Category Archives: Dear Readers

Where’s the Diversity? The Tony Awards Looks in the Mirror

June 6, 2013 – 8:00 am

Since the Tony Awards will be presented on June 9, 2013, we decided to collect some data to see if a diversity gap exists in the theater. See our infographic below. While we cannot claim expertise in other fields outside of children’s books, we were fortunate to receive valuable insight from playwright/actor Christine Toy Johnson, who has spent the last fifteen years conducting dialogue with the entertainment industry to increase diversity in the theater and beyond.

By Jason Low | Also posted in guest blogger, The Diversity Gap | Comments (7)

First Book, Stories for All Project Chooses LEE & LOW

March 13, 2013 – 11:15 am

In a groundbreaking announcement, First Book, a non-profit social enterprise launched the Stories for All project. The project’s aim is to introduce a significant number of multicultural books into the hands of low-income children. LEE & LOW was chosen as one of two publishers to be a part of this endeavor and receive a $500,000 award.

By Jason Low | Also posted in Awards, Bellringers, Book News | Comments (6)

Where Are All the People of Color In Downton Abbey?

February 3, 2013 – 8:00 pm

My wife is a serious Downton Abbey fan, so as a result I have been following the show too. Downton packs a lot into forty-five minutes. I enjoy the period touches and the constant habit the English have of not being physically capable of communicating openly about well, everything. What is fascinating is how the show is placed in the context of history when change (World War I, economic concerns, women’s suffrage, the roaring twenties) is being forced on the Abbey whether the people there are ready for it or not.

By Jason Low | Comments (4)

Seven Inspirational Speeches and Why They Matter

November 14, 2012 – 7:00 am

I was watching President Barack Obama’s re-election speech last week and it got me thinking about speeches—how historically, great speeches really matter. Speeches are like placeholders to mark significant milestones in history.

By Jason Low | Comments (2)

Cultural Travels in Cambodia and Vietnam

October 10, 2012 – 11:17 am

This past summer I took a trip to the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Trips that take in a different culture firsthand are a great way to broaden one’s perspective as a citizen of the world. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I hope these photos give you a glimpse of what my trip was like.

By Jason Low | Comments (7)

Clybourne Park Review

July 31, 2012 – 1:08 pm

Ever since Clybourne Park won the Tony Award for Best Play for 2012 I placed it on my “must see” list. With Broadway neck deep in celebrity driven projects it is rare to see a play containing racial underpinnings win the top award.

By Jason Low | Comments (1)

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Equality . . . For All

June 1, 2012 – 12:13 pm

Throughout the history of the United States, equality for all people has been fought for and won time and time again. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence ”that all men are created equal,” and over time equal rights have been gradually extended to different groups of people. However, equality has never been achieved without heated debate, despite our country’s founding principle that all people are created equal in the first place.

By Jason Low | Also posted in Musings & Ponderings | Comments (12)

Race in Advertising

May 3, 2012 – 3:25 pm

From time to time, race issues pop up in advertising. Race is a tricky subject in advertising because common approaches tend to reinforce racial stereotypes and rub people the wrong way if not handled with care.

By Jason Low | Also posted in Diversity Links, Diversity Videos | Comments (2)

Should I be offended? Race-based comedy

April 4, 2012 – 12:16 pm

I especially enjoy comedy that makes you think. Comedy can broach taboo topics like racism and stereotypes and make them fair game for open commentary. If done well these comedic monologues on race can reveal the absurdity of people’s belief systems.

By Jason Low | Also posted in Diversity Links, Diversity Videos | Comments (1)

The Meaning of Diversity Becomes More Diverse

March 1, 2012 – 10:42 am

Since the company was founded in 1991, diversity at LEE & LOW has been defined by ethnicity. Our focus has always been on multicultural stories that explore racial and cultural diversity, from remembering the experiences of past generations to reflecting on the world in which we live today. For the first time in twenty-five years, […]

By Jason Low | Also posted in Publishing 101 | Comments (1)
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