Did you know that actor Sidney Poitier came to D.C. to protest against segregated seating at the Tivoli Theatre in Columbia Heights in 1963? The plot twist: he was the star of the movie the theater was showing: https://t.co/YLuqi6t9nU #BlackHistory https://t.co/dK9c2GAQar D…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 10, 2022
The population of Washington, D.C. exploded during WWI – increasing from 330,000 before the war to 526,000 in November of 1918. But the poor sanitation and overcrowding that resulted made the city especially vulnerable to diseases, like the Spanish Flu: https://t.co/ykY8hme6EU …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 10, 2022
Today in History - September 10 https://t.co/s73Tg5UABw Explorer, writer, and cartographer John Smith became leader of the Jamestown settlement when he assumed the presidency of its governing council on September 10, 1608. Continue reading. Click here to search Today in H…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 10, 2022
Mediterranean Cities Light Up the Night via NASA https://t.co/aJjmg8V3zk https://t.co/TdsbF0C8Vo
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 9, 2022
Queen Elizabeth II dances with President Gerald Ford during the queen's 1976 state visit. @wetatvfm broadcast the occasion, though there were a few hiccups in production: https://t.co/1dFfP0AqRb https://t.co/eDxtlNKAci Queen Elizabeth II dances with President Gerald Ford du…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 9, 2022
#otd in 1739 the Stono Rebellion, the largest uprising of enslaved people in the British mainland colonies before the American Revolution, occurred about 20 mi SW of Charlestown, SC on the banks of the Stono. View the area c1711: https://t.co/URG3aGjmKz https://t.co/D33rEZAOqG…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 9, 2022
Did you know Arlington was once home to the one of the most powerful radio stations in the world? The Arlington Radio Station, callsign NAA, once successfully broadcast a signal to Pearl Harbor – a distance of over 4600 miles! https://t.co/c6Msvt1ERu #NOVA Did you know Arlin…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 9, 2022
Today in History - September 9 https://t.co/APdUkXCGKZ Early on the morning of Sunday, September 9, 1739, twenty black Carolinians met near the Stono River, approximately twenty miles southwest of Charleston. Continue reading. Click here to search Today in History for oth…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 9, 2022
Here are five standout pieces we read this week. You can always visit our editors’ picks or our Twitter feed to see what other recommendations you may have missed.
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Carla Ciccone | Harper’s Bazaar | September 5th, 2022 | 3,231 words
“Getting diagnosed with ADHD on the cusp of 40 brought my personal history into sharp focus,” writes Carla Ciccone in this personal piece for Harper’s Bazaar. There’s been a spike in the number of ADHD diagnoses among adult women, especially in the last several years, and Ciccone was one of them. “But women aren’t suddenly waking up with a neurological disorder,” she writes. “It’s likely been there all along, masquerading as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, ‘she’s difficult,’ ‘she’s an airhead,’ ‘she’s unlucky,’ ‘she’s lazy,’ and other labels that tend to mark a girl as she moves through her life.” Ciccone describes her own struggles growing up — in school, in relationships, in processing traumatic events — and how her diagnosis at 39 has helped her reframe the way she sees herself, her family, and her past. It’s an honest and illuminating read, especially for those who may see their own experiences reflected in hers. —CLR
Lex Pryor | The Ringer | September 8th, 2022 | 2,554 words
There’s been no shortage of encomia written since Serena Williams exited the U.S. Open a week ago, but none of them have felt quite so lived-in as Lex Pryor’s remarkable paean. It details her many distinctions, obviously, but more importantly it properly situates her as the watershed player she is — a subverter of the head-down gentility that Black tennis pioneers like Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe embodied, and the mother of an entirely new lineage of champions. “Is there anything more alpha,” Pryor asks, “more Tiger, more Michael, more wonderfully and ridiculously competitive, than Williams, in the midst of yet another Grand Slam victory, reacting to a bad shot by throwing her arms back, arching her spine, and screaming ‘Fuck are you doing’ into the sky?” If you’ve been lucky enough to watch Serena over the years, you already know that she’s a one of one. This piece not only articulates that with insight and brio, but it drives home the miracle of what she accomplished: remaking American tennis like few have done before, and fewer still might do after. —PR
Bhavya Dore | Fifty Two | September 2nd, 2022 | 5,241 words
“Wouter Dijkstra always knew he had two mothers: his Dutch adoptive mother and his Sri Lankan birth mother. In September 2020, he found out he had three.” With a lede like that, you know a story is going to be excellent. Bhavya Dore’s reporting on the long-term consequences of a fraught adoption pipeline between Sri Lanka and Western Europe is tender, eloquent, and nuanced. There are surprises and disappointments, bright glimpses of beauty and quiet moments of profound grief. The subjects of Dore’s story leap off the page, and I found myself wishing for happy endings I knew could never be. Of all the pieces I’ve read recently, this one felt the most alive — it crackles with humanity. —SD
Michelle Cyca | Maclean’s | September 6th, 2022 | 7,624 words
How far would you go to secure a job? In the case of Gina Adams, the answer seems too far. Far too far. In this riveting piece, Michelle Cyca explores Adams’ claims of Midewiwin descent from the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota. She used this claim to further her university career — but has not been able to prove her heritage in the face of allegations these ties are false. Cyca’s narrative races along, exploring other people’s doubts about Adams until, with Adams remaining in her position, Cyca feels compelled to investigate herself. As a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, and having worked at Emily Carr University at the same time as Adams, Cyca has a unique perspective to give to this story, and she tells it exceptionally well. While delving into Adams’ case, Cyca opens the Pandora’s box of university hiring practice: In the rush to add First Nations to faculties, no one was checking backstories, and now, invented Indigenous heritage is emerging at several universities. This story will grip you — and frustrate you — to the last word. —CW
Casey Lyons | Orion Magazine | Sep 6th, 2022 | 2,869 words
I confess, it was the headline that drew me in. I wasn’t a Beverly Hills, 90210 fan, never got suckered by Luke Perry’s squint-smirk combo. But I couldn’t resist that monster-movie construction, so I read it — and I’d urge the same of you, regardless of your feelings about Aaron Spelling primetime soaps. This piece starts with Perry’s death, but Casey Lyons uses the actor’s green burial as a springboard to trace the remarkable arc of his life as well, and in doing so to explore what we seek from our corporeal end. “Luke Perry knew about desire, having been buried in a laundry hamper to escape it,” Lyons writes. “He also knew it as the holder of a notion about physical erasure from the planet, that our bodies don’t have to harm the earth when we die. We all know desire. Death is a muse, but desire is a blunter sort of thing.” Regardless of whether the mushrooms feasted the way they were supposed to (spoiler: they didn’t!), you’ll walk away with a fuller sense of the man inside the suit, and maybe even of your own plans for that inescapable day. —PR
Assembled in 1941, this map of Rio de Janeiro indicates the location of everything from newspaper buildings to hotels, the railroad station, a convent, and more. Check it out: https://t.co/B99SOMDIZG https://t.co/22C6eAEW6q Assembled in 1941, this map of Rio de Janeiro indica…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 8, 2022
One month after Bolling, white students in Anacostia staged walkouts to protest the integration of Anacostia High School: https://t.co/1CfjVCkx4b https://t.co/1xx3B1W7JO One month after Bolling, white students in Anacostia staged walkouts to protest the integration of Anaco…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 8, 2022
#OTD in 1862, artist Constantino Brumidi submitted his design for the Apotheosis of Washington — the artwork which adorns the rotunda of the U.S Capitol. Read more about Brumidi's capitol contributions: https://t.co/nckVdHCMtf @uscapitol @theHillisHome https://t.co/NFEou1k6L0 …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 8, 2022
🔍 Searching for some family fun this weekend? Join us on Saturday, September 10 from 10 am to 12 pm for the DC History Center’s first-ever Family Workshop! Space is limited; registration is required. 👉 https://t.co/7S1j9MZRhQ 📷 Oneness-Family Montessori School students. …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 8, 2022
NASA's Hubble Finds Spiraling Stars, Providing Window into Early Universe via NASA https://t.co/xcomTsssl1 https://t.co/bjx4C9xn6Y
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 8, 2022
Happy Birthday @kencen! The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts opened #OTD in 1971. The name honored JFK's critical role in raising D.C.'s status as an artistic capital: https://t.co/wevXiVD65d https://t.co/6yQ6mX5gBD Happy Birthday @kencen! The John F. Kennedy …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 8, 2022
Today in History - September 8 https://t.co/9SlKew1VYn On September 8, 1900, hurricane winds estimated at speeds of up to 120 miles per hour ripped across the Texas coastline of the Gulf of Mexico. Continue reading. The American Federation of Labor granted a charter to the…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 8, 2022
Quote of the Day: "I've never known any trouble than an hour's reading didn't assuage." - Arthur Schopenhauer
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 8, 2022
Did you know that during WWII, U.S. spy trainees ran missions out of a converted summer camp in Prince William County, VA, including a fake sabotage mission of a power plant in Fredericksburg, Virginia: https://t.co/2Cuj0UBKaN https://t.co/xDdnj9sT7s Did you know that durin…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 7, 2022
Voyager 1’s Mission to the Outer Planet Begins via NASA https://t.co/u51l9eydiw https://t.co/eb7WrJscGv
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 7, 2022
(2/3) The then 93-year-old Adas Israel Synagogue, once the home of the @adasisraeldc congregation, was relocating from the block of 6th and G St. NW to 3rd and G St. NW. Here it is after the move: https://t.co/jzNO4F9RRO (2/3) The then 93-year-old Adas Israel Synagogue, once…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 7, 2022
Holy Rollers: If you were hanging out near G St. NW on December 18, 1969, you may have spotted a remarkable sight: a synagogue on the move! (1/3) Photos courtesy of @librarycongress https://t.co/d0y6P1xlSN Holy Rollers: If you were hanging out near G St. NW on December 18, 1…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 7, 2022
This 1906 Pocket Map by Rand McNally shows the extent of the Austro-Hungarian Empire a decade before its dissolution. The empire was internally divided and ultimately broke up under the strains of WWI. https://t.co/lse1GK13f1 https://t.co/JccsqBbihj This 1906 Pocket Map by Ra…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 7, 2022
1920s postcard view of Pennsylvania Ave NW at 6th Street. The St. James Hotel was on the SE corner from 1868 to 1927. The spot is now a small triangle park with a fountain, across from the National Gallery of Art. For more on the St. James, see https://t.co/Y2iEaIBl0k …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 7, 2022
James Nabrit Jr., born #OTD in 1900, waged "an outright assault on segregation" as a lawyer for the NAACP. He also served as President of @HowardU from 1960-1965. https://t.co/W8tZ51Lcve James Nabrit Jr., born #OTD in 1900, waged "an outright assault on segregation" as a law…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 7, 2022
Today in History - September 7 https://t.co/3NRHM8cmGR President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian Chief of Government Omar Torrijos signed the Panama Canal Treaty and Neutrality Treaty on September 7, 1977. Continue reading. Click here to search Today in History for other hist…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 7, 2022
Here's some #triviatuesday for the Beatles fans/music history junkies among us: What D.C. venue hosted the Beatles first ever concert in the United States on February 11, 1964? Here's some #triviatuesday for the Beatles fans/music history junkies among us: What D.C. venue hos…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 6, 2022
🚶♀️Walking tours aren’t only for tourists! See DC through new eyes on a two-hour walking tour with the DC History Center and @WashingtonWalks featuring DC’s Penn Quarter and Chinatown neighborhoods’ eateries! 👉 https://t.co/2k6qifHLey 📷 Wei Li Fang, CHN 079. …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 6, 2022
In 1993, a backhoe operator in Spring Valley D.C. made an alarming discovery: unexploded mortar and artillery shells, dangerous fragments of American University's past as a testing ground for WWI munitions: https://t.co/1S4JE01oB6 In 1993, a backhoe operator in Spring Valley…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 6, 2022
Jane Addams, born #otd in 1860, co-founded the Hull House in Chicago, which provided social services and programs to families in Chicago’s West Side. You can view Hull House as it was in 1917 in this Sanborn map of Chicago, Vol. 7: https://t.co/wutrV4DhVR Jane Addams, born #ot…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 6, 2022
A Cosmic Tarantula, Caught by NASA’s Webb via NASA https://t.co/3BPmXEc3dE https://t.co/rkVYnBtuEd
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 6, 2022
At historic Black D.C. landmark, a legacy of uplift carries on https://t.co/VroUbYnE2c At historic Black D.C. landmark, a legacy of uplift carries on https://t.co/VroUbYnE2c — Streets of Washington (@StreetsOfDC) Sep 6, 2022
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 6, 2022
In 1956, Samuel Seymour claimed, on national television, to have witnessed President Lincoln's assassination at Ford's Theater when he was five years old. Was he telling the truth? https://t.co/ShFOTpWKRA https://t.co/2DL2YiFHaP In 1956, Samuel Seymour claimed, on national …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 6, 2022
Today in History - September 6 https://t.co/rZnOj6Vn5b Social reformer and pacifist Jane Addams was born on September 6, 1860, in Cedarville, Illinois. Continue reading. On September 6, 1901, President William McKinley was shot twice in the stomach while attending the Pan-…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 6, 2022
Take a look at this fascinating map which showcases different claims made to territory in the Tombstone mining district. This map is imbued with mining imagery including shovel blades hidden in the cartouche. Check it out: https://t.co/L6TyC33LGw https://t.co/NwQ2T3Jj8M Take …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 5, 2022
Check out 1911 11th Edition Encyclopedia Britannica Leather Set In a Custom Bookcase https://t.co/zDaKIrhzEY #eBay via @eBay
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 5, 2022
🛠 #LaborDay recognizes American workers' contributions throughout history. As a laborer in the 1960/70s, Martha Tabor captured the experiences of her fellow blue and white collar workers, like Lillian Lightbourne pictured here. 📷 Martha Tabor Photograph Collection, SP 0090. …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 5, 2022
Why do we celebrate Labor Day? So Grover Cleveland could own the left. https://t.co/BjsBh12Zmn Why do we celebrate Labor Day? So Grover Cleveland could own the left. https://t.co/BjsBh12Zmn — Streets of Washington (@StreetsOfDC) Sep 5, 2022
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 5, 2022
Today in History - September 5 https://t.co/c85Zfbmvs0 The infamous Jesse James was born on September 5, 1847. Continue reading. On September 5, 1882, some 10,000 workers assembled in New York City to participate in America's first Labor Day parade. Continue reading. Cli…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 5, 2022
DC Transit streetcar 1053, a Brill Streamliiner that was a forerunner of the ubiquitous PCC cars, waits at the end of the line in Takoma, on 4th Street NW just south of Cedar Street. June 1959. https://t.co/696w74K5qB DC Transit streetcar 1053, a Brill Streamliiner that was a …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 5, 2022
Quote of the Day: "What happens is not as important as how you react to what happens." - Ellen Glasgow
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 5, 2022
Did you know that the first ever instance of long-distance wireless communication took place between the Franklin School (the current home of @PlanetWordDC) and a laboratory on L St NW, in 1880? https://t.co/2icDRbjNx3 https://t.co/FCzC1MNN7i Did you know that the first eve…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 4, 2022
A little local labor history for #LaborDay from @AlexTimesNews. Meet #AlexandriaVA's Lucy Randolph Mason! https://t.co/i49qvsexz9 A little local labor history for #LaborDay from @AlexTimesNews. Meet #AlexandriaVA's Lucy Randolph Mason! https://t.co/i49qvsexz9 — Boundary St…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 4, 2022
In the early 1960s, a quarter of people living in Southwest D.C. had no electricity, and nearly half of residents still used outdoor toilets. But the program ostensibly designed to improve the neighborhood razed it completely: https://t.co/MrPtVsLMfB In the early 1960s, a qu…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 4, 2022
Early 1900s postcard view of Georgetown University's red-brick Dahlgren Chapel, completed in 1893 and designed by Francis C. Schroen. https://t.co/yxBwqFeozg Early 1900s postcard view of Georgetown University's red-brick Dahlgren Chapel, completed in 1893 and designed by Franc…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 4, 2022
Today in History - September 4 https://t.co/5nyqqGEj5k On September 4, 1781, the eleven men, eleven women, and twenty-two children recruited by Alta California Governor Felipe de Neve founded El Pueblo de la Reyna de Los Angeles (The Town of the Queen of the Angels). Contin…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 4, 2022
Quote of the Day: "I just invent, then wait until man comes around to needing what I've invented." - R. Buckminster Fuller
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Sep 4, 2022