Latest news with #MacArthurFellow
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
FCC Commissioner Labels Trump Push to Chill Speech an ‘Administration-Wide Effort'
Although much of the recent focus regarding the press being under siege has been on President Trump's Federal Communications Commission, FCC commissioner Anna M. Gomez cited 'an administration-wide effort' involving multiple agencies intended 'to chill speech' and stifle dissenting voices. Gomez, who will soon be the only Democrat on the commission, made those remarks during a Free Speech forum at Cal State Los Angeles on Wednesday, presented as a 'First Amendment tour' by Gomez designed to shine a light on the issue and discuss means and methods to combat those policies. The event was sponsored by the advocacy group Free Press, whose co-CEO, Jessica J. González, described Trump's 'attacks' on free expression and the press as 'A clear effort to quash dissent.' She cited the event's goal as beginning to organize on behalf of protecting speech and 'raising our voices together.' With the FCC under Trump's handpicked chairman Brendan Carr, Gomez has few avenues to formally push back against the Republican majority. Because of that, she said, it's incumbent upon her to publicly push back against what she called a 'campaign of censorship and control' carried out in part through 'sham investigations against broadcasters because of their editorial decisions.' Noting that Trump had previously fired Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission, Gomez conceded that she doesn't know why she's still in her position, before adding that any attempt to remove her before her term expires would be illegal. Explaining her goal, she said, 'If I get fired, it isn't because I didn't do my job, it's because I insisted on doing it.' Gomez referenced Trump's lawsuit against '60 Minutes,' and the pressure brought to bear against its corporate parent Paramount Global, as an example of the work being done against journalists to 'tone down their criticisms' of the administration. 'Freedom of the press requires journalists that are able to do their jobs without inference from their corporate parents,' she said. Carr has stated that the review process of the Paramount-Skydance merger is unrelated to Trump's lawsuit, but critics maintain that the commission is transparently acting on his behalf, creating leverage to prompt Paramount to seek to settle a case that experts have called frivolous. The panel also included Dr. Safiya U. Noble, MacArthur Fellow and UCLA professor, who pointed to more subtle effects of the FCC's attempts to punish companies for pursuing diversity, equity and inclusion policies 'directly suppressing' the work of women of color. 'I think the new threats are old threats,' Noble said, comparing current government actions to the Vietnam era, while calling the 'coordinated effort' to undermine public institutions 'a cornerstone of this administration.' 'Journalists must realize that this situation is not normal, and doing nothing is not an option,' said Gabriel Lerner, editor emeritus of La Opinión, who maintained that the 'bed of lies' upon which Trump operates is 'not compatible' with press freedom. In terms of practical impact, Alejandra Santamaria, president and CEO of Southern California Public Radio (a.k.a. LAst), also addressed the administration's assault on public broadcasting and the uncertainty that has created in terms of funding and planning going forward, saying her station has already been forced to make 'tough decisions' in terms of staffing. After a listening session with those who attended, which included journalists and an employee of Voice of America, Gomez closed by saying the administration is motivated in part by fear of criticism, which makes protecting the independent press even more vital. Congressman Raul Ruiz said the free press is currently engaged in a fight for its survival, and applauded Gomez for 'her courage in taking this First Amendment tour,' citing the frequency of threats made against public officials. The event marked Gomez's first outside of Washington. In addition to those who attended in person, the forum was also live streamed. The post FCC Commissioner Labels Trump Push to Chill Speech an 'Administration-Wide Effort' appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joyce J. Scott, Dawn Moore to speak at University of Baltimore commencement
Baltimore native Joyce J. Scott, a MacArthur Fellow and a critically-acclaimed multimedia artist, and Maryland first lady Dawn Moore will deliver keynote addresses at the University of Baltimore's commencement ceremonies May 21 at The Lyric. Following her speech at the undergraduate ceremony, Scott will be presented with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of Baltimore President and former mayor Kurt L. Schmoke. Scott's art has been exhibited in museums worldwide and included in major public collections at the Baltimore Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Corning Museum of Glass, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Mint Museum of Art, among others. In 2024, Scott opened a 50-year traveling museum retrospective, co-organized by the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Seattle Art Museum. Moore has more than two decades of leadership in state government, nonprofit management, campaign strategy, fundraising and community engagement. She held government roles in the administrations of former Govs. Parris Glendening and Martin O'Malley, and former Maryland Lt. Govs. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Anthony Brown. In addition to speeches by Scott and Moore, the ceremonies will feature two student speakers who will deliver remarks as representatives of their respective classes. The University System of Maryland Board of Regents will be represented by Regent Yvette Lewis, who will offer greetings during both ceremonies. Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@ or on X as @ToddKarpovich.
Boston Globe
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
‘The Center Will Not Hold' brims with creative energy
Advertisement Dorrance, a MacArthur Fellow, founded Dorrance Dance in 2011; this weekend marks the fifth time Global Arts Live has brought her company to Boston. Dorrance and Bessie Award winner Asherie met in 2004, when both were teaching at Broadway Dance Center, Dorrance tap, Asherie breaking. Asherie's 'Odeon' was the Celebrity Series's first event at New England Conservatory's Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre in the fall of 2018, and she was part of the company that presented Dorrance's 'SOUNDspace' at the ICA in 2023. 'The Center Will Not Hold' begins with the sounds of percussion before the curtain rises to reveal John Angeles seated at a tabletop instrument. Silhouetted against a blue-lit industrial backdrop with towering stepladder, he bangs out the opening three minutes of a sophisticated rhythmic score that combines his live performance with commissioned music from Donovan Dorrance, Michelle's younger brother. The lights dim and then come up on Asherie and Dorrance standing side by side. Wearing sneakers and more or less staying in place, they react individually to the music while staying in touch with each other. They seem to be asking how we relate through movement. The center just about holds. Advertisement That's the theme for the rest of the hour, as Kathy Kaufmann's lighting cues the emotional shifts. To music that at times resonates with pain, the dancers, all in black and sneakers, line up facing the audience and move in agitated jerks and pops, exchanging positions, suggesting brief solos, a fraught ensemble wary of one another. Angeles, who otherwise is visible upstage left behind a percussion kit, comes forward and is flanked by Manon Bal and Tomoe 'Beasty' Carr, their arms gesticulating frantically; it's as if he were there to keep the two women apart. Dorrance, now in tap shoes, engages in a furious battle with Angeles and his ambulatory percussion, each in turn driving the other back. Matthew 'Megawatt' West crabwalks, handstands, headstands, and serves up eye-popping floorwork while Ron Myles circles warily; for a moment they face off. Donnetta 'Lil Bit' Jackson does an explosive solo in front of the group, which then moves to shield her from the eyes of the audience. Halfway through, there's a kind of intermezzo where Angeles, Dorrance, and Eriko Jimbo sit at the percussion table and bang it with their hands, fusing music and dance. Bal and Carr confront each other again before the men intervene and produce a truce of sorts. Asherie and West reprise the piece's opening duet. Then Asherie and Dorrance turn that up a notch, Asherie showing exquisite control in ghostly, slow-motion spinning while Dorrance shadows and finally circles her with frenetic tapping. Advertisement Dancers move in and out of spotlights as if dodging unfriendly eyes; then the lighting brightens and we get brief animated solos from Jimbo, Virgil 'Lil O' Gadson, West, Bal, and Carr, the latter two still eyeing each other. Jackson, Myles, and Michael Manson Jr. 'tap' as a trio while Dorrance accompanies them from a distance; the footwork is perfectly matched, but only Dorrance and Jackson actually have tap shoes on. The center now is a hybrid of tap and breaking, the two street forms indistinguishable. Angeles brings the piece to a close by leaving his percussion kit and joining in, his clapping and body-slapping now the only audible sound. Community restored, all 11 performers stomp and clap, making their own music, dancers indistinguishable from the music as well as from the dance. 'The Center Will Not Hold: A Dorrance Dance Production' Created and directed by Ephrat Asherie and Michelle Dorrance. Performed by Dorrance Dance. Presented by Global Arts Live. At: Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, Friday April 25. Remaining performance: April 26. Tickets $66-$94. 617-876-4275, Jeffrey Gantz can be reached at
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Belvidere native Jeanne Gang to receive Order of Lincoln award
CHICAGO (WTVO) – A Belvidere native is one of six Illinoisans who will receive the state's highest honor for professional achievement and public service this year. Architect Jeannie Gang will receive an Order of Lincoln award on May 3, 2025, during the 61st Annual Convocation at Krannert Center for the Arts on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A 1982 graduate of Belvidere High School, Gang is nown for a distinctive design approach that expands beyond architecture's conventional boundaries. Her diverse portfolio across the Americas and Europe includes the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation at the American Museum of Natural History; a new United States Embassy in Brazil; and an expansion of the Clinton Presidential Center. She also designed the Beloit College Powerhouse in Beloit. A MacArthur Fellow and a Professor in Practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Gang has been named one of TIME Magazine's most influential people in the world. 'With world-renowned achievements in athletics, literature, architecture, education, journalism and history, the 2025 class of Lincoln Laureates embody the very best that Illinois has to offer,' Gov. JB Pritzker said in a news release. 'I am proud to uplift their incredible contributions and to award these talented men and women our state's highest honor.' The other five Lincoln Laureates are Bonnie Blair, the first American woman to win five gold medals at the Olympic Winter Games; Sandra Cisneros, a poet, short story writer, novelist; Janice K. Jackson, CEO of Hope Chicago and former CEO of Chicago Public Schools (CPS); Carol Marin, a journalist and Emmy Award-winning reporter who's worked for CBS News' '60 Minutes,' and the 'Evening News with Dan Rather;' and Julieanna L. Richardson, founder and president of The HistoryMakers, a Chicago-based nonprofit, that features a digital archival collection of African-American oral histories. The May 3 ceremony is free and open to the public and will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. A ticketed reception and dinner will immediately follow the ceremony, and tickets must be purchased in advance by April 1. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Botanist leads movement to address critical issues through multifaceted approach: 'Science is a powerful tool ... it's not the only one'
Robin Wall Kimmerer, a Potawatomi botanist, author, and MacArthur Fellow, is leading a transformative movement that bridges Indigenous wisdom with Western science to address some of the planet's most pressing environmental challenges. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and a trained ecologist, Kimmerer offers a unique cultural perspective that combines deep ancestral knowledge with rigorous scientific methodology. Kimmerer's journey into sustainability began with her connection to her indigenous roots and a passion for understanding the natural world. She has long emphasized the concept of reciprocity — a relationship of mutual care between humans and the Earth. Her bestselling book, "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants," weaves together personal stories, scientific insights, and Indigenous teachings to inspire readers to view the environment as a community to support rather than a pool of resources to exploit. Since its 2013 release, "Braiding Sweetgrass" has sold over 1.6 million copies in the U.S. and has been translated into 20 languages, encouraging readers globally to rethink their relationship to the earth. Published in 2024, her latest book, "The Serviceberry," invites readers to reimagine the economy with values grounded in quality relationships and abundance rather than competition and scarcity. "The Earth itself is in distress, asking for our attention," Kimmerer said during a talk in Omaha, Nebraska, last December, according to environmental nonprofit One Earth. Through her work, Kimmerer addresses the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss through poignant storytelling. During the gathering in Omaha, Kimmerer shared a story about snapping turtles forced to relocate their nests to escape rising water levels. She described the shelled creatures as "climate refugees," a label used to describe humans displaced by natural disasters like wildfires and hurricanes. At the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, where she serves as director, Kimmerer aims to bridge traditional ecological knowledge with modern science to create solutions to environmental crises. "Science is a powerful tool for addressing climate change," she said during her recent talk, adding that "it's not the only one." Kimmerer advocates for practices such as controlled burns, sustainable harvesting, and seed saving, which have historically preserved biodiversity for generations. By integrating these time-tested Indigenous methods with cutting-edge scientific research, the botanist promotes a more holistic approach to conservation. This blend of perspectives not only helps protect ecosystems but also fosters a deeper understanding of humanity's role as stewards of the Earth. Which of these environmental causes would you be most interested in supporting with a financial donation? Promoting clean energy Protecting clean air Advancing forest conservation Fighting climate change Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Kimmerer's teachings extend beyond environmental restoration. Embracing a philosophy of reciprocity and respect, her lessons encourage people to build deeper, personal relationships with nature to ensure a healthier planet for future generations. She's also an advocate for granting legal personhood to ecosystems, inspired by efforts like New Zealand's recognition of the Whanganui River. Looking ahead, Kimmerer's vision includes fostering "kin-centered equality," a worldview where all species are equally valued as interconnected beings. As she explained, "The Earth has given us everything. What will we give in return?" Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
