ICYMI: Highlights from the week that was Dec. 1 – Dec. 7, 2019
No one can keep up with everything, so let us do it for you. We’ll gather the top Smithsonian stories from across the country and around the world each week so you’ll never be at a loss for conversation around the water cooler.
The holidays are almost upon us. Let’s take a break and go to the movies. Did you know Wonder Woman was in town?
Art and Design
Tufts Joins Long List In 2019 To Drop The Sackler Name
Forbes, December 9
A Tufts University employee removes letters from sign featuring the Sackler name. DAVID L. RYAN/THE BOSTON GLOBE VIA GETTY IMAGES
Tufts University joined a list of museums and universities this week that have adjusted their affiliations with the Sackler family, as the nation’s opioid crisis continues to gain attention and backlash against OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma—owned by the Sacklers—forced the company to file for bankruptcy. Read more.
History, Culture, and Education
A group of black scuba divers has a message for Dunbar students: ‘We need you’
The Washington Post, December 8
Dive master Kim Walker helps Abreya Rubia, 16, a junior at Dunbar High School, with her equipment before her first time scuba diving. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)
Jaquan Greene buckled the scuba vest, adjusted his goggles and stuck the regulator — the device that delivered air from the gas tank strapped to his back — into his mouth.
He listened to Kim Walker, a dive master and scuba instructor, explain how to breathe underwater: “Put your face in the water and breathe. Inhale. Exhale.”
The 16-year-old swam through the shallow end of Dunbar High School’s indoor pool — like a fish, a couple of teachers said. Read more.
Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum Gets A Refreshed Look — And A New Director
WAMU 88.5, The Kojo Nnambdi Show
The $4.5 million renovation includes a community garden and updated amenities. COURTESY OF MICHAEL BARNES / SMITHSONIAN
After a seven-month closure, the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum reopened in October with a rejuvenated look and new leadership. Dr. Melanie Adams took the helm of the museum in August.
Kojo sits down with Adams to talk about the $4.5 million renovation and her vision for the museum’s future. Plus, they’ll discuss the current exhibit, “A Right to the City,” which traces the history of neighborhood change and civic engagement in the District. Listen to the interview.
Science and Technology
At Nasa, women are still facing outdated workplace sexism
Women still struggle to get a foothold in the industry and often find themselves outnumbered in meetings dominated by men, writes Christian Davenport
The Independent, December 9
Christina Koch is on her way to being to being the longest-serving woman on board the International Space Station ( Getty )
At Nasa, 2019 could be called the year of the woman. In October, astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir completed the first all-female spacewalk. Koch also is on her way towards 328 days aboard the International Space Station – the longest single space mission by a woman.
Meanwhile, Nasa is planning a lunar mission called Artemis, named after the twin sister of Apollo, which the agency says would put “the next man and the first woman on the moon” by 2024. The aerospace industry also boasts an unprecedented number of women in high-ranking positions, including Leanne Caret, who leads Boeing’s defence and space division, and Gwynne Shotwell, the president and chief operating officer of SpaceX. Read more.
Various Subjects
First trailer for ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ features scenes filmed in DC and Virginia
WTOP, December 9
The first trailer for the Wonder Woman sequel, Wonder Woman 1984, was released on Sunday.
The movie, which was partially filmed throughout Northern Virginia and D.C. during the spring of 2018, is set to be released in June 2020.
In the trailer, you see Gal Gadot — who plays Diana Prince, also known as Wonder Woman — at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in downtown D.C. and fighting off villains at the former Landmark Mall in Alexandria, Virginia. Read more.
Embrace the wintry weather at holiday lights displays
ZooLights, Enchant Christmas and two garden walks offer outdoor fun.
The Washington Post, December 8
Visitors to walk in a tunnel of lights at Enchant Christmas at National Park in Washington. The attraction, which is new to the D.C. area, also features ice skating, food, music, shops and visits with Santa. (Christina Barron/The Washington Post)
Maybe you’re in Camp Elsa — as in, the cold never bothers you (anyway). But some people need a reason to brave wintry weather. Holiday light shows are a good reason. Everyone bundles up, strolls down paths with twinkly lights, listens to seasonal music and sips hot cocoa. The holiday spirit is heartwarming even as your cheeks turn pink. If your family has gone in past years, there are new features at the familiar displays. And if you haven’t, well, this seems to be the year to venture “into the unknown.” Read more.
BOOK REVIEW: ‘A Fool’s Errand’
Creating the National Museum of African American History and Culture
The Washington Times, December 7
Lonnie Bunch’s generosity of spirit shines through this rollercoaster odyssey like an LED in a theme park’s haunted house. His achievement here is all the greater feat of chiaroscuro given the contrast with a dark tenet of his informed historical thesis — that slavery is a core element of America’s history and culture in its original barbarities, legal bigotries and subtle legacies.
Founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Mr. Bunch sees its mission as helping “all Americans regardless of race understand how much the African American experience is embedded in America’s identity.… As a country we cannot fully understand ourselves without embracing the nation’s interdependency with slavery.” Read more.
Smithsonian’s Chief Says More Museums Must Wait, Maintenance Is Top Priority
WJZ CBS Baltimore
As the public demand for new museums increases, the Smithsonian Institution’s chief says his top priority is getting on top of a huge maintenance backlog at the world’s largest museum and research complex before he considers expanding. Read more.
Earth, Wind & Fire is forever in the groove
The Washington Post, December 5
From left: Kennedy Center Honors recipients Verdine White, Philip Bailey and Ralph Johnson, original members of Earth, Wind & Fire photographed at the Eighteenth Street Lounge in Washington. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)
He was lying. Read more.
Related posts:
Posted: 10 December 2019
