Over the course of his career, Nobel Prize-winning writer Eugene O’Neill used his struggles as inspiration for his moving plays. Read about his life in this biography.
Tag Archives: Culture & Society
Hiram R. Revels Biography
Hiram R. Revels was the first African American to serve in the United States Senate. An academic and a minister, he supported integrated schools and equal opportunities for black workers.
Kent State Incident
Learn about the deadly response to a college protest against the Vietnam War.
Integration of Central High School
In 1957, Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, was a flash point in the struggle for civil rights for all Americans. There, nine African American students attempted to attend classes in the face of angry protests and the opposition of the state’s governor. This HISTORY feature shows how ugly fear of “the Other” can be.
In northern Mali, music silenced as Islamists drive out artists
The west African nation of Mali stretches from arid desert to lush tropics and is home to rich cultural traditions in music, architecture, and ancient scholarship. Recently, though, its renowned musicians have faced threats that have sent them into hiding or across the globe in search of freedom.
How photography connects us
Powerful photographs can both connect us with the experiences of people on the other side of the world and reveal to us the wonders in our own backyard. In this TED Ed Talk, the photo director for National Geographic magazine shares compelling photos and reflects on their impact.
How do you fix a polarized D.C.? Here are three ways.
The members of the United States Congress are elected to represent the interests of their districts or states while working together for the good of the nation as a whole. Why, then, do average Americans find it so much easier to work together than their members of Congress do?
Artful Animals
Through the years, African artists have crafted animal artifacts as symbols of specific ideas and traits. Explore the many links on this site to view some artifacts and to discover how the traits of various animals play a key role in African folktales.
Yiddish Culture Takes Center Stage
Zalmen Mlotek, artistic director of the National Yiddish Theatre-Folksbiene, and his son Avram, who performs at the theater, talk about the Yiddish language and preserving it through art.
The Greatest Risks They Ever Took
Successful people often must take risks to achieve their goals. Explore what these 34 people consider to have been their greatest risks on the road to success.
‘Beyond Bollywood’: Inside the Smithsonian’s exhibition on Indian Americans
The new Smithsonian exhibition, “Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation,” is meant to show the imprint Indian Americans have made in United States culture throughout the centuries. Take a look inside the exhibition.
Dunmore’s Proclamation: A Time to Choose
We tend to talk about the American Revolution in terms of two sides: the colonists and the British. But for enslaved people living in the colonies, the issue was far more complicated, especially after the Dunmore Proclamation was issued in 1775. Read this summary of the proclamation, the issues it raised, and its consequences.
Do uniforms make schools better?
The debate surrounding required uniforms in American schools has been around long enough to have seen trends in fashion come and go and come back around yet again. Why are we further than ever from finding common ground on the uniform issue?
A Song for the Horse Nation
The arrival of the horse in North America changed life for many American Indian groups. Learn about the amazing relationship between Native peoples and horses, and examine artifacts from throughout their history.
Georgia Douglas Johnson
Georgia Douglas Johnson wrote a poem about taking a risk and soaring into the sky. Learn about the life of this important writer of poems, plays, and stories.
How to make someone fall in love with you, according to science
Sometimes it seems there are just about as many theories on why we fall in love as there are couples in love. But statistics have shown that certain factors play a huge part in what attracts us to certain people and what keeps relationships strong.
Old Friends Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony Made History Together.
Though the contributions of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony were invaluable in the fight for women’s rights, letters between the two reveal that each was aware of the long road toward equality that would have to be traveled by future generations.
Technology firms explore ‘second screen’ opportunity
Software developers are seeking ways to connect people’s tablets and smartphones with what they are watching on television screens. But how useful is it?
Anne Frank at 85: What would she have become had she lived?
This year, Anne Frank would have been 85 years old. Though her short life still reverberates through the world, it’s hard not to wonder what it would have been like if she had lived longer. This article looks at some of the ways Anne Frank affected the world around her, and offers some ideas about the woman she may have become.
The Girl Who Swims With Sharks
20-year-old Madison Stewart is on a quest to save sharks. Though they might not look like they need protecting, many species of sharks are in danger because of humans engaging in controversial practices and markets. Stewart hopes to change peoples’ minds in time to save these magnificent fish.