We-Wa

One Barrier to Two-Spirit History: Settler Archives

Historians need to know more about the roles of two-spirit Native Americans, but relying on written records isn't always productive.
Operation Crossroads

Bombs and the Bikini Atoll

The haute beachwear known as the bikini was named after a string of islands turned into a nuclear wasteland by atomic bomb testing.
The Marsh Seedless variety of grapefruits (scientific name: Citrus paradisi) from Mercedes, Hidalgo County, Texas, 1916

Grapefruit, Proud Boys, and Tricky Translation

Well-researched stories from Atlas Obscura, Insider, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
fire lights the hills from a controlled burn off of maize stubble on a farm property at Makikihi in South Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand.

The Global Suppression of Indigenous Fire Management

Indigenous peoples' techniques to manage and benefit from fire are threatened, even as wildfires burn more frequently and intensely.
Cassava

The Taínos Refused to Grow Food. The Spanish Starved.

Rebellion against invasion triggered a series of events that would take a "swift and violent toll" on a Caribbean island's native biodiversity.
Two women hugging in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

When It Comes to Coming Out, Location Matters

Two scholars compared coming out experiences in the U.S. and France. The differences may speak to shifts in everyday life for LGBTQ people.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Two_African_American_women,_three-quarter_length_portrait,_seated,_facing_each_other_LCCN99472087.tif

And a Fabulous LGBTQ History Month to You, Too!

Queer people have always had a particular relationship with history. It's only lately that archival silences have been challenged, and overcome.
An 18th century casta painting

The Paintings That Tried (and Failed) to Codify Race

Casta paintings of the eighteenth century tried to show who was who in New Spain. But reality was much more complicated.
A poster advertising the IV Review of Polish Short Films, organized by the Zygzakiem Cinema Club in Warsaw, January 11-14, 1976.

Polish Posters in the RISD Library Collection

Posters are part of a tradition of object-based learning at the Rhode Island School of Design.
An early nineteenth century wheelchair

The Rise of Disability Stigma

Religion once held sway over how people thought about disability. How did that change with the rise of secularism?