Reading and books: the gifts of a lifetime. Art: creating and viewing are not passive activities, they hold, store, and explain the past and the present. Portrait of an African Slave Woman, ~1580, attr. to Annibale Carracci Portrait of a Wealthy African, ~1540, Flemish or … Read MoreBooks and Art: Beauty, Heritage, Posterity
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, 1905 This past September 2012 marked the centenary anniversary of the death of the Black English musician Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. Professor Coleridge-Taylor was celebrated in his short (37 years) life as a composer, conductor, teacher, and adjudicator. Early in his career, he met the … Read MoreA Legendary Classical Musician of African Descent
What we eat, how we eat, and who we eat with, reflects and refracts history, current affairs, the personal and the political. As the holiday season approaches, with all the focus on food that it brings, contemplating the nature of food and the larger role … Read MoreFood: Life, Art, Culture, Science
In early October, BlackPast.org launched, with support from the Pride Foundation, a new section on the history of African Americans and people of African descent in other parts of the world who are LGBTQ (Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Queer). This is a major milestone in … Read MoreWe are Them, They are Us.
September 11 2001. There is little new to be said, there is much to left to ponder. That terrible day was an equal opportunity story of horror, loss, and bravery. The world lost many of its citizens. The world gained new heroes, many who became … Read MoreA Meditation on the Anniversary
Autumn does not start officially until September 22nd. Traditionally, families and friends gather for one last big barbeque, family reunion, or day on the beach over the Labor Day weekend, and this signifies the end of summer. It was not that long ago, that a … Read MoreLabor Day: Summer’s Last Hurrah
Knowledge about our history, about our past, can show up in the oddest places and under the strangest circumstances. People trace and record their family history through found documents, government records, photos, and other memorabilia. More and more genealogical data bases are being constructed and … Read MoreGraveyards Speak
This summer marks another milestone in NASA’s Mars exploration efforts: the landing of the Curiosity Rover. Space craft, space stations, and the astronauts who operate and populate them are the newsflash and news splash people love to read about. Astronauts Mae Jemison, Michael Anderson, Frederick … Read MoreNASA and the Legacy of Eminent Black Scientists and Engineers
There are many reasons to travel. Two of them are relaxation and education. Many people plan trips to countries and/or cultures of origin; trips within their own country to learn about the lives and histories of family and friends; visits to museums and other cultural … Read MoreThinking of Travel: Armchair and Otherwise
The very nature of the Olympics means that there are always firsts (fastest, highest, longest), athletes overcoming obstacles (literally and figuratively), personal stories of hard work and triumph. There are also stories of disappointments, pain, and missed opportunities. The 2012 Olympics in London, England marks … Read MoreOlympians Past and Present
