General Interest
http://red-colornewssoldier.com/
The world is a richer place for the efforts of those who have sought to document the various social and cultural transformations that have taken place around the globe during the twentieth century. One must only think of A.J. Liebling’s dispatches from Europe during the World War II or Robert Capa’s images of the Spanish Civil War to be reminded of the importance of such materials. This website pays homage to the work of another such dedicated individual, Li Zhengsheng, who took it upon himself to document the Cultural Revolution in China through photographs. This fine online exhibit includes some of the thousands of images Zhengsheng took from 1964 to 1976. The contents are divided into five chronological sections, such as “Revolution is Not a Dinner Party”. Within each section, visitors can view a number of images, including photographs of peasant women at work on an irrigation project and a gathering of Communist party officials who met to mourn the death of Chairman Mao. [KMG]
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http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/tending/
Tending the Commons: Folklife and Landscape in Southern West Virginia, a new addition to Library of Congress' American Memory, features digital versions of sound recordings and photographs collected during the American Folklife Center's Coal River Folklife Project, 1992 – 1999. This project documented traditional uses of the mountains and their resources in Southern West Virginia's Big Coal River Valley. Visitors to the site will find extensive information on area residents’ ways of utilizing local plants and animals, such as harvesting ginseng, gathering butternuts and walnuts, and hunting squirrels. In addition, a series of illustrated essays provide detailed portraits of mountain culture and activities, including ramp (wild leeks) suppers, and the importance of ginseng. There is also a clickable diagram of the "Seasonal Round of Activities on Coal River"; selecting any activity or time period shown - e.g. "drying", or "October" - executes a search of the collection on that topic. [DS]
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/torture/
Experts and pundits continue to debate the myriad of strategies deployed by the United States in the effort to combat terrorism around the world and internally. The Frontline program on PBS has created this website to complement a special edition of their show. This show focused on the question of whether torture is a viable way to obtain effective results in combating terrorism. Visitors can dive right in by watching the program in its entirety, or they may also wish to visit one of the sections providing supplementary information. One particularly compelling area is the section that provides information on how the current administration of President George W. Bush has created a protocol for conducting such investigations. Another very useful section is titled “Behind the Wire” and offers visitors an inside look into the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Perhaps the most moving and intense portion of the site is the discussion section, where visitors can leave feedback and read the impassioned opinions of others who have seen the program. [KMG]
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/blackeuro/homepage.html
The British Library has been producing quality online features for close to a decade now, and this latest offering is worth a close look. This particular feature offers some insights and commentary on five prominent black Europeans. It may even come as a surprise to some visitors that several of the individuals profiled were black, such as Alexandre Dumas, the celebrated author of The Three Musketeers. These profiles are supplemented with essays by Dr. Mike Phillips, a writer, scholar, and journalist. The essays are accompanied by a series of images, including engravings, portraits, and illustrations. Visitors may also want to view and print out extended versions of Phillips’ essays, which are available here in the pdf format. [KMG]
Founded in 1982, the mission of the National Organization on Disability (NOD) is “to expand the participation and contribution of America’s 54 million men, women and children with disabilities in all aspects of life.” From their homepage, visitors can delve into a number of their resources, such as summaries of the organization’s own advocacy work that deals with such themes as community involvement, economic participation, and creating an environment that is supportive for those with a broad range of disabilities. The site also contains important information for community leaders, such as summaries of projects developed by the NOD and its partners on topics such as making religious facilities more accessible. The site is rounded out by a section designed for the media that the general user will appreciate as well, as it contains a number of basic reports and surveys on disabled persons and general press releases. [KMG]
The social reform and welfare movement in the United States may be most commonly associated with such persons as Jane Addams, but years before her pioneering work on Chicago’s West Side, the Boys & Girls Club of America organization was started in Hartford, Connecticut. Over the past century and a half, the organization has provided a host of services to young people in order to help them realize their full potential. Their website contains information about Club locations around the country, as well as the various programs offered by the Club, including those that teach about career options and leadership. Visitors can also read the Club’s in-house publication, Connections, which contains stories about the activities that take place across the organization and at specific locations. Finally, visitors will also want to read up on the National Youth of the Year program, which is administered by the organization and awarded annually to a young person by the President of the United States. [KMG]
