culture
Nobuko Oshiro: Okinawa’s only female karate grandmaster
Training in karate was not always easy for Nobuko Oshiro, who faced bullying and harsh treatment from her instructors as one of the few women in the sport. Now at 77, she is Okinawa’s only female grandmaster and runs a renowned dojo, inspiring students from around the world.
Who was Toussaint L’Ouverture, the namesake behind Boston’s new Haitian cultural center?
The Toussaint L’Ouverture Cultural Center of Massachusetts, is set to celebrate its groundbreaking near TD Garden in Boston on May 20. It will act as a gathering place and resource center for local Haitians. And organizers hope it will also help the legacy of one of history’s great leaders live on. GBH’s Esteban Bustillos has the story.
The push to end harmful cooking methods worldwide
A third of the world’s population cooks with fuels that produce harmful fumes when burned. Breathing in the fine particles produced by cooking with wood, charcoal, coal, animal dung and agricultural waste can penetrate the lungs and cause multiple respiratory and cardiovascular problems, including cancer and strokes. Women and children are most at risk. Fifty countries gathered in Paris on Tuesday to raise funds to replace dangerous cooking with clean ones. Marco Werman speaks with Dymphna van der Lans, CEO of the Clean Cooking Alliance.
After decades of being overlooked, African art gets its moment
African art served as an inspiration in the 19th century for some of the greatest European artists, like Picasso, Gaugin and Matisse. But artists from Africa have played a small part in the international art world — until now. Earlier this month, a gallery in New York City held one of the largest showings of African contemporary art in the world.
Iranian rapper receives death sentence for his work and support of human rights
The work of 33-year-old Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi is as poetic as it is technically challenging — covering topics ranging from government corruption to the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests, he channels the voice of Iran’s disillusioned youth. This week, a revolutionary court in Isfahan overruled a previous court decision granting leniency for Salehi, and sentenced him to death.
A local soda is making a comeback in Turkey
Gazoz is an old-school, hyper-local soda that’s been ubiquitous in Turkey since it was invented more than a century ago. Every town has a signature brand, often incorporating local flavors like pine, lavender, or sweet almond. The World’s Durrie Bouscaren reports from southern Turkey on why this beloved drink is having a moment.