Cognoscenti has published my latest essay: The Patriots’ Superficial Secret Weapon The New England Patriots are going to the Super Bowl! Again! For the third time in four years! For the eighth time in 17 years! Perhaps you’ve heard about this development? Sports writers, pundits, the mailman, your dog walker — it feels like everyone…
For Take Your Child to Work Day, 2017, Cognoscenti published I Took My 11-Year-Old Daughter To Work … In Sudan: Last year, I took my daughter to one of my part-time jobs: to northern Sudan, where she accompanied me as I worked as an archaeologist. No, I’m not crazy, and yes, her mother knew (and we…
February 3, 2017, Cognoscenti published: History Repeating: Lessons From The Civil Rights Era For Maximizing The Power Of Protests At least one elected official and his advisors seem eager to confirm the adage that “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” As Americans gird themselves against societal upheaval and figure out how…
Things change. Yep. The changes are not often what we’re seeking but we need to adapt. Since the US election in November 2016, I’ve published two essays in WBUR’s Cognoscenti that reflect my optimistic disappointment. Surely, there’s a way out of this? The first was published on November 14, 2016: A New ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ Host,…
Our local NPR station, WBUR, has an “op-ed” type page on their website called “Cognoscenti.” There’s something I wrote about watching the Netflix series “Stranger Things” with my family: Like many people, I indulged in nostalgia this summer watching the Netflix television series “Stranger Things.” But not because of the content of the show. For…
Here’s my essay from Cognoscenti, February 6, 2014 Author Anita Diamant recently wrote in Cognoscenti about how, even though she lives in Newton, she was proud and happy to welcome Boston’s new mayor into office. And the trolls descended! How dare a Newton resident call herself a Bostonian?, the commenters cried. Typical. Read the rest here.
My original title was “The Opposite of Racism is not ‘Race-Blind’” for what it’s worth. Here’s how it starts: Only white people think the opposite of racism is “race-blind.” That was one of the first thoughts that came into my head as I heard about the process of the George Zimmerman’s trial. (Just to be…
Jack Cheng, PhD 