Winter 2021
America’s Black Artisans and Innovators
Over the last year, America has experienced its most profound racial reckoning in decades. To do our part for the cause of peace and the ideals of democracy, we are dedicating our Winter issue to the generations of creativity that Black Americans have brought to this country. Their unique contributions, which have changed our country for the better but often gone unrecognized, include innovations in food, music, art, literature, dance, and the myriad other pursuits that constitute a vibrant society. As we enter a season that includes Martin Luther King Day and Black History Month, as well as sad anniversaries of horrific killings of Blacks by police officers, we hope you’ll enjoy the first in our collection of these inspiring portraits.
Spring 2017, Winter 2019, Winter 2021
The Architecture of Trust
With only a quick glance at today’s overheated political climate—the balkanized geography between red and blue states, the bombastic outgoing president, the strident social media culture, all culminating in the recent attack on the U.S. Capitol—you get an unmistakable message: We don’t know how to talk with each other anymore, let alone build common ground. An expert in linguistics explores our new argumentative culture to find ways that Americans of different beliefs can start believing in each other again.
By MICHAEL ERARD
A Home-Grown Social Entrepreneur
Since 2010, Kelly Carlisle has been breaking new ground—literally— for youngsters in East Oakland and beyond, using an urban farm to inspire them to engage with the world as curious citizens. “Part of my work,” she says, “is to make sure we expand their worldview.”
By WILL CALLAN
A Black Artist’s Haven on a (mostly) White Vineyard
Martha’s Vineyard has long been seen as primarily a summer getaway paradise for the East Coast elite. Its reality, however, is far more complex. Dotted throughout the posh homes in this gorgeous island are substantial communities of minorities. One of the biggest and most popular, the town of Oak Bluffs, has welcomed and inspired generations of Black Americans, including an artist and doll maker named Janice Frame.
By SKIP FINLEY
Soul Food Gets the Vegan Treatment
Driven primarily by health, Black vegan restaurateurs are creating plant-based versions of soul food that avoid meat, salty fats, and other bodily evildoers, while still retaining the succulence and rich memories of those beloved old family recipes. And in some cases, the turn to the vegan lifestyle is also turning some lives around.
By TERRY COLLINS