Top Stories
New stories you’ll love, handpicked for you by our team and updated daily.
British Black Artists
If I were not in my twenties and attempting to budget like a proper adult, I would have spent the majority of my money on artwork by now. Instead I have developed a slight addiction to scrolling through Instagram for hours on end, flicking from artist to artist and admiring their work. Additionally, if I see a piece of artwork that I like in a gallery or museum, I’ll purchase it in the form of a postcard or print, as this is the most efficient way of cluttering my walls with artwork without spending lots of money. However, I have not taken much time to notice how whitewashed my Instagram art feed and my wall of postcards have both become. Without even noticing, I have severely disregarded the lack of diversity in the artists that I admire and purchase from.
By Nuriya Shoro6 years ago in Geeks
2020 Summer Lovin!!
Summer 2020 is approaching and I know what you’re thinking, SUMMER IS NOT CANCELED! While plenty of businesses are re-opening just in time for summer I'm going to give you a few tips on how to enjoy your summer while still abiding by the stay-at-home-rules. You can have fun and be creative while inspiring others and being influential during this dark and crutial time for some people. Don’t give up hope just yet, here are some fun things you can still do during this pandemic to make the most out of your favorite season.
By Victoria Simone6 years ago in Motivation
Socially distant soccer
The training session came to an end and one of the triallists made his way over to say thanks for the opportunity. Instinctively, he offered his hand ... but right now in England, handshakes are off limits. As sport cautiously returns to action, everyone has plenty to learn.
By Andy Potts6 years ago in Cleats
Rock Your Cocktail Photos
Be honest with me for a second… have you ever used your phone to take a picture of your food, with your soul intention being to make your friends jealous #ShotOniPhone… Only to look at that photo and admit to yourself that it looks nothing at all like what’s in front of you, in fact it looks like a total piece of CRAP?!🤷🏼♀️
By Leigh Loftus6 years ago in Photography
Where's the Money?
Back in October 2019, a video posted by an old school friend popped up on my Instagram feed. In this video, he was sat on the shoulders of another friend, leading chants in Lebanese asking, ‘Where’s the money?’, surrounded by a crowded street of protestors in London who were holding up Lebanese flags and banners. This school friend was Joseph El Kadi, a 23-year-old Lebanese student who is currently undertaking a PhD at the University of Cambridge. My interest peaked when I saw the video, but with the pressures of work taking a toll and the lack of media attention surrounding the issues in Lebanon, I liked the video, pushed my interest in the video to the back of my mind, and kept scrolling.
By Nuriya Shoro6 years ago in The Swamp
Voices For Change
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd cried out that he couldn't breathe, and the people heard his cries. In the weeks to follow, millions took to the streets, the courthouses, and the web to lend their voices to the chants echoing throughout Minnesota, the United States, and the entire world, extending allegiance to those affected and demanding justice from those in power.
By Vocal Curation Team6 years ago in Resources
Dear Black Girl, Your Life Matters, So Please Meditate
Dear (Suburban) Black Girl, You are *magical*, yes. You are a queen, full stop, period. I’m not here to tell you that you shouldn’t pick your head up, dust it off, and keep it pushing when the haters (or systemic racism) get you down. It can actually be challenging to maintain a smile sometimes, to be the source of strength that many seek for inspiration. I understand what it means to have to laugh off the jokes your friends say when you’re the only one who looks like you in your friend group. It can be a challenge to feel different, to know you are different, but to seek so much normalcy and “sameness” anyways.
By Erin Jones-Wesley6 years ago in Psyche
shopping sustainably: materials
we all wear clothes and we are all guilty of forgetting or ignoring our relationship with the environment. as a few reminders, your average cotton t-shirt takes 2,700 liters of water. that is about 713 gallons. for reference, the average american drinks only 58 gallons of water in one year.
By Erin Pouba6 years ago in Styled
Dear Fellow White Women: Want to Smash the Patriarchy? Stand Against Racism
When Emma Stone, at the 2018 Oscars, referred to the Best Director nominees as 'these four men and Greta Gerwig', she was met with a mixture of praise and heavy criticism- and it wasn't from misgoynists. Sure, the actress was right to call out the ridiculously low number of female nominees- but she was swiftly criticised for ignoring the fact that "these four men" included a Latino man (Guillermo Del Toro) and a black one (Jordan Peele). Men of colour, as Stone's critcs pointed out, don't exactly get everything handed to them. Why should they- along with women of colour- celebrate one wealthy white woman for cheering on another wealthy white women, ignoring their experiences, and calling it feminism? (Plus, no-one's forgotten Aloha.)
By Emma Curzon6 years ago in The Swamp
DADS (fathers) DAY
One minute past midnight and 'Fathers Day' will be officially all over as another day starts; Monday. The cards might stop up a bit longer to remind us of day that we've celebrated and depending on the gift you've received, a lot longer. But one thing that will always remain; ' You' being a father. Being a dad never goes away like the day does, the card or the gift does, fatherhood is, or supposed to be a life long title and commitment. It's great that "Fathers Day" is celebrated and fathers are shown love and appreciation.
By Albert Andre6 years ago in Families
Why Everyone Should Read "A Piece of Cake" by Cupcake Brown
TRIGGER WARNING: the following review discusses some graphic and severe elements of Cupcake Brown's memoir, "A Piece of Cake." While some details may be disturbing, it is important to talk about them, as they pertain to systemic injustice we the people are trying to overcome. Thank you.
By Kathryn Milewski6 years ago in The Swamp
Creator Spotlight: Christian Johnson
Christian Johnson is an incredibly talented photographer and cinematographer based out of Brooklyn, NY. His work embodies such raw emotion and detail that any given spectator might view the same picture in 2 different ways, depending on the day and how they feel. In that mysterious phenomenon lies the true art in his creations: the power he grants to the viewer. You might ask, "how can a still image be subjective?," and to that, we don't pretend to know or understand. All we know is that Christian's photos are very satisfying to look at, and that they seem to evolve over time.
By Vocal Spotlight6 years ago in Resources
Embracing Radical Empathy in an Age of Antipathy. First Place in Lifelong Learning Challenge.
When I take a look around me today, one thing has become abundantly clear: We are living through an age of antipathy. Whether it's lockdown protestors that would have the ‘old and weak’ sacrificed for the right to get a haircut, the people yelling ‘All Lives Matter’ - not as a statement of solidarity or support but rather as a rebuttal to demean and dismiss the Black Lives Movement, or the parent that refuses to vaccinate their kids and thus endangers the rest of the kids amongst them for otherwise cured diseases, a vulgar pattern of exceptional egocentrism appears.
By malin evita6 years ago in Humans
A Podcast Like No Other
Why did the US assassinate Qasem Soleimani in early January this year? “Well”, explains Aimen Dean on the 'Conflicted' podcast, “because he never wrote anything down”. The military leader was so paranoid about espionage that he kept all of his plans, contacts and intel in his head. Killing him was not just a show of strength by America, but a tactical ploy. It essentially “re-formated the hard drive of the Quds force”.
By Bob's picks6 years ago in The Swamp
Why I write on Vocal
I will be honest and say that when I first came across Vocal, I had hopes of fat paychecks and visions of quitting the day job. It hasn’t worked out like that. Not even close. In reality, I have now earned almost enough for a couple of bags of crisps and a can of coke. But I have not given up writing on Vocal, even if I’m yet to earn enough to buy myself a pint.
By R.S. Sillanpaa6 years ago in Journal
