I think it's just now setting in that we're in a new year. I don't know what that really means until MLK Day, a time of year I like to spend meditating on my own goals, practices, and lessons from the previous year via Martin Luther King, Jr. speeches. I dedicated this week's roundup to exactly that—a deep dive into the three speeches I'm sitting with this year. Be sure to check it out and give the speeches a listen this weekend if you can—I hope they can inspire some insight for you.
On the other hand, we've got some great stories for you to chomp on in the midst of what's looking like a chilly weekend in Philly. We discover how artist Miriam Carpenter "shapes the ethereal," consider lessons learned from rural America and how that's conveyed through local journalism, and meet the inaugural class of BlackStar's new Filmmaker Lab. Taller Puertorriqueño's new executive director tells us how fashion design can be a form of activism, and a new book on the late Kobe Bryant takes a unique look at his career, emphasizing his time growing up in the Philadelphia area.
Be safe and stay warm, Philly.