Archive for March 2026
Maria Tallchief
Do you ever watch the Nutcracker Ballet for Christmas? Maria Tallchief was the ballerina dancing with George Ballanchine at its premiere in 1954. Tallchief (1925-2013) was America’s first Native American prima ballerina. She revolutionized and popularized American ballet, and spoke on behalf of her Osage heritage all her life. She was known for known for…
Read MoreA Modern Take on Mozart
Who knew? The classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart did breakthrough work, creating the underpinning for much of the music we know today. Yes, music for orchestras and chamber music, but also for rock, pop, and even electronic music. For example, his quick key changes and complex harmonies inspired the music of Beatles star Paul McCartney.…
Read MoreIda B. Wells
Here’s a great heroine for Black History Month. Ida B. Wells (1862-1931) is an extraordinary model for justice from whom we can continue to draw energy and inspiration. She was an American investigative journalist, sociologist, and leader for women’s rights and civil rights. Born a slave and freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, she co-founded the…
Read MoreGregory of Nyssa
March 9th is the special day to remember Gregory of Nyssa, an early Christian theologian who served as the Bishop of Nyssa in Turkey, from 372 to 376 and from 378 until his death in 394. He, his younger brother, Bishop Basil of Caesarea, and their friend, Gregory of Nazianzus, are known as the Cappadocian…
Read MoreRosa Parks
December first is Rosa Parks Day. — Yes, as a child I knew about Rosa Parks’ refusal to sit in the back of the bus in Montgomery, Alabama back in 1955. But I did not know she was not old and tired at that time. “I was 42,” she said. “No, the only tired I…
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