Black History Month: Celebrating Black Filmmakers, Storytellers, and Actors
On February 17, 2024, the National Black Movie Association observed National Black Movie Day (NBMD). The association urged everyone to celebrate by watching Black movies at home or in theaters. Viewers were also encouraged to share their favorite Black films, actors, directors, and screenwriters on social media. National Black Movie Association Agnes Moss founded the […]
Black History Month: Bessie Burke’s Education Legacy
In 1911, Bessie Bruington Burke made history as the first African American teacher in the Los Angeles, California, public school system. Just seven years later, she made history again when she became the school system’s first African American school principal. Top of Her Class Burke was born in Los Angeles in 1891. Several years earlier, […]
Developers Add New Skin Features to The Sims 4
Developers of The Sims 4 recently updated the options in the video game to give players the choice of adding a skin condition, known as vitiligo, to their characters’ appearance. The Sims is a popular series of video games where players create and control characters in a life simulation. What is Vitiligo? Vitiligo (vit•ill•EYE•go) is […]
Remembering Aboriginal Leader Lowitja O’Donoghue
Lowitja O’Donoghue, a prominent figure in Australian history and Australia’s Aborigine community, passed away February 4, 2024, at age 91. Throughout her life, she was deeply committed to advocating for the health and rights of Aborigines. The Aborigines are the indigenous, or native, people of Australia. They have a rich cultural history dating back tens […]
Black History Month: The Musical Legacy of Florence Price
In 1933 Florence Price made history. Her symphony was performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. For an African American female composer, this was a first. While Price gained some fame from the accomplishment, her career in music was impacted by racism and sexism. The significant contributions of women and of African Americans in classical music […]
Using Technology to Help People with Disabilities Enjoy Nature in New Ways
Technology helps people with disabilities at home and in the workplace. Technologies are also making it easier for people with disabilities to enjoy the outdoors. Meeting a Need During the springtime at Snowshoe Mountain Resort in West Virginia, ski slopes become dirt tracks for mountain bikers. The resort has partnered with Challenged Athletes of West […]
Fighting Wildfires Using Indigenous Practices
Wildfires are occurring more frequently and with greater intensity. Since 2015, wildfires in the United States have burned about 8 million acres each year on average. For the past 100 years, the prevailing government policy has been to suppress, or prevent, fires in national parks and other public lands. However, some federal and state agencies […]
Chef Sean Sherman Promotes Indigenous Foods
Award-winning chef Sean Sherman has earned a reputation as an innovator by promoting Indigenous foods. For Sherman, a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe, that means cooking with ingredients that are native and naturally found throughout North America. Sherman does not use ingredients such as beef, pork, chicken, wheat flour, dairy, and cane sugar. […]
Senator Dianne Feinstein Leaves a Legacy
California senator Dianne Feinstein died September 29, 2023, at age 90. She was the oldest and longest-serving female U.S. senator. Feinstein’s career in the Senate spanned three decades. Throughout that time, she supported gun control, environmental issues, and review of federal interrogation methods. She will also be remembered for breaking many barriers for women in […]
New Study Reveals Global Increase in Sugar-Sweetened Beverages
What types of beverages do you reach for most often? Water? Soft drinks? Energy drinks? A new study shows that adults around the world drank about 16 percent more sugary beverages in 2018 than they did in 1990. However, that number varied widely depending on the region. Tufts University researchers set out to see how […]