Jun 17 Alan Brinkley, scholar of liberalism, dies at age 70 By Hillel Italie, Associated Press Brinkley was an academic who traced the evolution of liberalism from the New Deal to the 21st century and was a popular commentator on culture and politics. Continue reading
Jun 15 Watch 8:18 Following Father Theodore Hesburgh through the Civil Rights era By Christopher Booker, Mori Rothman The new documentary, "Hesburgh," explores the life of Father Theodore Hesburgh, who served as a long-time president of the University of Notre Dame and is recognized now as one of the most important civic and educational leaders of the 20th… Continue watching
Jun 14 10 books besides ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ that tackle racial injustice By Joshua Barajas, Victoria Pasquantonio The 1960 novel is a perennial reading assignment for many students, but there are many other great books that tackle similiar topics, educators say. Continue reading
Jun 14 Watch 7:06 With the Juke Joint Festival, a Mississippi city aims to lose its economic blues By Jeffrey Brown, Frank Carlson In Mississippi’s Clarksdale, the heart of the rural Delta, a celebration of the blues has been drawing thousands of fans to the area for the past 16 years. The Juke Joint Festival, named for bars and informal music venues scattered… Continue watching
Jun 14 In an age of extremes, country music star Scotty McCreery finds his place ‘in between’ By Jason Kane The country music star told the PBS NewsHour that one of the things he learned while making new music is that people are a lot more alike than different. “I feel like a lot of folks are just cruising on… Continue reading
Jun 13 Watch 6:09 How this Palestinian music festival is breaking down cultural barriers By John Yang Typically, the Palestinian West Bank is referenced in the context of Middle East peace talks. But for the past three years, the organizers of the three-day Palestine Music Expo, or PMX, have sought to encourage people to open their minds,… Continue watching
Jun 13 Watch 3:10 Artist Miguel Colon on community and learning to see himself By Steve Goldbloom New York artist Miguel Colon suffered for years before finally receiving a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, during a hospitalization. In the psychiatric ward, he did a lot of drawing, working on a graphic novel and realizing the “life-affirming”… Continue watching
Jun 12 Watch 2:43 Novelist Nathan Englander on how ritual fuels his writing Novelist Nathan Englander grew up in a highly observant Jewish family. As such, he was accustomed to discipline and observing ritual. When he left his religious community, Englander landed as far away from Orthodox Judaism as he could -- and… Continue watching
Jun 12 How the protests in Ferguson helped inspire this fantasy novel By Elizabeth Flock N.K. Jemisin, author of award-winning fantasy novel "The Fifth Season," says her frustration and anger over the fatal shooting of teenager Michael Brown by a white police officer "shaped the story, widened the scope."… Continue reading
Jun 11 This band wants to take ‘rez metal’ beyond the Navajo Nation By Elizabeth Flock For decades, bands like Testify had been largely underground, but their music has become more visible. Continue reading