Die Standing

His image-holding a rifle on the steps of the Washington state capitol building, flanked by Black men gripping guns as law enforcement officers and others stand by-is one of the most iconic photographs from the Black Power movement during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Elmer Dixon, who at age 17 co-founded the Seattle Chapter of the Black Panther Party, was protesting gun control laws during an era when the Panthers' top mission was to provide armed patrols to protect Black people from beatings and killings by police.

Now, half a century later, after George Floyd's killing under a police officer's knee awakened America and the world to an urgent quest to stop police brutality, dismantle institutional racism, and ensure equality and justice for all, Dixon's mission continues.

In boardrooms and training facilities across the US and globe, Dixon parlays his revolutionary roots into a results-driven curriculum for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for companies, organizations, and universities.

Over three decades, Dixon's company has trained more than 600,000 people at 200 companies-including Microsoft, United Airlines, and PepsiCo-that have hired Executive Diversity Services.

He is a popular guest lecturer in Europe, including France, Finland, Spain, Italy, and Ireland, where he speaks on many topics pertaining to diversity and inclusion, including, "The Challenge of Policing in Diverse Communities." After delivering a TEDx Talk at University of Tulsa, he intends to speak at their organizations in Brazil, New Zealand, Asia, Australia, Africa, and Europe.

Die Standing: From Black Panther Party Leader to Global Diversity Advisor is Elmer Dixon's life story that can help instruct today's social justice activists on how to organize the community based on the successful strategies of the Black Panther Party to achieve change in a continued climate of police brutality, institutional racism, and vast socioeconomic discrepancies for Black and Brown people. Dixon showcases the Panther's 10-Point Platform and Program and how it remains relevant, applicable, and effective for change in 2023 and beyond.

With a foreword by former Black Panther Party Chairman Bobby Seale, this book sets the record straight about the altruistic mission of the Black Panther Party, whose image has been maligned in media, movies, and minds as angry, gun-toting, misogynistic thugs.

On the contrary, the Panthers started a free breakfast program for children... distributed free groceries to families... opened schools... founded health clinics... and provided patrols to protect people from police abuse. They did what they felt the government was not doing for Black people. And now, their 10-point plan can serve as a blueprint for the social justice movement today.

As a revolutionary who co-founded the Seattle Chapter of the Black Panther Party in 1968, Elmer Dixon wore a beret, a leather jacket, and a holster holding a loaded gun.Today, as president of Executive Diversity Services, Dixon continues his lifetime mission as an agent for change within the board rooms and auditoriums of some of America's top corporations.He is one of the most sought-after leaders in the field of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and demand for his services has tripled since the social justice protests began in 2020.Dixon has led his Seattle-based company's teams in training people in more than 200 companies that include Microsoft, United Airlines, The MacArthur Foundation, Pepsico, Goodwill, JCPenney, and many more. The scope of a single training is vast, according to this testimonial by Vickie Pryor, Manager of Onboard Service Training for the world's largest air carrier, United Airlines: "EDS trained 38 managers to partner with 38 EDS trainers in order to provide Diversity Awareness training for over 16,000 flight attendants in seven cities and three countries. After training, 91% of participants said they had learned something they could apply to their work performance immediately." Dixon's training had similar success when EDS partnered with PepsiCo to conduct a top-down, three-level educational process aimed at developing an inclusive organizational culture. This provided training for more than 65,000 employees and managers. Dixon draws from his life-on-the-line commitment to human rights during the Black Power Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, to instruct and inspire people in corporate America as well as on college campuses and in organizations around the world, about how to create and sustain Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.Starting in 1968, he was a Black Panther Party leader for 16 years, at times living and working in a bulletproof bunker with an arsenal of weapons to protect against constant threats from government-sanctioned violence that killed many Black activists-including Panthers leader Fred Hampton, as shown in the recent movie Judas and the Black Messiah-during the 1960s and 1970s.All the while, as the Party expanded to chapters in 68 cities with thousands of members, Dixon worked to nurture and protect the Black community in Seattle. He oversaw programs that included: the children's free breakfast program, a health clinic that still exists, a free groceries program for families, and armed patrols to protect Black people from police violence.Dixon is an annual guest lecturer at JAMK University of Applied Sciences in Jyvaskyla, Finland on topics related to Strategic Diversity Management, Cross Cultural Competence and Team Development. He has taught regularly at Espeme, an undergraduate program of Edhec Business School in Lille and Nice.As a member of SIETAR Global-an organization that facilitates communication and respect between and among people of different cultures to improve intercultural relations-Dixon speaks regularly at events and on university campuses around the world. He has visited more than 40 countries.A former body builder, Elmer also volunteers with community with organizations serving young people from a range of cultures. He also enjoys spending time with his family, speaking to schoolchildren, watching movies, and traveling.

Elizabeth Ann Atkins is a best-selling author, award-winning TV host, actress, and journalist who teaches how to unlock one's infinite potential to live and love in peace and purpose. Elizabeth's and sister Catherine M. Greenspan created Two Sisters Writing & Publishing, which has written and published 32 memoirs, novels, business books, poetry books, and journals since its creation in 2016.The company also hosts monthly writing contests and the Two Sisters Writing Club, and showcases their blog, A Tale of Two Sisters. Elizabeth and Catherine have written and published dozens of books, including their mother's book, The Triumph of Rosemary: A Memoir, by Judge Marylin E. Atkins. Their mother wrote the book herself, chronicling her controversial, interracial marriage to former Roman Catholic Priest Thomas Lee Atkins. Elizabeth has a master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Michigan.She has been a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Montel Williams Show, NPR, and many other programs. As America's Book Coach, she helps aspiring authors achieve their dreams of becoming published authors.The bestselling author of 40 books, Elizabeth also co-hosts MI Healthy Mind, a weekly TV show aiming to shatter the stigma of mental illness, addiction, and abuse. Elizabeth's new book, The Biss Tribe: Activating Your Goddess Power, inspired her popular podcast/YouTube show, The Goddess Power Show.She is also a certified meditation teacher and wellness advocate.