The Poem That Inspired Radical Black Women to Organize
Beah Richards is best known as an actor, but in 1951 she wrote a sweeping poem that influenced the Civil Rights Movement.
The Colonization of the Ayahuasca Experience
“If someone is from the Amazon,” says Evgenia Fotiou, an anthropologist who studies Western ayahuasca usage, “they bring some legitimacy” to an ayahuasca ritual.
Racism and the Fear of “Voodoo”
During Reconstruction, lurid tales of African-derived religious practices in Louisiana made news all over the country—especially when worshipers included white women.
Building A Better Democracy?
Metaphors of construction have been popular in American history from the start. How come?
Furry Livestock, Scary Stories, and Octopus Perception
Well-researched stories from Artnet News, Wired, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Garlic and Social Class
Immigrants from southern Italy were stereotyped for their use of the aromatic vegetable.
The Fight to Integrate Philadelphia’s Department Stores
Black women shopped at department store counters, but they weren't welcome to work where they spent their money.
The Long-Lost Ritual of Baby Books
Mothers used to documented their infant children's milestones—first steps, first smile—in specially made books. They're amazing historical documents.
The Woman Teacher Documents a Feminist Labor Union’s Victory
The UK’s National Union of Women Teachers went from splinter group to union in its own right, winning on equal pay—as The Woman Teacher shows first-hand.
Remembering the Disaster at Hawks Nest
Hundreds of miners, mostly African American men, died from an entirely preventable industrial catastrophe.