Arts Jun 26 On Broadway, Black artists push for racial equity As the Black Lives Matter movement strengthens nationwide, calls are increasing for equity in all sectors of American life -- including on Broadway. An all-star cast of Black theater artists has launched a new effort, Black Theatre United, that aims…
Arts Jun 24 Summer reading lists for young people at a time of crisis Amid dual national crises of a pandemic and outrage over racism and police brutality, books provide opportunities both to learn more and to find distraction from reality. Jeffrey Brown talks to writer Jason Reynolds, the Library of Congress’ ambassador for…
Nation Jun 23 What the future could hold for these symbols of the American past As the country faces a moment of reckoning about its treatment of Black Americans and other people of color, the display of memorials, monuments and statues is being reexamined. Some of these symbols are being torn down by protesters, and…
Health Jun 22 Past pandemics have reshaped society. Will coronavirus do the same? Although the coronavirus pandemic presents unprecedented challenges for people living through it, humans have endured similar health ordeals in the past. Jeffrey Brown speaks to two historians, Frank Snowden of Yale University and Nancy Bristow of the University of Puget…
Arts Jun 17 Connecting through art when a pandemic keeps us apart American artists of all kinds are responding to the pandemic with new creations. As Jeffrey Brown reports, the art can serve as both a call to action and a means of healing -- for maker and audience alike. The story…
Arts Jun 12 The camera’s role in documenting a critical social movement Today, cameras are almost ubiquitous on mobile phones, and anyone can be a photographer. In this new technological landscape, millions of lenses are focused on the major events of a tumultuous period. For this Race Matters report, Jeffrey Brown looks…
Arts Jun 11 Black authors knew they were being paid less. This hashtag revealed how large the gap really is In recent days, hundreds of authors have shared how much they were paid with the hashtag #PublishingPaidMe, a push to reveal the economic disparities between black and non-black authors.
Arts Jun 10 Landscape designer Piet Oudolf on finding solace in the garden As the weather warms, gardening is providing a dose of sanity and fresh air for people who have been cooped up amid the coronavirus pandemic. Piet Oudolf, one of the world’s foremost landscape designers, is deeply familiar with the restorative…
Arts Jun 09 What the pandemic means for a film industry in a ‘state of paralysis’ The pandemic continues to inflict chaos on the $42 billion global movie business. With many theaters closed, film festivals canceled and production on hold, big chains including AMC Theatres say they fear for their very survival. The upheaval wrought by…
Arts May 27 Remembering influential AIDS activist Larry Kramer Playwright and pioneering AIDS activist Larry Kramer has died of pneumonia at age 84. He fought for greater resources and awareness of HIV, as well as for gay rights, during the 1980s and 1990s. Kramer was also a novelist and…