At a time of social distancing and uncertain futures, it is more important than ever to learn the untold stories of communities past and present that have persevered despite adversity.
READ: The Last Negroes At Harvard: The Class of 1963 and the 18 Young Men Who Changed Harvard Forever
In 1959, 18 Black freshmen enrolled in Harvard University as participants in an early affirmative action program. More than 60 years later, one of those students — author and former NBC News producer Kent Garrett.— reflects on that time period and its lasting impact on diversity in higher education. Garrett also traces the lives of each of his 17 classmates, their successes and failures, to create a book that is part memoir, part civil rights history. Co-authored by Jeanne Ellsworth. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
WATCH: Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution
Crip Camp recalls the story of a radical summer camp and community for people with disabilities described by one reviewer as “a hippie-run utopia.” Archival footage and interviews reveal how the camp, located in upstate New York and in operation between the 1950s through the 1970s, changed the lives of campers by providing newfound acceptance and freedom. It also inspired some campers to become leaders in the disability rights movement, including prolific activist Judith Heumann, and the fight for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Available on Netflix
LISTEN: America Amplified: Life, Community, and COVID-19
Public radio stations from across the U.S. highlight how members of diverse communities are affected by and adjusting to life under the coronavirus pandemic. Each episode explores a different topic, such as the effect of school shutdowns on the education gap or the experiences of essential workers, and offers listeners a chance to hear “from people and places that don’t always get a national voice,” according to the show’s creators. Every episode centers on two different cities, providing a juxtaposition of the lives of people in Atlanta and San Francisco, for example, under the pandemic. New episodes are released every Saturday at 3 PM EST, and all episodes are available to stream for free at npr.org/podcasts.
