Tuskegee University’s Hidden Audio Collections
The archives of the historically black Tuskegee University recently released recordings from 1957 to 1971, with a number by powerful civil rights leaders.
AITA for Being Obsessed with Ethics in Pop Culture?
Reddit's popular AITA forum lets readers post and weigh in on everyday ethical questions. But it isn't the first public venue for those discussions.
How Saint George’s Dragon Got Its Wings
As time went on, the dragons in Russian iconography slowly became more Western in style—just like Russia itself.
Why Cupid Rules Valentine’s Day
The rascally cherub has been part of Valentine's Day lore since Chaucer’s time.
Madame Sul-Te-Wan’s Forgotten Brilliant Career
The mysteriously named Madame Sul-Te-Wan was the first black actress to land a Hollywood studio contract.
Photographer Francesca Woodman’s Haunting Dissolutions
Woodman's imagery engaged with architectural and natural landscapes that were themselves in a state of change and decay.
Black English Matters
People who criticize African American Vernacular English don't see that it shares grammatical structures with more "prestigious" languages.
The Rebellious, Scandalous Origins of Polka
The dance is often associated with the traditions of immigrant communities in America. But it emerged in Europe during a time of radicalism.
Is Emma Really the Heroine of Emma?
Jane Austen gave her character Emma Woodhouse plenty of off-putting qualities. So does she even deserve her popularity?
White Hollywood’s Romance with the N-Word
It would have been easy for censors to just ban the racist epithet during the classical era of film. Here's why it didn't happen.