Understanding The History and Significance of Juneteenth

Juneteenth’s formalization as a federal holiday is long overdue. 19 June 1865 marked two months after the Confederacy’s surrendering, effectively enacting the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas (though it had been law for two years), and thus freeing the slaves there. Nearly 100 years later, in 1980, Texas adopted the day as a state holiday, but many call it “merely symbolic.” Since, 40+ states have moved …

Myungsik Jang’s Gelatinous Animated Characters

Seoul-based multi-talented creative Myungsik Jang develops animated characters that exist somewhere between the sweet, strange and surreal. These creations (oftentimes appearing as a kind of anthropomorphic jelly) are animated digitally, though their personalities and textures are somehow tangible—all slimy, shiny, gelatinous dancing characters. Influenced by comics, Jang “relates to the characters with the ability to shapeshift,” and tells Jyni Ong for It’s Nice That, “I’ve had …

48,000-Year-Old Discovery in Sri Lanka Could Change History

Uncovered in and near Sri Lanka’s rainforest cave Fa-Hien Lena, hundreds of arrowheads crafted from animal bones are believed to date back 48,000 years—possibly making them the oldest evidence of bow-and-arrow hunting outside Africa. The earliest instances exist in South Africa (64,000 years ago) and the next oldest was believed to date back 32,000 years in Southeast Asia. Being made from bone means the arrowheads …