Author Archives: mdilwort

Author Archives: mdilwort

Celebrating African-American Music Month

Celebrating African-American Music Month

, , Uncategorized
June is African-American Music Month, intended to celebrate the important contributions of African-American entertainers in the music industry.  Most American popular music is rooted in Black music traditions dating to the founding of the country, a fact not always acknowledged in society, and these traditions range from instrumentation to musical style to vocalization.  This blog highlights a handful of influential African-American musicians whose work is part of American collective social memory. Gladys Bentley Openly lesbian and among the first well-known drag king performers in American history, Gladys Bentley (1907-1960) was born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, and grew up in Philadelphia.  She left home at 16 to perform in jazz clubs in New York, under her own name but dressed in formal … Continued
Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness Month

, Jesse Whitton, Library Resources, outreach
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and although society is becoming more open to discussing mental health, it can still be challenging to know where to begin when it comes to taking care of your own mental well-being. Several national groups and government organizations provide resources for all your mental health needs. Mental Health America offers a downloadable toolkit with information, posters, and DIY tools. The National Institutes of Health explores topics such as anxiety disorder, borderline personality disorder, and suicide prevention, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides direct support for those suffering from mental illness. Online counseling sessions are available for all students via Timely Care. IU East students also have access to Chat with a … Continued
Student Protester Resources

Student Protester Resources

, , Library Resources
As protests for many causes crop up on college campuses across the country, students are grappling with strong feelings on important issues, and where and how to express them.  Recent protests, including at Indiana University itself, have controversially led to arrests.  Students may question what rights they do and do not have, and how they can assert them, whether they plan to join a protest, organize one, or document one (such as with video). The right to protest is enumerated in the Constitution, specifically the First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably … Continued
Cicada Broods and Beyond: Navigating Scientific Journals for Rare Natural Wonders

Cicada Broods and Beyond: Navigating Scientific Journals for Rare Natural Wonders

, , Library Resources
On April 8, 2024, a large swath of Indiana was treated to a total solar eclipse, a rare event that last happened in 1869. And in May, parts of Indiana are experiencing another rare occurrence in nature – the emergence of two different cicada broods. In the north and southwest counties of Indiana there is the emergence of Brood XIII (17-year brood) and Brood XIX (13-year brood), a happening last took place in 1803. It will be another 221 years before these two broods sync again (Burga). Over a trillion red-eyed cicadas across the Midwest will emerge from underground burrows, where four U.S. cicada species live for 13 years and three U.S. species live for 17 years. They will spend … Continued
McClure’s Magazine and the birth of investigative journalism

McClure’s Magazine and the birth of investigative journalism

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It’s 1893, and the United States is in the middle of an economic panic.  People are rushing to the banks, eager to take out all their money before it becomes worthless.  The national unemployment rate hovers near 18%, and hundreds of companies and banks go out of business.  Into this inauspicious moment, a new magazine eager to forge a new idea of American letters prints its first issue.  For thirteen years, the irrepressible Samuel S. McClure helmed an enormously talented staff whose work helped bring forth a new era of journalism. Samuel McClure (the middle name Sidney was added later) was born in Ireland on February 17, 1857.  His family became impoverished with the death of his father when he … Continued