The first full-length trailer for Black Panther gave audiences a sneak peek at the fictional nation of Wakanda. There’s a lot to love about the look of this land, but its awe-striking technology stands out. Some backstory: Before protagonist T’Challa inherited the throne, Wakanda was ruled by his father, T’Chaka. After a meteorite containing vibranium (a fictional super-metal) crashed into the nation, T’Chaka feared that the rest of the world would attempt to seize the land for the precious resource. He...
Audiences around the world are getting ready to see Black Panther and dive into the film’s fictional kingdom of Wakanda. Though the film’s setting is a work of fantasy, the cultural influences behind it are entirely real. South-African actor John Kani plays T’Chaka, the old king of Wakanda who is succeeded by the film’s protagonist, T’Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman. Kani brought the language of isiXhosa into Black Panther, and made it the official language of Wakanda in Captain America:...
If anyone understands the power of narrative, it’s Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The highly-acclaimed Nigerian author has many achievements to her name, including becoming a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship and having one of the most viewed TED Talks of all time, “The Danger of A Single Story.” Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'d6_dD-b6RYZzCWOUKJ29lA',sig:'UJ8Kmj48BmSxDc7rHB2O5tsTde3C6xx518UE_wlVlCQ=',w:'594px',h:'409px',items:'909740240',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); There’s no doubt that the narratives found in stories shape how we see the world. Adichie knows too well how problems can arise when a...
More than 130 million girls weren’t given the chance to go to school today. That’s why people around the world are adding their voices to the #GirlsCount campaign to tell our elected officials that they need to make girls’ education a priority. Girls’ Voices shares in our passion to educate girls around the world. Their organization believes that “when a girl stays in school, she has the power to transform lives, families, and communities.” Through digital media training, they’re empowering...
I think we’ve all heard, and probably been offended by, the phrase “youth is wasted on the young”, but does anyone know who said it, or indeed, why? After it bugging me for the last few years I did a bit of research and it turns out no one is actually 100% sure. It’s has been attributed to both George Bernard Shaw (an Irish writer) and Oscar Wilde (an English one), but it turns out, neither of them ever said...
Many extraordinary women, and often unsung heroes, played significant roles in the Civil Rights Movement and beyond. Their words and actions continue to inspire our work as we fight for a better and equal world for all people. Here are some of the women who inspire us. Ella Baker (1903-1986) Photo credit: The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. Ella Baker was a highly respected civil rights leader who mostly worked behind the scenes advising, supporting, and mentoring greats like WEB Dubois, Thurgood Marshall,...
With the beginning of “awards season” upon us and the Golden Globes this Sunday, we wanted to take a look back at some of the movies and documentaries that inspired and moved us in 2014. Many of the movies on this list are nominated for Golden Globes, but some are just personal favorites of ONE staffers. Take a look at the movies below and add these to your “must watch” list – we know you have plenty of time during...
We all know we should be thankful for the food on our tables — but why? Here are 14 eye-opening facts about nutrition, farming, and crop varieties around the world that help answer this question.    1. Poor people in developing countries often spend 60-80% of their income on food. Americans spend less than 10%. Ayme family, Ecuador. Photo credit: Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio. 2. 75% of the world’s food is generated from only 12 plants and 5 animal species. Kale is probably not...