Nation Apr 27 Harvard University details its ties to slavery and promises a reckoning America’s oldest institution of higher education, Harvard University, is beginning to come to terms with its own history and role in slavery. The school is out with a new report detailing its extensive entanglement and legacy. Tomiko Brown-Nagin, dean of…
Arts Apr 22 Margaret Renkl writes about the environment from her ‘blue dot’ hometown in red state Writer Margaret Renkl doesn’t have to travel far to appreciate nature. She basks in the nearby parks of her hometown Nashville to draw inspiration for her essays on the environment. Through a regular column in the New York Times, Renkl…
Poetry Apr 18 Citizen poets share details of their pandemic lives in ‘Dear Vaccine’ A new poetry anthology called “Dear Vaccine: Global Voices Speak to the Pandemic” illuminates how people around the world have experienced COVID-19. Jeffrey Brown sits down with Naomi Shihab Nye, an author, editor and current Young People’s Poet Laureate, to…
Arts Apr 12 Artist Faith Ringgold’s life’s work celebrated in New York exhibit A major retrospective at the New Museum in New York looks at the remarkable life and work of artist Faith Ringgold, 91, who has fought for change in the art world and beyond for 60 years. Jeffrey Brown visited with…
Arts Apr 11 Ukrainian novelist Andrey Kurkov on preserving his country’s culture during war Andrey Kurkov is one of Ukraine's best-known novelists, and his new book, "Grey Bees" addresses his country's past struggles with Russia. It's set several years ago in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, amid what was then a simmering conflict…
Education Apr 06 Push to purge some books from schools highlights nation’s cultural schism A new report from the American Library Association shows that attempts to ban books in the U.S. surged last year to the highest level since the group began tracking book challenges 20 years ago. According to the study, most of…
Arts Apr 01 British artist Yola’s ‘genre-fluid’ blend turns heads in Nashville With the Grammys set to take place Sunday night, the artist Yola is in the running this year in two categories, including "Best American Roots Song" and "Best Americana Album." Jeffrey Brown went to see why the musician has chosen…
Arts Mar 29 Oscar-winner Troy Kotsur reflects on his historic victory for ‘CODA’ One of the most moving moments from Sunday’s Oscars ceremony was the award for best supporting actor to Troy Kotsur, making him the first male deaf actor to win an Oscar Award. The film he appeared in, “CODA,” was also…
Arts Mar 28 Breaking down the major moments from the Academy Awards Ripple effects continued Monday after some unscripted drama at Sunday night’s Academy Awards ceremony, as actor Will Smith struck presenter Chris Rock on stage. But there are also many other highlights to explore. Jeffrey Brown reports for our arts and…
Arts Mar 18 Los Angeles exhibit features work of video art pioneer Ulysses Jenkins An exhibition in Los Angeles is bringing the work of a groundbreaking video artist to the attention of a new generation. Jeffrey Brown has the story for our arts and culture series, "CANVAS."…