The Wisdom Bridge
Illuminate Your Life
TESTIMONIALS
“Molly consistently delivers in revealing people, places and cultural content. She is a wonderful teacher.”
“I love all of Molly’s classes!”
“Ms. Cate was the most engaging instructor I’ve had. I’ll be looking for her future classes.”
“Molly is a superb educator in every sense of the word. She explains concepts, not just facts, to view the material in a wider scope.”
“Molly always has interesting topics, welcomes conversation and is a joy to have as a teacher.”
“Just a wonderful and informative presentation. Only Molly could offer this with the breadth and content I’d never considered.”
“Enthusiastic, inclusive presentation.”
DIGNITY STUDIES
(All sessions 2 hours)
Challenging Inequity
Alexander von Humboldt: Explorer, Visionary Scientist, Humanist (3 sessions)
Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was driven by wonder and a thirst to understand the natural world. Learn about the man who used his personal wealth to explore Latin America and Russia, measuring gravity and atmospheric conditions, studying volcanic activity, collecting and drawing plant and insect species at different altitudes, taking copious notes. His keen eye and great heart (he abhorred slavery) noted many instances of man’s inhumanity to man. Back home in Prussia, he wrote some 50,000 letters and more than 20 books on natural history and some political history too, influencing Charles Darwin, Thoreau and John Muir. Humboldt’s culminating work, the book Cosmos, became an international sensation. His vision of all life as part of a unity prefigured our modern ecological movement. Celebrate the man our county is named for.
American Hero: Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1 session)
Explore the life of this powerhouse of freedom who tackled both the lynching of African Americans and racism in the suffrage movement as an investigative journalist, educator, and early leader in the civil rights movement. She was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
American Hero: Rachel Carson (1 session)
One of the finest nature writers in America, marine biologist Rachel Carson was afraid of being on the ocean. Explore the life of this champion of the environment whose books, especially the influential Silent Spring, changed people’s thinking about their relationship with nature.
American Hero: Temple Grandin (1 session)
Celebrate the achievements of autistic advocate Temple Grandin. An international speaker and expert in animal husbandry, Professor Grandin has written numerous books to help other autistic people and their families find dignity and help. Her life is a miracle of self-determination and an inspiration to us all.
American Heroes: Dolores Huerta and Larry Itliong (1 session)
Celebrate the vision and community-fed strength of two economic justice and civil rights pioneers who both started powerful movements for the rights of agricultural workers. Get to know about the mighty Dolores Huerta – feminist, non-violence advocate, and brilliant organizer. Meet Larry Itliong, originator of the 1965 Delano, CA grape strike and boycott and president of the Filipino group AWOC (Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee).
American Heroes: Fred Korematsu and Patsy Mink (1 session)
Celebrate two Japanese Americans who have improved American life for everyone. Both were champions of civil rights: Fred during and after the imprisonment of Japanese Americans in the 1940s and Patsy serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii. In 1974, she achieved passage of the Women’s Educational Equity Act. In 1998 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She got it too, posthumously in 2014.
American Voices Series: Black Voices (2 sessions)
We'll read African American writers’ and lecturers’ own words while weaving in the historical context of their lives. Appreciate human dignity anew through these voices from the 400 years of Africans and their descendants contending with the American experiment.
American Voices Series: Forging New Paths (3 sessions)
Learn about three strong voices for freedom from very different life paths: Roger Williams, founder of the colony that became Rhode Island; transgender pioneer and gender activist Lou Sullivan; and Texas teacher Opal Lee, who led the movement to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. We’ll explore their social worlds and legacies.
American Voices Series: Indigenous Voices (2 sessions)
We'll read Indigenous writers’ and lecturers’ own words while weaving in the historical context of their lives. Appreciate human dignity anew through these voices from the 500 years of Indigenous North and South Americans contending with European invasions.
American Voices Series: John Trudell and Audre Lorde (4 sessions)
Explore the history of the second half of the 20th Century through the life experiences and passionate words of two acclaimed poet-activists, Santee Sioux John Trudell and African-American lesbian feminist Audre Lorde. Each was at the heart of social movements central to those years and still important today.
American Voices Series: LGBT Voices (2 sessions)
We'll read LGBT writers’ own words while weaving in the historical context of their lives. Appreciate human dignity anew through these voices from the awakening LGBT movement in America.
American Voices Series: Unsung Heroes of the Civil Rights Era (4 sessions)
Behind the scenes and the public figures of the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s, many support people gave their all. Learn about some of the women who were the backbone, brain and muscle of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Montgomery Improvement Association and the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee. We will also examine the contributions of two men, Bayard Rustin and Howard Thurman.
American Voices Series: Women of the Civil Rights Movement (1 session)
Learn about the women behind the scenes of the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s who were the backbone of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and more. We’ll also discuss a less well-known social club for African Americans here in Humboldt County.
The Axial Age: Great Minds in Many Lands (5 sessions)
Post-WWII philosopher Karl Jaspers introduced the idea of an axial age from 600 BCE to 200 BCE, an axis in time when major shifts in thinking occurred independently throughout Asia and parts of Europe. From Confucius and Lao Tse to the Buddha and the Upanishads to the Hebrew prophets to Homer, Plato and the rise of sacred Greek drama, new ideas about the dignity of humanity began to shape the world we know. The Golden Rule sprang forth independently across the world too. We will explore Jasper’s timeline and extend it to 100 CE, to encompass the life and times of Hillel the Elder and Jesus of Nazareth.
Breaking Through Artistic Barriers (3 sessions)
Learn about creatives who overcame biased gatekeeping in ballet, opera, modern dance, and several visual arts. Along the way we’ll celebrate International Dance Day too.
Celebrating Women’s History (4 sessions in March)
Celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day by exploring the lives and achievements of notable women with very different interests: politics, culture, primates, poverty, and gender equity. All of them, living or not, have earned a place in history.
Citizenship Heroes (3 sessions)
Meet an array of lesser-known heroes of American citizenship, people who challenged the power of privilege and helped build a more expansive, inclusive body politic in the USA.
Cowboy Poetry and Poets (1(2 sessions) session)
We’ll celebrate this very American literary tradition as we look at the history of cowboys and poetry, including the increasingly inclusive annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, held in Elko, Nevada. In style, cowboy poetry often harkens back to the Homeric Age. In subject matter, it’s all about loving and sustaining the land, living with horses, cattle, weather and changing ways of life. And, best of all, we’ll listen to big-hearted poets read.
Creatively Uplifting Fairness (2 sessions)
Celebrate many creative ways people have uplifted fairness and justice. We’ll explore sculpture, music, video, legal challenges, personal sacrifice, and sheer dogged determination.
Dick Gregory: An American Original (3 sessions)
Explore the talents of this comedian, civil rights leader, author and vegetarian activist. From his deeply articulate observations on society to his passion for civic and physical health, Dick Gregory was just the “doctor” America needed; a friend to feminists, fighters for African American and Indigenous rights and animal rights too.
Disregarded No More! (3 sessions)
The groundbreaking 2005 book 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus created a new awareness of the technological success of ancient South and North Americans. In 2014, the book Dark Emu: Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident? made similar arguments about Indigenous Australians. Bias, unconscious or overt, has kept mainstream white academics and the public ignorant of the achievements of people of color around the world. We’ll examine several examples.
Expanded Book Reports: Comanche of the Seventh and Waterlily (2 sessions)
We’ll compare the 1957 novel by Margaret Leighton about a horse named Comanche who survived the battle at Little Big Horn with the 1988 novel by Ella Cara Deloria (Yankton Dakota) that paints an Indigenous anthropologist’s picture of the everyday and extraordinary events of a nineteenth century Sioux woman's life.
Godzilla and Nuclear Power (2 sessions)
How did Japan’s deep aversion to nuclear energy, forged by the horrors inflicted upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki, transform into the overconfident ignorance behind the radiation disaster at Fukushima Daiichi? Has that same hubris shaped nuclear energy choices in other places? Is the public fully informed? We’ll learn about the handling of nuclear power mishaps in Japan and other places. Very different versions of one 1950s movie, Gojira in Japan, edited into incoherence as Godzilla in the US, will inform our exploration.
Hidden History Series: A Prince in Shackles (1 session)
Abducted from his West African home, protesting enslavement in Mississippi by a man who called him “Prince,” the Fulani prince Ibrahim Abdul Rahman struggled for decades to free himself, his wife and his children, and to keep his Muslim faith. His story teaches us a lot about Africa, Islam and the US slavery system.
Hidden History Series: Indian Boarding Schools (2 sessions)
For a century, Indigenous children in Canada and the US were removed from their families and mistreated in the name of assimilative education, with the intention to destroy their cultures. Some did receive good educations; most were traumatized. Learn about this history, kept quiet for too long, and about initiatives in both countries that seek to redress the incalculable harm caused by those institutions.
John Trudell: Conscience of America (1 session)
Explore the history of acclaimed poet and American Indian Movement activist John Trudell of the Santee Sioux. His was a full life devoted to enhancing the lives of Indigenous people while challenging the negative images pouring forth from mainstream culture until a horrific fire took the lives of his wife and children. Then, he started to write poetry that sometimes caresses the reader’s heart and often blisters the conscience.
Monty Roberts: The Original Horse Whisperer (1 session)
Learn about the man who taught Queen Elizabeth and the rest of us how horses communicate. Monty challenged the notion of “breaking” horses and then extended his insightful methods to people. He and his wife, Pat, have successfully guided dozens of young men in turning their lives to the good.
No One’s Slave: Hidden Communities in the Antebellum South (2 sessions)
Before the Civil War, people escaped enslavement by disappearing into the wild lands beyond plantations and towns. We’ll briefly look at South America and the Caribbean, but focus mainly on under-recognized, autonomous communities and individual escape strategies in the Southern United States.
Our Fractal World: Seeing the Complexity (3 sessions)
This course introduces fractal geometry, the first mathematics to effectively model complex natural systems. Euclid’s geometry, based on symmetrical, artificial forms, has created our marvelous human-made world but encouraged misuse of air, water, soil and life. This course introduces a new paradigm, a fundamental shift: order balanced with chaos. No math experience or even comfort necessary. We will manipulate concepts, not numbers.
Overcoming Privilege: An Exploratory Workshop (1 session)
Acknowledging race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, different abilities, and class as sites of systemic privilege for the few at the expense of the many, we'll explore many tactics for self-education, focusing on the blessings of acknowledging the oneness of the human family.
Testimonial “Thank you so much for your presentation to the OLLI community today. I can say with confidence that it was the best presentation on the topic of White Privilege that I have experienced for the 50 and better community.” With Deep Gratitude, Sheila Rocker Heppe
Director of Extended Education & Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Programs, College of Extended Education & Global Engagement, Cal Poly Humboldt
People with a Purpose (2 sessions)
Be inspired by four people whose lives were defined by special purposes. Neurologist Oliver Sacks championed the dignity of many people with disabilities. Dr. Seuss revitalized children’s literature. Jane Goodall brought us the world of chimpanzees and still acts as the conscience of Mother Earth. Primatologist Biruté Galdikas continues to dedicate her life to the preservation of the orangutans of Borneo.
Pinch Hitters: The Women of Baseball (2 sessions)
From 1943 to 1954, women played professional baseball, the real women behind the film A League of Their Own. These pioneers were not the first women to play the game, but their gumption and skill have earned them a special place in American history and at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Take a look back at the “girls” of summer.
Summer of Soul: The Greatest Music Festival Most Folks Never Knew About (3 sessions)
The 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival was six weeks of music, joy and peace that wasn’t Woodstock. Great musicians from many styles plus a whole social world finally came to us all 52 years later as the magnificent documentary film Summer of Soul. We’ll explore the vibrancy of the African American social world of that time and celebrate many of the musical acts that appeared on that stage.
The Worlds of Octavia Butler (2 sessions)
Explore the imagination of this multiple award-winning science fiction writer, the first to win a MacArthur Fellowship. Butler used her unique perspective as an African American woman to examine questions of belonging, history and envisioning the future.
Three Public Monuments (3 sessions)
Explore the histories and legacies of the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota, the Emancipation Monument in Washington, D.C., and the Healer Stones of Kapaemahu in Waikiki, Hawaii. What caused them to be built and what do their histories teach us?
Understanding Unconscious Bias (3 sessions)
What is unconscious/implicit bias and how does it work? We’ll examine the history of this idea, explore ways it is spread, and discuss its relevance to several current social problems. You’ll also have opportunities to test your own biases by participating in ongoing research at Harvard University. Prepare to be surprised!
Voices of Conscience: Thich Nhat Hanh and the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers (2 sessions)
Savor the wisdom. Thich Nhat Hanh was a Zen Buddhist monk, peace activist, author, poet, founder of Plum Village and teacher of engaged Buddhism. He promoted deep listening as a nonviolent solution to conflict and sought to raise awareness of the interconnectedness of all beings. The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers is an alliance of indigenous female elders from around the world speaking and leading ceremonies on environmental healing, internationalism, and human rights. They celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2024.
Walk in My Shoes: Learning to Undo Privilege (3 sessions)
Acknowledging race, cultural differences, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, and class as sites of systemic privilege, we'll explore many tactics for self-education to gradually overcome the ignorance that comes with privilege, thereby enhancing the oneness of the human family.
Women Who Inspire (3 sessions)
Meet some 20th century women of vision and courage, women of very different interests and from several continents whose lifework changed humanity for the better. Each one was a “pebble” whose ripples are still being felt.
Islam
Founders of Western Civilization: Islam’s Golden Age (1 session)
This workshop explores the brilliantly sophisticated Golden Age of Islam. Between 750 and 1250 CE, Muslim scholars acquired, preserved and translated many works of philosophy, science and art, including those of ancient Greece and India, forgotten or unknown in the West. Muslim traders acquired dozens of plant species we take for granted today. These scholars and traders were catalysts for the European Renaissance and Western Civilization.
Islam is thoroughly misrepresented in the West these days as a backward, violent religion. Through the lens of history we challenge those misperceptions.
Islam: Triumphs and Tragedies (6 sessions)
Explore the breadth and heart of Islam - from basic tenets to its extraordinary contributions to Western civilization. We’ll examine Islam’s grounding in peace, passion for knowledge, history and geographical spread, some key clashes between Islamic and Western powers and the grief everyday Muslims feel at the hijacking of their religion by extremists. Is fear our best response to this world-spanning religion?
Muslim Women: Life Behind the Veils (1 session)
This workshop explores the history of the veiling of women from its codification during the Babylonian Empire to the various kinds of veiling, both literal and metaphoric, impacting Muslim women’s lives today in different parts of the world. Muslim women’s own voices have seldom been heard. How can we support Muslim women in changing that?
Sufis: Islam’s Wanderers and Poets (3 sessions)
Since the time of Muhammad in the 7th century, Sufis have wandered the known world, singing, weeping, laughing and dancing Islam’s message of brotherhood. From Spain to Indonesia, Sufis established mosques, schools, and fostered a love for poetry. Explore their history; meet the great 8th century woman poet Rabiah, the better-known men of the 12th and 13th centuries (Rumi, Hafiz), and others.
INNER LIFE/THIS & THAT
Inner Life Studies
Laughter: Medicine for the Spirit (1 session)
Laughter yoga, healthy comedy, smiling meditation. Discover why and how these can lift up your life and lessen your stress.
Meditation Basics (1 session)
Learn some easy meditation skills to lessen your stress and focus your mind.
Peace of Mind in a World of Conflict (4 sessions)
Worn out by the media blame game, international and national violence, conflict-driven relationships? Learn to lighten your load without resorting to disengagement. Discover and practice powerful tools to free yourself and others from old patterns and be the change you wish to see in the world. We’ll examine medical and psychological perspectives, plus insights from many cultures and faith traditions.
Satyagraha – Gandhi’s Peaceful Power (1 session)
Satyagraha, “truth force,” compelled the British Empire to release India from its grip and taught Americans the dignity inherent in the African American struggle for civil rights. Learn more about Gandhi’s greatest gift to humanity.
Taming Your Inner Critic (1 session)
Lightly explore your darker side, your inner critic. Have fun in a supportive environment learning how and why to stop mentally beating yourself up.
This & That
Regenerating the Good Life: Back to the Land (1 session)
Interested in mindful living? Growing and eating sustainably? Come and meet some of the pioneers, past and present, who teach us how. Meet the Nearings and learn about living the Good Life. Celebrate the evolution of Rodale’s teachings from organic to regenerative organic gardening. We’ll touch on permaculture principles, no-till agriculture, Indigenous practices, soil and grass farming and more.
The Fleischer Brothers: Animation Innovators (2 sessions)
Starting in 1921, the Fleischer brothers brought to animation Koko the Clown, Betty Boop, Popeye, Cab Calloway, the first talking picture, and gorgeous Superman featurettes. And they were inventors too, bringing the world 3-D animation, follow the bouncing ball (to sing along with the film), and groundbreaking technology they called the rotoscope. Now updated for the 21st century and in wide cinematic use, it’s digitized, called motion capture and is used by every special effects department in the world.
The Sublime John Raitt (Bonnie’s Dad) (1 session)
Musical theater star John Raitt is less well known today than he deserves but his magnificent voice and rugged good looks carried him through decades of live theater work, both on Broadway and in the boonies. Sadly overlooked by the Hollywood studios almost entirely, even the role and the show written with him in mind, Carousel, went to another singer/actor when brought to film. We only have his fine performance in The Pajama Game to remind us of what could have been. We’ll learn about his life, a bit about his relationship with his famous blues artist daughter Bonnie, and listen to the man sing.
Think You Don’t Like Podcasts? (1 session)
Think again. Lifelong learning on demand on the Internet for free. History, storytelling, science, cultural explorations - many libraries' worth of knowledge, many with lovely sound design too. We’ll sample some of the best and explore ways to find more in areas of special interest to you.