Cracked & Golden

27/10/2021

02/02/2021

Two of his students were sleeping under bridges. One was living in a car. So this high school principal in South Carolina took a part-time job at Walmart and donated his paychecks to those in need. And changed the world in his own backyard.

"I was taught if your hands find something to do, do it," he said.

02/02/2021

Dr. King and Rosa Parks are worthy of study. But this February, we encourage you to explore the lives and contributions of lesser known Black Americans, starting with the man who helped launch Black History Week nearly a century ago.

Read about the man who launched Black History Week a century ago.

28/01/2021

"How those cards came to exist — and end up at the hospital — is an incredible story that involves social justice and artistry and people from across the world coming together. Mostly though, it involves singing — lots of singing."

It’s a story that involves community, social justice and singing — lots of singing.

25/01/2021

Separated by two states and petrified that her mom wouldn’t survive, Jen Friedline did the only thing she knew to do. She became an advocate, albeit a long-distanced one.

20/01/2021

We think the custodial staff who helped get our country back to work after rioters stormed the Capitol Jan. 6 are among the unsung heroes of that day — and deserve some thanks.

We think the custodial staff who helped make this possible are among the unsung heroes of that day — and deserve some thanks.

18/01/2021

If what you know about Martin Luther King Jr. begins and ends with his famous “I Have A Dream” speech, it’s time for a refresher.

While often viewed today as an American hero, it’s worth remembering that the King of the 1960s was considered a pariah to man. And although he was a proponent of nonviolent, direct action, King died violently in 1968 from an assassin’s bullet while championing the idea that workers should be pa...

18/01/2021

Today, we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Looking for a way to do the same? We think King's "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" is a must-read. (Find the link in the comments section).

12/01/2021

"My only son turns 21 this week. I will no longer be the mother of a Black child. I will be the mother of a Black man. When I consider his next encounter with law enforcement in a nation where Black Americans are more than three times as likely to be shot and killed by police as their white counterparts, I am overwrought. I am overwrought that as my son comes of age, a pandemic kills more than 3,000 people in the U.S. every day and we grapple with the reality that domestic terrorists overran the Capitol not 30 minutes from our home. But I'm also optimistic."

My son comes of age as a pandemic claims more than 3,000 lives in the U.S. every day and Black Americans are still 3 times more likely to be killed by police.

11/01/2021

Looking for books to add to your 2021 reading list? We’ve rounded up six titles that left a lasting impact on us. Tell us your favorites!

These books helped us process a year unlike any other. They took us outside ourselves. And they made us take a closer look at who we are.

07/01/2021

Let's make it better.

06/01/2021

The secret ingredient to living a longer life: Having purpose. "It's possible to boost our sense of meaning and purpose through simple interventions, such as volunteering." We love this.

Diet and exercise are certainly vital for health, but research suggests finding a purpose can lower your mortality risk in many ways.

05/01/2021

For Elinor Slomba, one of 40 million people in the U.S. living alone, COVID-19 meant navigating the illness and its aftermath alone.

Elinor Slomba got it at her 12-step fellowship gathering. It was March 10, just three days before Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont would order all public schools closed, 10 days before he would issue his…

24/12/2020

ICYMI: Settle in with one of these holiday movies at home this Christmas Eve -- handpicked by us for you. 🎅

These movies make us laugh and make us cry — a fitting way to celebrate this quarantine Christmas.

23/12/2020

We’ve rounded up some of our favorite holiday flicks at Cracked & Golden. They make us laugh. They make us cry. We think that's fitting. See our list -- and tell us your favorite -- in the comments section. 👇☃️💃

22/12/2020

We miss going to the movies. But filmmakers are missing so much more. Especially those like Cara Feinberg, who make short films. She'd just finished "Lockshop," a documentary about a South Boston family in business for nearly a century, when the coronavirus shut down theatres.

2020 might be one of the best years to watch a movie. But filmmaker Cara Feinberg learned it’s the worst year in history to a release a film.

22/12/2020

Because supply is limited, states are prioritizing certain groups for the vaccine against COVID-19. Here’s what you need to know.

More than 614,000 people in the U.S. have already received a vaccine against COVID-19. Because supply is limited, states are prioritizing certain groups for the vaccine. Here’s what you need to know:

18/12/2020

It’s time to seize the moment. To think about what you really want to do, and how you can get it done. Is there something you've been avoiding? Tell us!

The pandemic has shown us that the future is always in doubt. So stop waiting.

16/12/2020

Want to save the world? Start on your street.

15/12/2020

This diet includes donuts. And is good for your mental health.

When you give up social media, you’ll feel more joy, have more time and enjoy those around them more. Best of all, this is a diet where donuts are allowed.

14/12/2020

Tomorrow (Dec. 15) is the last day to sign up for the Health Insurance Marketplace during the open sign-up period. Here's what you need to know to get insured.

Dec. 15 is the last day to sign up for the Health Insurance Marketplace during the open sign-up period.

10/12/2020

Christmas might suck this year. There. We said it. Now you try.

If the clarion call to haul out the holly has you wanting to take it straight to the dumpster, you’re not alone.

08/12/2020

There are real ways, immediate ways, to fix things. We don’t have to wait for a president to determine the way forward. In fact, the way forward can start instantly.

We don’t have to wait for a president to determine the way forward. In fact, the way forward can start instantly.

07/12/2020

We think it’s a good idea to adopt a senior citizen every holiday season. But especially in 2020.

We love this program that partners with local non-profits and community organizations to get gifts to seniors in need.

03/12/2020

Another bit of brilliance by Rachel Barth:

“We’re a married couple living with a child living with my mom,” Elizabeth said. “We’re not doing our own thing — our lives have stopped.”

In fact, they’ve been gone so long that the clothes they left behind in the closet (most of what they own) are covered in mold, according to a recent call from a friend.

Missionary and new mom Elizabeth Manual left her work in Guatemala to give birth. The pandemic has kept her from returning.

02/12/2020

Wednesday feels.

01/12/2020

Edward Ballard had a successful woodworking business in Brooklyn. When the pandemic shut it down, he coped by tapping into his creativity, including designing a tie for Stephen Colbert.

Another killing of an unarmed black man in American left Edward Ballard feeling overwhelmed and looking for meaning.

01/12/2020

GivingTuesday, held every Dec. 1, is a global day of generosity that shows how each of us has the power to make a difference in our communities — and change the world.

This global day of generosity shows how each of us has the power to make a difference in our communities — and change the world.

30/11/2020

From Markeshia Ricks. Y'all. We don't want to lose people who are this talented and thoughtful and kind.

"You can’t be who I am — someone who is not white, not male, not nominally wealthy — and not know that. I’ve always fundamentally known that. But in the deepest recesses of my heart, I thought that in the face of such a horrific event America might do something extraordinary."

For once in my life, I want to live in a place where my race isn’t factored into anything about me.

27/11/2020

While you're shopping (or clicking) all those Black Friday deals, don't forget your locally-owned businesses. Tomorrow is Small Business Saturday, but we won't mind if you start shopping small today.

The pandemic has hurt small businesses. Shop local this Small Business Saturday (and all season long).

26/11/2020

“There is a meditative quality to it, this cracking and peeling and pulling, this gentle pinging of ripe pecans against steel. There is a mindlessness that lulls me like the clink of crochet needles, like the search for sharks’ teeth in the surf.”

Pecans are in my blood. They are familiar, like bits of collected memories stored just beyond reach.

26/11/2020

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Cracked & Golden. We are grateful for you.

25/11/2020

Whatever your traditions are, it’s never too late to start a new one.

Don’t let COVID-19 gobble up your holiday plans.

24/11/2020

Clinical trials and medical studies are fraught with suspicion — especially for Black people in America, and with good reason. Here's why I chose to volunteer for the Moderna, Inc. COVID vaccine trial anyway.

Vaccine trials are fraught with suspicion, especially for Black people in America. I volunteered anyway.

23/11/2020

The Trump administration announced last week that it was moving to sell leases to oil companies that would allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

Trump administration acts to sell oil rights in Arctic Refuge. Help stop it.

18/11/2020

Courage. Hope. Let's do both. Let's make things better.

17/11/2020

There's a vaccine coming. But in the meantime ...

17/11/2020

How will you send out a tiny of ripple of hope today?