#5SmartReads - February 3, 2023
Hitha on AP African-American Studies, the lure of ProductivityTok, and the story behind Princess Diana's Eagles jacket
Florida’s move had the College Board changing the AP African-American Studies curriculum so it would continue to be taught - to the detriment of the students who wished to learn the accurate history and critical thinking.
It would benefit the culture warriors who railed against this class to actually take it.
Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, one of the reviews of the AP course and a professor of history and African & African American Studies at Harvard, dispels the many claims of DeSantis and critics of the original course’s curriculum. In being so fixated on the buzzwords of the curriculum, the critics of this class are missing the main point:
“One of the major points that comes out of this course is that Black people are not a monolith. The people of African descent are themselves of different ethnicities, of different ideologies and political persuasions. They are different as far as income, as far as education. And we’re trying to capture that complexity. There’s certain things that will be similar. But the richness of it is the complexity within a narrative that allows for students to disagree. And we want students to disagree. We want respectful and civil debate.”
The soothing, slightly sinister world of productivity hacks (Vox)
It is so easy to be seduced by the Reels or TikToks of the productive, with their gel pens and planner spreads and clean desktops and walking pads (guilty as charged here).
I can’t lie - I’ve certainly found myself falling down multiple black holes of ProductivityTok. And like so many things that become influencer darlings, it is insanely profitable (the productivity software sector is projected to be worth $103B by 2027) and doesn’t actually drive increased productivity.
“Sure, the right mixture of these tips can make us more organized and focused, but the outcome isn’t always a better work-life balance or a more structured morning routine. It’s the gamification of labor, where the pressure for output is exhilarating because it’s tangible and trackable.”
I’ve tried every planner, timer, and organization app out there. They’re great - but without a solid foundation that lets you start your day focused and energized, they won’t work.
For me? Not drinking alcohol (especially on weeknights) and keeping my phone in my room until I’ve finished my first big task of the day are what work for me. Everything else helps, but these are the foundation that make a specific planner or system or app work for me.
FDA head reveals plan to reorganize regulatory food programs (Axios)
IT’S ABOUT DAMN TIME!
The food division has long needed a reorganization and resources to mount prompt responses to essential food shortages or recalls, and I’m heartened to see this actually become the case under Commissioner Califf.
But time will tell if this new reorganization will do what it hopes to do, and if Congress will authorize the necessary funds to achieve the goals of the newly organized Human Foods Program.
The emphasis on nutrition is something I really appreciate (and is far overdue), but I did hope that the food division would be spun out into its own organization, with its commissioner recognized at the same level as the FDA commissioner.
While there is plenty the food and drug side can share with one other regarding safety and regulation, the food recalls and shortages of the past few years show the need for an agency that can rapidly respond to urgent issues and be proactive about ensuring safe, nutritious food supply long term. It’s a necessary first step, but there’s a lot more than can be done.
Why Did Princess Diana Own a Philadelphia Eagles Varsity Jacket? (Harper’s Bazaar)
This is one of my favorite royal moments, even if it was just a fashion moment and not a sign of sports allegiance (though we Eagles fans claim Diana as the Eagles Princess as much as she is the People’s Princess).
The real story of Diana’s wearing of this custom Eagles letterman’s jacket is a fairly simple one (she struck up a conversation with the Eagles’ statistician, he asked what her favorite colors were and they happened to be the team’s colors, and he promised to send some merch).
What I want to know is who owns that jacket? Because I think it would look perfect on a certain Duchess in Montecito (and yes, Philly claims Harry & Meghan as well).
Go Birds!
El Paso County Judge denies open border at House Judiciary hearing over border security (KFOX 14)
I believe we need comprehensive immigration and border security reform. I also believe that we need to look to the communities who are doing it well, and see how we can replicate their successes where possible.
And what should be a nonpartisan examination of El Paso’s success in handling a significant increase in migration is a partisan cherry-picking of details that fails to look at the full picture, as El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego hoped to share.
“We process every individual that comes through. We make sure we coordinate. We get a lot of information. And I must emphasize, it was the Border Patrol and the federal government that asked us to step up as a community. And when we don't do the right things, it backs up their system. They start getting more and more people. The detention centers are extremely limited compared to what a community can do. So either you put the pressure on the federal government or you put the pressure on a community that has, you know, almost 14 sites where we get we could get people sheltered. We can process people. Like I said, 35 to 40% are individuals that already have a sponsor. They have money and they can move into to the communities and in other communities. We get a lot of calls of a lot of states and cities throughout the country that one migrant. And if we do the right thing and we process them, then we can get the migrants to them as well as help our community. And we talk about three things. It's safety, which. These are extremely important for."