Category: News

This summer, Dr. Mae Jemison was in the news and on the speaking circuit to talk about her experience as a NASA astronaut, her Look Up Apollo 11 Skyfie challenge covered by Space.com, and her memories as she watched the first humans take steps on the moon. (She prefers to say “humans” or “people” instead of first man on the moon). One of the most rewarding interviews I helped coordinate was with CNN as part of their Apollo 11 anniversary programming.

“I was this child who looked at the astronauts and said, wait a minute, why are all the astronauts white males? What if aliens saw actually saw them and say, are these the only kinds of people on earth?”

Dancing prepared Jemison for space

The first woman of color to travel to space on the Endeavor in 1992, Jemison boasts a long career includes chemical engineer, physician, entrepreneur, educator, STEM advocate and public speaker. A polymath, she once trained as a dancer and considered it as a career.

“One of the best questions that was ever asked of me was by a 12-year old girl. She asked, how did being a dancer help you be an astronaut? Because dancers have to be very disciplined. You have to practice all the time. You have to constantly rehearse and pay attention to people around you. You have to memorize complicated structures and scenarios. You have to be pretty thick-skinned as well, because you have to be able to take criticism and apply it. All those things are valuable.”

Space exploration for everyone

As a child in Chicago in the 1960s, Jemison shared her enthusiasm and excitement about the Apollo space program with everyone she met, but noticed some people did not feel as connected as she did. “You often find people sometimes thinking space has nothing to do with them, because they never saw themselves there.” She never imagined she would grow up to become the first African American woman in space.

Through her work with National Geographic, the Academy of Sciences, and her initiatives including 100 Year Starship and the Look Up project, Jemison emphasizes getting more people a seat at the table to think about space and, with that, the earth we all share. And share, we must: the next generation of space exploration means we will need rocket scientists and physicists, but we also need financial experts, arts and culture experts, writers, clothing and textile designers– the full spectrum of people, cultures and capabilities.

Adds Jemison, “so frequently, people think of the arts and sciences as separate, as not connected. Both of them are required for creativity. Both of them are required to move forward.”

What would you do to transform your life? How far would you go to change yourself? Would you drive, would you fly, would you run?

We’ve recently been working with a new feel good documentary about long distance running by friend and filmmaker, Sanjay Rawal. We’ve worked on Rawal’s past projects including the successful and impactful documentary about Florida farmworkers, Food Chains.

We have some passionate runners here at Silverbee but we didn’t know too much about the Self-Transcendence 3100 , the world’s longest certified footrace, which takes place each summer June through August. The 3100 encourages runners to discover the limits of their capacities – and to try to go beyond them. And go beyond, they must: the small group of competitors come from all over the world to run a distance that approximates a US cross-country run – a total of 3,100 miles in 52 days – 5,649 laps around one city block in Jamaica, Queens. 3100: Run and Become follows Ashprihanal Aalto, an unassuming Finnish paperboy, and Shamita, an Austrian cellist, in their attempts to complete the race.

Ashprihanal and Shamita’s 3100 quest takes viewers from the heart of this astonishing event in New York to places around the world where ancient cultures have held running sacred for millennia: the Kalahari Desert, Arizona’s Navajo reservation, and to the mountain temples of Japan. Beyond competitiveness and athletic prowess, they run not for glory but for spiritual enlightenment, universal oneness –or because they simply have the responsibility to run.

3100:Run and Become is opening around the US in theaters, special events and film festivals throughout summer and fall. It’s attracted great features and reviews, too. Check out this Broadway World review or listen to an interview with filmmaker Sanjay Rawal on the Rich Roll podcast and the Warrior Mind podcast, and read this story about Navajo ultra-running champion Shaun Martin in Trail Runner. If you’re interested in watching the film, check their website for screenings. And have your running outfit ready. After watching the film, you’ll want to start your marathon training right away, believe us! As Discover Arizona Now said after interviewing Sanjay Rawal, “We glimpse the lives of these amazing ultra-runners through an incredible film and foot journey that spans the globe. You will never see a pair of running shoes the same way again!”

The Wilderness Society is advocating for America’s wild places with a new study that points to troubling developments when it comes to development of public lands that have been designated as wild places. While the Trump administration is trying to roll back the protection of public lands, The Wilderness Society just published its 2017 “Too Wild To Drill” report on September 18. It identifies 15 unique places found on public lands that are at high risk of drilling, mining and other development—and the damage and destruction that inevitably follow.

The Wilderness Society’s is America’s leading conservation organization with the mission to protect shared wild lands so we and future generations can benefit from what our public lands provide to us: clean air, wildlife, havens for recreation, solitude and learning, important sources of renewable energy, vital natural resources that must be managed wisely, and a foundation for a healthy planet.

Silverbee is proud to advocate for America’s wilderness by teaming with Weintraub Communications to shine a spotlight on wild lands at risk.

In 2016-17, we are working to support an organization with an important mission. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is an international nonprofit devoted to saving lives through vaccination. Gavi works with global foundations, governments, and external partners bringing life-saving vaccines to children in the poorest countries of the world.

One of Gavi’s important partners is Lions Clubs International Foundation, whose volunteers are critical to social mobilization – educating families and making sure they physically get their children to the vaccines. In 2016, we supported the Gavi – Lions Clubs campaigns including Zambia with articles and graphics, strategic communication planning, social media campaigns, and digital content, and marketing materials.

Now we are supporting Gavi-Lions by promoting their joint effort and one their biggest challenges: the 2017-18 India measles-rubella campaign aiming to immunize over 40 million Indian children against these serious but preventable diseases.

Measles—a highly contagious virus—is one of the top killers of unvaccinated children around the world. By weakening the immune system, measles can also lead to other health problems such as pneumonia, blindness, diarrhea, and encephalitis. Every year, 20 million people are affected by measles. Tragically, 315 children die every day as a result of measles complications.

Gavi and Lions volunteers often face serious challenges when trying to reach children in underdeveloped countries. They have to to find knowledgeable volunteers, fight infrastructure barriers, and overcome the fear of vaccines.

While vaccines are easily accessible in developed countries, we can find anti-immunization movements almost everywhere. The effectiveness of vaccines is not an “alternative fact” though. Despite studies involving more than 95,000 children showing that vaccines do not cause autism, vaccine myths like this prevent parents from getting their children vaccinated. This is why measles outbreaks still occur in the US. The state of Arizona reported 22 cases in the summer of 2016, making it one of the biggest outbreaks in the country — 70 cases were reported in total in 2016.

In September 2016, the Pan American Health Organization of the Americas declared the region of the Americas measles-free. However, outbreaks such as the one in Arizona last year will continue occurring. It can be brought in from travelers overseas and spread if immunization rates drop.

Silverbee is proud to support Gavi-Lions and their goal to eliminate measles in the world fighting for healthier children, healthier communities, and improved global health.