The Christchurch massacre on March 15 utterly shocked the world with its brutality, devastating a Muslim community which thought itself safe from the forces of Islamophobia. But it is clear that the shooting is a part of a broader rising tide of white nationalist violence and terrorism. There is more to the shooting, however, than … Read more
How many times have you used the word “love” in the past week? Maybe you were referring to someone’s outfit, ending a phone call, or talking to a romantic partner. Did you really mean it? Did you feel it? Did you mean the same thing each time? The overuse of the word “love” is a … Read more
In the late 1990s, Universal Pictures acquired the rights to Gregory McGuire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West with the intent to develop it into a motion picture. After reading the book, however, composer Stephen Schwartz and producer Marc Platt asked the studio to turn it into a … Read more
Nearly four years after the Syrian refugee crisis began, conversations with young refugee women illustrate both the achievements and cultural clashes attached to refugee integration. They also speak to the challenges still facing refugee communities after they have arrived in their new homes. At age 10, Nimaah* travelled on foot from Greece to Germany. It … Read more
Marijuana legalization in states like California, Colorado, and Washington represented more than a shift in American drug culture: For the black and brown communities that have been targeted and stigmatized, and particularly for the millions of people of color who have gone to jail on marijuana charges, it heralded the beginning of the end of … Read more
Just over a year ago, on February 21, 2018, The New York Times published the obituary of the Rev. Billy Graham, calling the 99-year-old preacher “the nation’s best-known Christian evangelist for more than 60 years.” It is certainly true that Graham has remained a steadfast, household name throughout his long and storied ministry career, remembered … Read more
Upon arrival, I wondered if I had found the right place. In the main room of the Signet Society, some 30 people were gathered on chairs and couches watching a fellow student perform jazz. Within the walls that artists from T. S. Eliot to Robert Frost to Yo-Yo Ma inhabited during their time at Harvard, … Read more
“Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.” The modern version of that statement, apocryphally attributed to World War II General Douglas MacArthur, might today read, “Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered artificial intelligence.” Weapons incorporating AI have undeniably grown more powerful, sparking … Read more
A European Olympic stadium. 2-0 up in the 83rd minute against Chelsea, Liverpool defender Andy Robertson dribbled a few steps, reversed direction, slipped, and gave the ball away to Chelsea striker Gonzalo Higuain. The Liverpool fans around Anfield held their breath. Almost exactly five years before, their beloved captain Steven Gerrard slipped in a similar … Read more
Freshman Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) recently faced backlash for criticising the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and other pro-Israel lobby groups. In a recent tweet, the congresswoman highlighted that support for Israel was “all about the Benjamins baby,” referencing a hip-hop lyric. Top Democratic leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck … Read more