My father used to tend our garden. Then he was taken from us — changing what I understood about America’s fundamental covenants. He doused the roots of his white carnations, careful not to soak the generous stems that lived inside this hanging pot. They...
At age 15, I was no longer me. Learning about depression taught me about myself, my support group and growing efforts to fight mental illness. The Resilience Project board at Utah Valley University lets students know it is OK to struggle. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)...
Immigrants can struggle to work as professionals in the U.S. But there’s no quick fix to “brain waste,” which can punish the economy and migrants. (Photo provided by Uthpala Amarasinghe) This piece tied for first prize in News-Decoder’s...
The crisis in Venezuela has exploded into a global, humanitarian emergency. Giavanna Bravo reports in this episode of “The Kids Are Alright.” Years of political and social instability have forced millions of Venezuelans to flee their country. But where are...
I thought yellow vest protesters in France were a uniform group of angry radicals. But I talked to citizens and discovered it’s much more complicated. A newspaper stand burned down by protesters in France (photo by Claire Wang) This piece tied for first prize in...
Gen Zers care about climate change, but we fuel the fast-fashion industry, a contributor to global warming. Are we ready to shift our fashion choices? Customers in a clothing store in Tokyo, Japan, 23 August 2005 (EPA/EVERETT KENNEDY BROWN) This story was runner-up in...
I wanted to dispel preconceived notions about women in Africa. Three goddesses capture the strength of African women and celebrate blackness. “Uungu” My short film is a joint collaboration with makeup artist Fatima Yunusa that presents three African...
Poachers trading ivory are threatening Africa’s elephants with extinction. I shot a film showing how dogs are stemming the flow of illegal ivory in Kenya. https://vimeo.com/366888651 This story won honorable mention in News Decoder’s recent Storytelling...
What do we say about women who have their lives cut short because of violence? Why should we live in fear of what could happen to us as women? A woman demonstrates against gender violence, Johannesburg, South Africa, 13 September 2019 (EPA-EFE/KIM LUDBROOK) This poem...
Secessionist Biafra lost a war that divided Nigeria. But songs aimed at motivating troops in a lost cause have given the Igbo group a lasting heritage. Biafran army volunteers train with rifle-sized sticks, Owerri, Nigeria, 1 August 1968 (AP Photo/Kurt Strumpf) Songs...