I confess. I always get a little giddy in May. Maybe it’s because the longer, warmer days of May mark the impending arrival of summer, my absolute favorite season. Yes, I am one of the rare lovers of brutally hot, humid DC summers. Or maybe May brings out the giddiness in me because I admire …
The month of March is designated as Women’s History Month–a time set aside to pay tribute to the contributions women have made to society from years past to contemporary times. Each year, the Library of Congress and many other national agencies offer special programming and exhibits, as well as feature collections and resources that are …
As a native Washingtonian, I grew up in a predominantly African American community and proudly attended D.C. Public Schools, where Black History was taught as a regular part of the curriculum, and not just during February. As far as my elementary school music teacher was concerned, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” also known as “The …
It’s been three weeks since you toasted to the new year and made a fresh list of resolutions. Who cares that your coffee-stained 2014 list is somewhere crumpled up next to your unused gym shoes at the back of your junky closet? Forget about that. This time it’s for real. This year you will … …
The hit Broadway musical-turned-film “The Wiz” is one of my all-time favorites. It is a retelling of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” with an African-American twist. I have vivid childhood memories of seeing R&B recording artist Stephanie Mills play Dorothy live on stage, then being blown away by Michael Jackson’s portrayal of Scarecrow in the …
The following is a guest post by VHP Liaison Specialist Andrew Huber, and is the last in a three-part series. Where thou art, that is… Home. For many people, the most treasured part of the holidays is traveling back to their hometowns to see their families and everything else that makes a place feel like …
The following is a guest post by VHP Liaison Specialist Owen Rogers, and is the second in a three-part series. Trying to make it… Home. A permanent fixture in our lives, “home” has both place and meaning, and many veterans meticulously documented their journey home through photographs, manuscripts and correspondence. Numbering among the “transplant” community …
December 7, 2014 will mark 73 years since the infamous attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Americans far and wide felt the collective trauma of the attack, which led to the United States’ entry into World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called it, “a date which will live in infamy.” He was …
When talking about United States military veterans, there is a group that often gets overlooked–that of American Indian and Alaskan Natives. In fact, growing up, I don’t recall learning too much at all in school about their rich history and culture. Their story would only be a small part of the chapters on Christopher Columbus, …
