In this episode of The African American Folklorist, I speak with Dr. Tyler Parry, author of the book "Jumping The Broom - The Surprising Multicultural Origins of a Black Wedding Ritual."

The ancient people of western Utah’s Danger Cave lived well. They ate freshwater fish, ducks and other small game, according to detritus they left behind.

While the whole world awaits the approval of several vaccines that promise to fight COVID-19, in the United States local health authorities are preparing to receive that long-awaited vaccine as soon as possible. Adriana Arévalo tells us about it from Las Vegas, where the special refrigerator needed to store some of these vaccines was already purchased.

With the eyes of the world focused on the emerging coronavirus vaccines, it's astonishing to think the foundations of the science date back more than 200 years.

The year 2020 has been among the most challenging years this generation of Americans has ever faced — from political divisiveness and civil strife to the COVID-19 pandemic that continues throughout our great state and nation. But amid the difficulty, there are encouraging signs. The pandemic has reinforced the importance of science to society. Working together, the solutions and strategies offered by members of the faculties of the University of Nevada, Reno and University of Nevada, Las Vegas have shown the transformative power of institutional collaboration to the benefit of the state.

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson wants to see a change in the way judges take the bench in Nevada.

Sen. Kelly Loeffler, the ultra-wealthy unelected Georgia senator facing a runoff election this January that may determine control of the U.S. Senate, came under the scrutiny of government and Senate investigators this spring amid press reports of stock trades made after she attended a private briefing in January about the coronavirus pandemic.

The year 2020 has been among the most challenging years this generation of Americans has ever faced. From political divisiveness and civil strife to the COVID-19 pandemic that continues throughout our great state and nation. But amid the difficulty, there are encouraging signs.