Protests against racism and the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis have re-ignited demands in many places around the world to destroy or revise symbols of those who engaged in slavery, who were often honoured in their lifetimes and whose names and faces often remain in the public eye as statues, buildings or institutions. In … Continue reading “Symbols of Slavery”
If you’d like to find out more about farming, discover a new place and culture and meet new people, WWOOFing could be just the thing. WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It’s a non-profit organisation which began in the UK in 1971 and now exists in more than 100 countries on six … Continue reading “Discovering Life on Organic Farms with WWOOF”
Widespread protests have again broken out in the U.S.A. after the death of an African-American man in police custody. George Floyd, 46, was arrested in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 25 May on suspicion of passing forged money. During his arrest, a police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes, despite Mr Floyd protesting … Continue reading “His Life Mattered”
Little Richard was one of the pioneers — or as he put it, the architect— of rock ‘n’ roll. He was the flamboyant singer of a string of hits from “Tutti Frutti” to “Good Golly Miss Molly”. Had Richard Penniman been white, he probably would have had a career like Elvis Presley’s. But Little Richard … Continue reading “Rock ‘n’ Roll Pioneer”
Millie Small’s global hit song “My Boy Lollipop” was one of most visible manifestations of the influence of Caribbean migrants’ music on the British music scene. The Jamaican singer has died at the age of 73. Small started her music career in Jamaica, before Island Records founder Chris Blackwell became her manager and took her … Continue reading “Our Girl Lollipop”
Two Native American tribes are in a standoff with South Dakota governor Kristi Noem over checkpoints the tribes have erected to try to limit exposure to Covid-19 on their reservations. The tribes say it’s a question of life and death since centuries of neglect mean their medical services are too limited to cope with an … Continue reading “Sioux Want to Stop Covid-19 Entering Reservations”
The new Bansky artwork portrays a nurse as superhero. The painting shows a young boy choosing a nurse as the superhero he wants to play with over Batman and Spiderman. The painting was unveiled at University Hospital Southampton, in southern England. An image of the work was also posted on Banksy’s Instagram page with the … Continue reading “Banksy Portrays Nurse as a Superhero”
Many teenagers in the U.S. have been terribly disappointed to miss those major life milestones that are their high-school proms and graduations this year. But they’ve been using great ingenuity to still have memories to keep for ever. High school senior year in the U.S. is a time for rites and traditions. Yearbook, Senior Prom … Continue reading “Saving Proms 2020”
1964 was the height of the Swinging Sixties in the UK. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were topping the charts. But their music was barely played on the radio. So Ronan O’Rahilly decided to start Radio Caroline, a “pirate” radio station on a ship in the North Sea. All the British radio stations were … Continue reading “Pirate Radio Pioneer Dies”
Governments, ministers and authorities around the world are asking their populations to make sacrifices in the fight to contain Covid-19. In New Zealand, the government and public-service leaders are showing that they really will share the efforts they are asking others to make. On 15 April, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that she, her ministers … Continue reading “Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is”