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After the murder of her son, Khaaliq, Dorothy took both her personal and professional experiences as a grief and loss counselor to guide others towards healing. She founded Mothers in Charge, an organization against violence in Philadelphia.
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Topic: Ageism
Fight the "Blahs" of Getting Older
This article could be the official "call to action" that defines Coming of Age. The author bemoans the fact that many of her friends in their 50s and 60s faced with physical changes, family issues, retirement concerns, or often fear of what's next, have ditched their "joie de vivre" for the tried and true... and a boring lifestyle. Her message is to fight off the ageist ideas of what you can and should do and embrace the passions that excite you, stay involved and connected to family and friends, challenge yourself, and live, live, live! Included are 25 ideas for doing just that...
Which Companies Have the Most Older Workers?
Older workers are still a strong presence in corporate settings, with airlines, utilities, and insurance companies among those employing the largest number of 50+ workers. Just over a quarter (26 percent) of employees at Fortune 500 companies are age 50 or older, according to a new RetirementJobs.com study. The study found that companies that continue to have a sizeable cohort of older workers understand the value and benefits of this age and are more open to hiring mature employees. This U.S. News and World Report article provides data about where workers 50+ are employed...and where they are not...and why. To learn more, click here.
Age Discrimination at Work: What to Do
This U.S. News and World Report story describes a woman in her early 70s who has worked at the same company for 30 years and feels that the employer is treating her unfairly, even though she is still good at her job. She wants to continue working at her company, but feels the pressure to quit. If this story sounds all too familiar, and you think you are being treated unfairly at your workplace because of your age, you can learn more about how to deal with this sticky issue by clicking here.
The Value of Multi-Generational Workplaces
This article asks you to look around at your co-workers and think about who you collaborate with most. Are they younger, older, more experienced? Is asking a multi-generational group to work together a recipe for conflict or segregation? A pilot program run by the Sloan Center on Aging and Work at Boston College shows that age-diverse work groups not only don't hinder collaboration but are, in fact, really good for business and for the workers' investment in their projects. Read more about how organizations can thrive and have a creative edge by taking advantage of an age diverse workforce. And then share this article around the water cooler!
The term "ageism" was coined in 1968 by Robert Butler, a gerontologist who wanted to call attention to the way society discriminates against the old. While he was a great example of the productivity, vigor, and intellectual curiosity of many older adults (working until 3 days before his death at 83), he would not have been a fan of those who think successful aging is acting 20 at the age of 65. This New York Times article questions whether being as active as you once were is the best measure of successful aging.
While lay-offs have plagued every age group and income level, this Wall Street Journal article gives those 50 plus some hope that their age and job status may work in their benefit. Age discrimination lawsuits and tenure policies give many employers pause before they consider terminating older employees. Who says that age doesn't have its perks?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB12427005...
Younger adults who think of older people as helpless, feeble or forgetful are more likely to experience strokes, heart attacks and other health problems when they grow older themselves, researchers at Yale University report. This study, published in the March issue of Psychological Science, is the first to show that negative stereotypes of older people—developed early in life—have health consequences years later. Sounds like a powerful motivator for re-thinking aging! Read about this study in AARP's Bulletin Today story.
http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourhealth/heal...
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