Author: TheConversation

By Anthony Palomba, Visiting Assistant Professor of Business Administration, University of Virginia The trailer for “The Many Saints of Newark” features the song “Money” by The Flying Lizards. One lyric poignantly captures the thematic heart of the prequel to the sprawling television series about mob boss Tony Soprano: “Money don’t get everything / It’s true / What it don’t get / I can’t use.” It also reflects the milieu of a movie industry embroiled in a battle over release dates and release formats. “The Sopranos” creator David Chase has expressed anger over HBO’s decision to simultaneously release “The Many...

By Michael J. O’Brien, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Texas A&M-San Antonio; and Izzat Alsmadi, Associate Professor of Computing and Cybersecurity, Texas A&M-San Antonio Sorting through the vast amount of information created and shared online is challenging, even for the experts. Just talking about this ever-shifting landscape is confusing, with terms like “misinformation,” “disinformation” and “hoax” getting mixed up with buzzwords like “fake news.” Misinformation is perhaps the most innocent of the terms – it is misleading information created or shared without the intent to manipulate people. An example would be sharing a rumor that a celebrity...

By William Francis Keegan, Curator of Caribbean Archaeology, University of Florida Christopher Columbus was a narcissist. He believed he was personally chosen by God for a mission that no one else could achieve. After 1493, he signed his name “xpo ferens” meaning “the Christbearer.” His stated goal was to accumulate enough wealth to recapture Jerusalem. His arrogance led to his downfall, that of millions of Native Americans – and eventually fostered his resurrection as the most enduring icon of the Americas. Columbus in chains In 1496, Columbus was the governor of a colony based at Santo Domingo, in what...

By David R. M. Beck, Professor of Native American Studies, The University of Montana The National Day of Remembrance for Native American children honors children who died years ago while attending the United States’ Indian boarding schools each September 30. On that day this year, a bill was reintroduced in both the Senate and the House to establish an American Indian Truth and Healing Commission on Indian boarding schools. The bill’s purposes include both truth-seeking and healing. It asks “to formally investigate and document,” the impact of the trauma that resulted from Indian boarding school policies – a trauma...

By Brad R. Fulton, Associate Professor, Indiana University Centuries of systemic racism and everyday discrimination in the U.S. have left a major mental health burden on African American communities, and the past few years have dealt especially heavy blows. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that Black Americans are twice as likely to die of COVID-19, compared with white Americans. Their communities have also been hit disproportionately by job losses, food insecurity and homelessness as a result of the pandemic. Meanwhile, racial injustice and high-profile police killings of Black men have amplified stress. During the...