An excerpt from the NY Times -
About That Song You’ve Heard, Kumbaya
By John Eligon
We chant it with locked arms and closed eyes, at campfires, in protests lines and from the pews at church, but the truth is, many of us have no clue what the lyrics mean or exactly where they come from.
Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya. Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya.
Thanks to research and lobbying by residents of a coastal community descended from slaves, the origins and meaning of “Kumbaya” have been recognized in Congress, raising hopes that a fading culture might get a boost. The song may be sung more often than usual this month, especially in the part of Georgia where its soulful lyrics are said to have originated almost a century ago.
Speaking on the House floor two months ago, Representative Buddy Carter of Georgia recognized the Gullah Geechee, whose ancestors were brought to America’s southeastern coast from West Africa, as the probable creators of the famous folk song.
https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/2018/02/10/race-related?nlid=38867499
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Do No Harm
An excerpt from the Huffington Post -
When Volunteering Abroad Does More Harm Than Good
By Noelle Sullivan, Guest Writer
“Voluntourism” is a booming multibillion-dollar industry. Many volunteer placement companies market themselves as sustainable, helpful, even crucial.
However, there’s a growing body of scholarship demonstrating that the potential inadvertent harms of short-term international volunteering often outweigh the positives. Voluntourism can reinforce paternalism, expecting hosting communities to be passive and grateful “recipients.” Volunteers’ efforts often shirk pressing issues like infrastructure and resource shortages, or unknowingly duplicate existing resources. Sociologist Judith Lasker finds most global health volunteering benefits the sending organizations and the volunteers more than the host communities. Anthropologist Nicole Berry’s work reveals that volunteer medical missioners often prioritize their own interests rather than local needs.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/opinion-sullivan-volunteering-abroad_us_5a7de894e4b044b3821d1627
When Volunteering Abroad Does More Harm Than Good
By Noelle Sullivan, Guest Writer
“Voluntourism” is a booming multibillion-dollar industry. Many volunteer placement companies market themselves as sustainable, helpful, even crucial.
However, there’s a growing body of scholarship demonstrating that the potential inadvertent harms of short-term international volunteering often outweigh the positives. Voluntourism can reinforce paternalism, expecting hosting communities to be passive and grateful “recipients.” Volunteers’ efforts often shirk pressing issues like infrastructure and resource shortages, or unknowingly duplicate existing resources. Sociologist Judith Lasker finds most global health volunteering benefits the sending organizations and the volunteers more than the host communities. Anthropologist Nicole Berry’s work reveals that volunteer medical missioners often prioritize their own interests rather than local needs.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/opinion-sullivan-volunteering-abroad_us_5a7de894e4b044b3821d1627
Saturday, February 10, 2018
Making Hockey History
From CNN -
For the first time in Olympic history, an African-American is playing for a US hockey team
By Meridith Edwards, CNN
Video by Madeleine Stix, CNN
Jordan Greenway hasn't yet finished college, but he's already made history: He's the first African-American competing on a Olympic US hockey team.
http://www.cnn.com/2018/02/10/sport/olympics-hockey-first-african-american-greenway-trnd/index.html
For the first time in Olympic history, an African-American is playing for a US hockey team
By Meridith Edwards, CNN
Video by Madeleine Stix, CNN
Jordan Greenway hasn't yet finished college, but he's already made history: He's the first African-American competing on a Olympic US hockey team.
http://www.cnn.com/2018/02/10/sport/olympics-hockey-first-african-american-greenway-trnd/index.html
Friday, February 9, 2018
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