Dr Wangari Maathai

[nanila]

This week’s theme is Female Nobel Laureates. Sadly, there are so few - and correspondingly even fewer of colour - that this really will only fill one week.

Dr Wangari Maathai was the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize for her environmental work in Kenya. I learned of her death last week from ajnabieh’s entry about her, from which I extract this quote from Wangari Maathai’s 2008 Blackwell Award acceptance speech. The Blackwell Award is given by the Hobart and William Smith Colleges in honour of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910), the first woman in America to receive the Doctor of Medicine degree, to a woman “whose life exemplifies outstanding service to humanity.” The list of awardees can be viewed here.

( Planting trees can be politically dangerous )

( +5 )

George Alagiah “Mixed Race Britannia”

[nanila]

Two posts in one day is unprecedented, I think, but I thought that members of this community might be interested in a series that will be airing on BBC2 in the UK starting at 9 PM on Thursday, 6 October. It’s called “Mixed Race Britannia” and it will be hosted by George Alagiah, who is Sri Lankan-British and in a mixed-race marriage.



Guardian interview with George Alagiah
BBC article by George Alagiah on mixed-race marriage

Persons outside the UK may be able to view the series through the BBC iPlayer using a browser that can feign a UK location. I don't, of course, suggest that anyone attempt this. *hands in pockets, whistling*