Welcome to Earth Month! Nothing brings on a crisis of scale like thinking about our transient moments on this shared paradise. I like to think about the photo of Earth taken from 4 billion miles away by Voyager I in 1990, where our planet appears as a mere fraction of a pixel.
Carl Sagan wrote some brilliant words about this in his 1994 book “Pale Blue Dot.”
“It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world,” he writes. “To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.”
✨ WOMEN ✨ PART 1
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
We’ve talked about Oluwamodupe “Dupe” Oloyede before. She’s the first female drum major for Florida A&M University’s Marching 100. Marching bands are amazing, full stop, but they’re built different at HBCUs. To be the drum major for an HBCU band like the Marching 100 is to be a nearly mythical figure, carrying on traditions steeped in lore.
The Atlanta native’s achievements have been noticed by some pretty cool institutions.
- She was at this year’s Academy Awards, performing during the “I Lied to You” juke-joint commemoration of the film “Sinners.” (Doubly cool since she’s a theater major.)
- She also got her very own exhibit at the College Football Hall of Fame in recognition of Women’s History Month. The exhibit featured photos of Oloyede commanding Florida A&M’s band, along with her uniform jacket and a tall major shako (military-style) hat.
While grateful for all she’s earned, Oloyede says she’s always looking to the future.
“Really, the next step I want is representation,” Oloyede, who is Nigerian American, said. “Let’s make some great work. Let’s display our culture even better, even greater than what we can see right now. Let’s dream big and whatever lands, I’m excited.”
🐍 READ MORE: What Oloyede wants to achieve
Note: For the proper inflection of “women” in this subtitle and the following, please refer to Jo March’s monologue in 2019’s “Little Women” where she barely keeps it together about how women deserve the world. Just … ✨ women!✨
✨ WOMEN ✨ PART 2
Credit: AP Photo/Chris O'Meara
Credit: AP Photo/Chris O'Meara
The Artemis II crew is on their way to the moon for a flyby, and they’re the first crew to leave low Earth orbit since 1972.
As part of the pioneering four-person team, astronaut Christina Koch is the first woman to venture this far into space. She’s also a North Carolina gal.
- Koch was raised in Jacksonville, North Carolina. She attended the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and earned three degrees from North Carolina State University.
- In 2024, she won the North Carolina Award, the highest civilian honor given by the state.
- The Morehead Planetarium and Science Center at the University of North Carolina even held a watch party for the Artemis II launch.
🚀 More from the North Carolina Rabbit Hole
SIPS FROM AROUND THE SOUTH
🕯️ Nashville, TN: A Jewish student group hosted a Passover Seder at Vanderbilt’s FirstBank Stadium. The sacred gathering was the first of its kind at the massive venue, and students and leaders say it was a meaningful new way to bring community members together. More from The Tennessean
🚰 Warrenton, VA: A teenager invented a filtration system that removes 96% of microplastics from drinking water. The device uses a type of magnetic oil. Mia Heller was inspired to find a solution after learning about water quality issues in her own hometown. More from The Smithsonian
🖼️ Jackson, MS: The Mississippi Museum of Art revived its monthly Art and Coffee series to encourage intergenerational conversation and celebration. Studies show museums continue to be trusted institutions, and the MMA’s leaders want people to have a place to turn to in these overwhelming times. More from Mississippi Today
🌳 Berea, KY: Berea College won a yearslong legal battle to protect its beloved College Forest from an eminent domain claim brought by a power cooperative that wanted to bisect the area with high-voltage transmission lines. A judge sided with the college’s claims the forest had unique, historic geological and ecological value. More from The Lexington Herald Leader
🗑️ Columbia, SC: The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services has a mission for South Carolinians this Earth Month. Their “Don’t Waste Food SC” program encourages people to cut down on food waste and works with local companies and organizations to do the same. More from SC.gov
TELL US SOMETHING GOOD
Is there a cool event we need to know about? Something great happening in your town? Let us know. This is your space, too. SweetTea@ajc.com.
SOUTHERN WISDOM
South of the North, yet north of the South, lies the City of a Hundred Hills, peering out from the shadows of the past into the promise of the future. I have seen her in the morning, when the first flush of day had half-roused her; she lay gray and still on the crimson soil of Georgia; then the blue smoke began to curl from her chimneys, the tinkle of bell and scream of whistle broke the silence, the rattle and roar of busy life slowly gathered and swelled, until the seething whirl of the city seemed a strange thing in a sleepy land.
Happy 404 Day, Atlanta! Here’s some pure poetry to celebrate.
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