What’s Happening

Eleanor Harvey posits that the 1859 landscape’s message of hope resonated with First Lady Jill Biden, who helped select the artwork

By Theresa Machemer  in Smithsonian Magazine

The move is one of several climate-related actions taken by President Joe Biden on his first day in office

On his first day in office, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. signed 17 executive orders, including one stating the administration’s focus on addressing climate change and rejoining the Paris Climate Accord. The international accord goes into effect for the U.S. in 30 days, on February 19.

By Amy B Wang and Stephanie Merry in Washington Post, Lifestyles

Yes, we have a new president, but the real news is that America has fallen in love with a poet named Amanda Gorman. The 22-year-old Harvard graduate, who describes herself as “a skinny black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother,” captivated the nation on Wednesday when she stood on the inauguration dais and recited her poem “The Hill We Climb” (watch).

Accolades poured in from millions of new fans, including Barack Obama, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Hillary Clinton, who tweeted that she can’t wait for the young poet to run for president in 2036. Gorman was wearing jewelry from Oprah: a pair of earrings and a birdcage ring, an allusion to “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” by Maya Angelou, who performed at the 1993 inauguration. CLICK FOR MORE

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS 13) 

Honoring the legacy of a civil rights icon, groups across the mountains began celebrating the birthday of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.

Saturday morning, the MLK Association of Asheville and Buncombe County hosted a virtual prayer breakfast.

It had been recorded at New Mt Olive Baptist Church in Asheville and featured gospel singers, sermons and testimonials.

ASHEVILLE’S 40TH DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CELEBRATION MOVES ONLINE

This information from Asheville Blade was originally published in March 14, 2020 by Leigh Cowart.

With a pandemic upon us, here are some links and notes that I hope will be of use. Much love as we take care of ourselves and those around us.

The reality

Thanks to the Asheville Blade for this informative article, Preparing for COVID-19 – definitely worth reading and sharing widely.

We remember those who have made a significant contribution to gender equality and women’s lives and well-being, and thus to human rights and well-being.  With honor and respect for their work and effort, we will not forget.

Programs

Through a focus on sensible land use, forest health, and water quality, MountainTrue advocates for policies that allow people and the environment to thrive. MountainTrue unleashes the power of people’s voices to protect the natural heritage of our region through knowledge, action and collaboration. We convene key partners — nonprofit and community groups, government, and private industry — to devise the best strategies to improve the quality of development and preserve the unique rural character of our region.

In the closing decades of the 20th century, performing arts critics became increasingly despondent about the longevity of these art forms. Many believed that the performing arts would gradually become obsolete, thanks to the rise of the TV and also of the early Internet. The critics stated that the arts would become as relevant to 21st-century society as string quartets were to their own time, and believed that gradually, the performing arts world would become unfashionable and little used by society.