition to those who tune into the broadcasts, around 1,000 people listen to the shows’ online podcasts each week.
— Melanie Lefkowitz /Cornell Chronicle
East Hill Notes are published the first and third Wednesdays of each month.