Latest news with #WilliamRoberts
New York Times
3 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Skulls of 19 Black Americans Return to New Orleans After 150 Years in Germany
Sometime before Jan. 10, 1872, a young Black laborer named William Roberts checked himself into Charity Hospital in New Orleans. Just 23 years old, he was from Georgia and had a strong build, according to hospital records. His only recorded sickness was diarrhea. He was one of 19 Black patients who died at the hospital in December 1871 and January 1872, and whose skulls were sent to Germany to be studied by a doctor researching a now wholly discredited science that purported a correlation between the shape and size of a skull and a person's intellect and character. The skulls languished in Germany for about 150 years until Leipzig University contacted the city of New Orleans two years ago to repatriate them. They were returned to New Orleans this month, and the 19 people are being honored on Saturday morning with a jazz funeral before the skulls are interred. While the return of human remains from museum collections has become more common, the repatriation of these 19 Black cranial remains to New Orleans is believed to be the first major international restitution of the remains of Black Americans from Europe, according to Paul Wolff Mitchell, a researcher at the University of Amsterdam who studies the 19th century history of race and science in the United States and Europe. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
AsiaOne
5 days ago
- AsiaOne
Woman crawls out of storm drain in shocking Manila street scene, Asia News
The image of a young woman emerging from a storm drain in Makati City, Philippine have gone viral on Reddit, sparking a greater debate on homelessness and security within the country. The photos were captured by William Roberts, an amateur street photographer, and uploaded to his personal Instagram page on Tuesday (May 27). The uncanny scene unfolded before his eyes on Monday at around 5.30pm when he was walking home after a gym session, he told the online magazine site View this post on Instagram A post shared by William Roberts (@iammrthirty) "Just at the corner of VA Rufino and Adelantado, I saw something that made me freeze — a head coming out of a street drain," his caption read. As she emerged from the drain, she turned towards Roberts and smiled, running past him when a man in uniform started to chase her. Onlookers, including motorcyclists and a traffic enforcer on the scene, were similarly "stunned, confused, maybe even a little amused", he wrote. Roberts went back to the drain later that night and found that "the catch area of the canal was relatively spacious", he told "Even closer, you could see a pipe on the bottom of the catch. A pipe big enough for humans to crawl through," he added. Roberts also returned to the site on Tuesday, where he spotted Makati City Central Estate Association, Inc. and Makati Public Safety Department) authorities patching up the crack in the canal. View this post on Instagram A post shared by William Roberts (@iammrthirty) The action taken by the authorities was in response to his viral post, he said. Photography on-site was prohibited, though officials allowed Roberts to snap some shots According to Roberts, the authorities also "admitted something chilling: they don't know where the pipes inside the kanal lead to". Police investigation underway Makati City Police have since launched a formal investigation into the incident, according to a press conference held on Wednesday. Based on CCTV footage of the incident, Makati City Police Station Chief Police Colonel Jean Dela Torre said that the woman exhibited signs of mental illness. Police also found pliers, makeshift attachments, and clothing items inside the canal, reported Makati City Police have also stepped up patrolling efforts in the vicinity, and are working with the Makati Social Welfare Department for possible intervention and assistance. Social workers from Barangay San Lorenzo have also been patrolling the area to locate the woman. "A reminder that Makati's streets hold more stories than we sometimes care to see — and that behind the high rises and the hustle, there are people who live between the cracks — literally," Robert said. According to a study done by the Philippine Statistics Authority in 2018, there are over 4.5 million homeless people in the Philippines, with about two-thirds of them living in Manila. Some netizens on Reddit have also raised questions about the potential security risks these canals pose, also saying that they have seen similar incidents of people emerging from the drains. Others also alluded to the social issue of homelessness in the Philippines and spoke about the risks of flooding if people were to get trapped in there. [[nid:718401]]
South Wales Guardian
14-05-2025
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
UK high streets falling ‘short of mark' promoting health and well-being
Some 87% of people surveyed for the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) say their high street does not have enough of at least one of the essential amenities needed for healthy living, including green space to rest or exercise, socialising spaces such as cafes or pubs, infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, good transport links or even safe and clean areas. The charity's Streets Ahead report found that 53% of the public, equivalent to 36 million people, say their local high street does not have enough shops selling healthy food. The RSPH is calling for changes to the tax system to make online retailers increase their contributions, with the money raised being used to improve the high street. It also wants the Government to require businesses and landlords to work with local authorities to help create 'healthy high street' plans in order to get approval for private developments on or around high streets. The report suggests that high streets could 'hold the key' to promoting healthier behaviour among the general population, which could reverse rising rates of ill health. As it stands, the report claims the UK's high streets fall 'well short of the mark' on promoting health and well-being in the population. RSPH chief executive William Roberts said: 'High streets are an essential part of our society. For hundreds of years, they have been a cornerstone and they shape our experiences and our lives. 'For far too long we have allowed the gradual decline of our high streets to continue. 'Instead of the bustling hubs of community they once were, we have become far too used to seeing boarded up shops and our high streets lined with businesses that perpetuate ill health. 'We can do better. We want everyone in this country to feel that their local high street is good for their health and to be proud of their local areas. People want to be healthy and the places they spend time in need to support them to make healthier choices. 'For us, healthy places includes healthy high streets. We need to be ambitious for our high streets and that ambition to be backed up by action. This landmark new report sets out a road map for change at a national and local level.' Deltapoll surveyed 1,988 UK adults online March 3-11.
North Wales Chronicle
14-05-2025
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
UK high streets falling ‘short of mark' promoting health and well-being
Some 87% of people surveyed for the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) say their high street does not have enough of at least one of the essential amenities needed for healthy living, including green space to rest or exercise, socialising spaces such as cafes or pubs, infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, good transport links or even safe and clean areas. The charity's Streets Ahead report found that 53% of the public, equivalent to 36 million people, say their local high street does not have enough shops selling healthy food. The RSPH is calling for changes to the tax system to make online retailers increase their contributions, with the money raised being used to improve the high street. It also wants the Government to require businesses and landlords to work with local authorities to help create 'healthy high street' plans in order to get approval for private developments on or around high streets. The report suggests that high streets could 'hold the key' to promoting healthier behaviour among the general population, which could reverse rising rates of ill health. As it stands, the report claims the UK's high streets fall 'well short of the mark' on promoting health and well-being in the population. RSPH chief executive William Roberts said: 'High streets are an essential part of our society. For hundreds of years, they have been a cornerstone and they shape our experiences and our lives. 'For far too long we have allowed the gradual decline of our high streets to continue. 'Instead of the bustling hubs of community they once were, we have become far too used to seeing boarded up shops and our high streets lined with businesses that perpetuate ill health. 'We can do better. We want everyone in this country to feel that their local high street is good for their health and to be proud of their local areas. People want to be healthy and the places they spend time in need to support them to make healthier choices. 'For us, healthy places includes healthy high streets. We need to be ambitious for our high streets and that ambition to be backed up by action. This landmark new report sets out a road map for change at a national and local level.' Deltapoll surveyed 1,988 UK adults online March 3-11.
Rhyl Journal
14-05-2025
- Health
- Rhyl Journal
UK high streets falling ‘short of mark' promoting health and well-being
Some 87% of people surveyed for the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) say their high street does not have enough of at least one of the essential amenities needed for healthy living, including green space to rest or exercise, socialising spaces such as cafes or pubs, infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, good transport links or even safe and clean areas. The charity's Streets Ahead report found that 53% of the public, equivalent to 36 million people, say their local high street does not have enough shops selling healthy food. The RSPH is calling for changes to the tax system to make online retailers increase their contributions, with the money raised being used to improve the high street. It also wants the Government to require businesses and landlords to work with local authorities to help create 'healthy high street' plans in order to get approval for private developments on or around high streets. The report suggests that high streets could 'hold the key' to promoting healthier behaviour among the general population, which could reverse rising rates of ill health. As it stands, the report claims the UK's high streets fall 'well short of the mark' on promoting health and well-being in the population. RSPH chief executive William Roberts said: 'High streets are an essential part of our society. For hundreds of years, they have been a cornerstone and they shape our experiences and our lives. 'For far too long we have allowed the gradual decline of our high streets to continue. 'Instead of the bustling hubs of community they once were, we have become far too used to seeing boarded up shops and our high streets lined with businesses that perpetuate ill health. 'We can do better. We want everyone in this country to feel that their local high street is good for their health and to be proud of their local areas. People want to be healthy and the places they spend time in need to support them to make healthier choices. 'For us, healthy places includes healthy high streets. We need to be ambitious for our high streets and that ambition to be backed up by action. This landmark new report sets out a road map for change at a national and local level.' Deltapoll surveyed 1,988 UK adults online March 3-11.
