All Perspectives
In the key of joy: Pianos for People gives instruments to St. Louis childrenPianos for People, a St. Louis nonprofit, matches unwanted pianos with families that need them. Free piano lessons are offered, too.
A timely lesson from a tiny town long agoCovert, Michigan, wasn't founded as a utopia. Yet from the 1860s onward, Black and white residents farmed, voted, and educated their kids together.
Readers RespondReaders write: Pairing religion with higher educationLetters to the editor for the August 2, 2021 weekly magazine. Readers discuss experiences with religion and local solutions to the outdoor divide.
Points of ProgressMore inclusive courts, from Canada to ColombiaIn our progress roundup, Canada appoints a nonwhite justice, and Colombia鈥檚 Constitutional Court translates from Spanish to 26 Indigenous languages.
Points of ProgressBridges from old wind turbines, better A/C from nonstick coatingsIn our progress roundup, engineers address environmental concerns mere decades old: air conditioning鈥檚 climate impact and aging wind turbine blades.
How Book Dash nurtures South Africa鈥檚 young readersFor Book Dash, getting more books into the hands and homes of South African kids is a question of social justice.
How a rumored hidden creek inspired a Baltimore pastor鈥檚 peace parkA hidden creek in a messy bramble on church property inspired a Baltimore pastor to build a peace park. Now it鈥檚 a model of environmental justice.
Energy, wildlife, and the myth of the zero-sum gameRenewable energy projects 鈥� dams, solar panels, even batteries 鈥� sometimes harm the environment around them. But holistic approaches offer a way forward.
Readers RespondReaders write: State of the capital and Georgia voting lawsLetters to the editor for the July 12 & 19, 2021 weekly magazine. Readers discuss the motives behind restrictive voting laws.聽
Points of ProgressMore than memories: Digital archives are preserving refugee culturesOur progress briefs highlight the fostering and preservation of marginalized cultures, from聽Indigenous Australians to refugees who鈥檝e lost homelands.
Difference MakerHow Otto Orondaam helps students make the gradeNigerian nonprofit Slum2School, founded by Otto Orondaam, aims to help kids access education in a country where about 1 in 3 are out of school.
Points of ProgressProtecting fur and fins: Bans on fashion in Israel and fishing in JamaicaOur progress roundup: Israel is first country to ban fashion furs, and a Jamaica fish sanctuary where conservationist-fisher cooperation is key.
Class in session, outside: The power of outdoor education.Outdoor preschools encompass more than playing. They鈥檙e about building forts, or watching turtles sun themselves; they鈥檙e about using nature to learn.
What does systemic racism mean to you?Disagreements over phrases like 鈥渟ystemic racism鈥� can make it difficult for opposing sides to notice when they share common values.
Readers RespondReaders write: Facing history through television 鈥� or reviewsLetters to the editor for the June 28, 2021 weekly magazine. Readers discuss diversity in cycling and a review of聽鈥淭he Underground Railroad."
Points of ProgressRighting wrongs for marginalized people, from Colorado to KenyaProgress briefs: compassion for the marginalized, from once-incarcerated people in Colorado to LGBTQ Kenyans allying with conservative faith leaders.
A different view of religion and politicsPolitics is often injected with a religious fervor, a winner-take-all attitude. But religion also has a different function: community building.
Points of ProgressFor a warming world, solar-powered schools and city 鈥榟eat officers鈥�Progress roundup: Women rise to jobs of first-ever 鈥渃hief heat officer鈥� in Miami-Dade, top civilian in the U.S. Army, and head of Paris鈥� Louvre.
A key to ending the culture wars: Respect.The difference between respecting others and enabling one鈥檚 adversaries seems a thin line. But respect is an essential agent of progress and healing.
Readers RespondReaders write: Local journalism and responsible gun ownershipLetters to the editor for the June 14, 2021 weekly magazine. Readers discuss newspaper subscriptions and how to incentivize firearm training.
