Latest news with #Stetson
Axios
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Axios
From Galveston to the Fillmore: The man who brought Juneteenth to SF
In 1945, Texas native Wesley Johnson Sr. donned his signature white Stetson cowboy hat and rode his white stallion through city streets, inviting passersby to join in Juneteenth festivities at his nightclub in the Fillmore. Why it matters: It marked the first of what would become one of the longest continuously running Juneteenth celebrations in America. Flashback: Johnson was born in Galveston, Texas, where Juneteenth celebrations began in 1865 when the last enslaved people in Texas learned about their freedom under the Emancipation Proclamation. He moved to the city with his family as a teenager after World War I. After graduating from San Francisco State College (now SFSU), where he started one of the first student organizations for African Americans, he became a successful entrepreneur on the commercial corridor of the Fillmore, then known as the "Harlem of the West." Between the lines: Johnson, who ran the thriving jazz club Texas Playhouse and was later nicknamed the godfather of Juneteenth in San Francisco, wanted to put the city on the map as a hub for Black culture, freedom and community. Annual Juneteenth parades, which he led as grand marshal until the late 1980s, reflected that spirit and paid homage to their community's resilience. What they're saying:"Everybody came with this allure and this air of excellence and pride — and he would not have it any other way," Melina Jones, who has served on the committee for SF's Juneteenth parade and festival, said in a 2024 look back at Johnson's legacy for SFSU.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Albanese gifts Gallipoli poster to Canada's Carney as they meet on the sidelines of G7 summit; here is a list of gifts exchanged
The gift exchanged between the two leaders Live Events Australia's role in the G7 summit (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney met in Calgary on the sidelines of the G7 summit, which is set to take place in Alberta, Canada, from 15-17 June, setting aside protocol to highlight shared values and warmth between the two countries and their a handshake atop his slate-blue RAAF jet, PM Albanese was greeted by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek, and Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski, everyone expressing gratitude for Australia's recent deployment of 96 firefighters to assist with Canada's raging Northern Prairies presented an iconic Stetson cowboy hat to Albanese, who replied in kind by gifting a traditional Australian Akubra. Albanese also shared a framed poster from the Australian classic Gallipoli, and Carney gifted a cold‑cast bronze bear sculpture by Roy Hinz, on behalf of Canada's rugged landscapes.'You always do, and Australia always does step up,' Carney said, personally thanking Albanese for the firefighters' efforts. Albanese, in return, said, 'You can always rely upon Australia. I know our firefighters are really proud.'The pair celebrated Canada's decision to acquire Australia's Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) valued at $6.5 billion to boost Arctic also explored expanding ties on critical minerals essential to clean‑energy supply chains. Carney noted that Australia 'had a lot to contribute to the G7' in this not a G7 member, Australia received a gracious invitation to the summit. Albanese expressed thanks and underscored the urgency of global cooperation, 'climate‑change response, defense, prosperity,' he told the coming days, he will meet leaders from South Korea, France, Germany, Japan, the UK, the EU, and the US, culminating in his first in‑person meeting with US President Donald Trump Albanese plans to advocate for Australia on steel and aluminium tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump and underline the strategic value of AUKUS, the trilateral security pact with the US and UK.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Grammys country category change was long overdue. It's bigger than Beyoncé.
Ever since Beyoncé dropped 'Texas Hold 'Em,' the first single from her 'Cowboy Carter' album in February 2024, it is nearly impossible to have a conversation about country music without forcing the superstar to the center. In many cases, this makes sense. For people who want to understand the mile-high barriers facing Black country artists — and Black women especially — Beyoncé is an ideal case study. Sometimes, however, the Beyoncé focus is misplaced, serving as little more than a distraction. And the controversy that has swelled around the Recording Academy's decision to rename the Best Country Album Grammy to Best Contemporary Country Album, while adding the new Best Traditional Country Album award, is proof. The Recording Academy's decision doesn't just account for the ways in which country music has shifted over time, it also creates one more shot for artists to claim the music industry's most coveted statue. As for those claims of racism bouncing around the internet? That was most evident in the decades of forcing Black artists to fit into outdated genre boxes and award categories. I've spoken and written many times about the myriad ways racism has shown up in country music, from the dearth of Black signings by industry labels and publishers, to the general aversion of country radio to play anyone who's not a white man. But there's also an unspoken understanding that Black folks are generally "not country enough" for country music, and that they must prove their country-ness in order to be taken seriously by the industry. (And even then, they probably still won't be). Even outsiders unaware of the peculiarities of the country music industry can immediately recognize this identity policing as obvious prejudice. Yet the influence of Nashville's unspoken rules on the artists themselves — even beyond the impact of exclusion — isn't always obvious. Few people outside Nashville and country music understand how easily and willingly Black artists internalize the notion that they aren't, and will never be, country enough. As a result of this internalized script, these Black artists work overtime to prove their country-ness, especially at the beginning of their careers. They slap on crazy-thick accents and vow to never remove their giant Stetson hats while surrounding themselves with all-White entourages. Musically, they work hard to stick to a more traditional country script, eschewing the pop, hip hop and R&B influences often adopted by their White peers. Those efforts rarely yield significant success, at least via the mainstream, and some of those artists reverse course once they realize that, for industry gatekeepers, no amount of kowtowing will do. Still, these attempts at assimilation by self-erasure prove highly effective in entrenching the genre rules to which other Black artists are expected to adhere. Then came Beyonce's 'Cowboy Carter' — with appearances by Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson as not-so-subtle nods to the country mainstream, but also a commitment to the sonics of her choosing. Opinion: Beyoncé Bowl was a success for her, though little has changed in country music There was country and bluegrass, but also trap and opera, rock & roll and gospel. From the beginning, there was speculation that 'Cowboy Carter' was Beyonce's line-in-the-sand, best-and-last appeal to the Recording Academy for Album of the Year, the Grammy that had remained elusive throughout her record-breaking career. Many experts foresaw Beyonce's eventual AOY win, yet no one expected her to also claim the Best Country Album award. When her name was called, it shocked everyone in- and outside the industry, including Beyoncé herself. It wasn't just that Beyonce hadn't even been nominated for a Country Music Association Award, or even that 'Cowboy Carter' was largely deemed 'not country enough.' For myriad reasons — including the fact that it was the only album award in the country category — Best Country Album was just flat-out hard to win. For all artists. Back in 2021, Kacey Musgraves released 'Star-Crossed,' her fifth studio album. On the heels of 2018's critically acclaimed 'Golden Hour' (which won Best Country Album and Album of the Year Grammys), 'Star-Crossed' was supposed to reinforce Musgraves as country's next big thing while also positioning her as a star who can, indeed, cross genres. Except, when it came time to review 'Star-Crossed' for Grammy contention, the album's pop influences were deemed too central. Though a single track was accepted for inclusion in the Best Country Song category, the screening committee that determined which albums would be eligible for Best Country Album disqualified Musgraves' full album. Cindy Mabe, then-head of Universal Music Group, Musgraves' label, was so upset that she penned an open letter to Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason, Jr. 'As a prime stakeholder in country music, I would really like to frame what's happening in our genre right now and help you and the Grammy's fully understand the importance of Kacey Musgraves to country music and why this decision is so much more than an entry point for an awards show,' Mabe wrote. 'Taking her out of the country category actually does harm to a format struggling with change and inclusivity overall.' Opinion: Jelly Roll's success shows country music should embrace more unconventional artists Mabe also cited Musgraves label mate Mickey Guyton, whose career had also been obviously hamstrung by industry notions of what is country, and what isn't: 'My own artist Mickey Guyton has struggled for 10 years to be heard. It took the example of watching Kacey create her own path by living out her own truth in country music for Mickey to see what was possible and she followed suit laying out her perspective as a Black woman in America singing country music and re-writing history on your show last year.' The Musgraves drama reeked of typical industry manipulation, and while Mabe was happy to jump into the Musgraves row with both feet, she never acknowledged her own role in Guyton's 10-year struggle. But points were made. Selfishness aside, Mabe's appeal was rooted in indisputable fact. While country music was growing and changing, the means by which the industry honors it's best wasn't. Was Beyonce's win of the coveted Country Album of the Year the final straw that pushed the Recording Academy to makes changes to its country Grammys? Perhaps. But was it long overdue for the genre anyway? Absolutely. As a friend told me yesterday, Lee Ann Womack and Jelly Roll should never be in the same awards category. I don't believe that dividing the Best Country Album award in two somehow diminishes its significance. But I do know that there didn't seem to be an issue when the Academy added a traditional category to the R&B field in 1999, creating opportunities for artists who adopt a more modern sound, as well as those with a nostalgic bent. Moreover, I know it's unlikely that Black artists will lay perennial claim to the contemporary country award, even as online protestors claim that its creation was an attempt to separate the country category along racial lines. It's more likely that the award will go to artists like Jelly Roll and Morgan Wallen, with their genre blurring and mainstream success, while artists like George Strait and Cody Johnson can stay in their own, more traditional lane. But that could change. Black artists could see this shift as a license to settle into who they are and show up as their fully Black selves — who just happen to make country music. Opinion: Beyonce's use of Black writers and musicians can open the door for others in country music They could go into the studio with Black songwriters and producers, letting creativity take over and adding in notes of hip hop and R&B, but also jazz or pop or whatever else suit's their fancy. Or they could create the most country of country records, leaning into the down-home traditions perfected by their ancestors. I've always argued that the path to Black success is country music runs straight through community and authenticity, no matter what it sounds like. It's just the road few have been willing to take. But now, Black artists can trust that there's a way toward Grammy consideration in either direction. After all, the most significant impact of the Recording Academy announcement is the creation of more opportunity in country music — including for Black artists. And that's what we've been fighting for all along. Andrea Williams is an opinion columnist for The Tennessean and curator of the Black Tennessee Voices initiative. She has an extensive background covering country music, sports, race and society. Email her at adwilliams@ or follow her on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @AndreaWillWrite. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: New country category at The Grammy change was long overdue | Opinion
Hindustan Times
07-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
A life in the service of the wild and wildlife
Heartbreak sent Valmik to the jungles of Ranthambore. His first marriage had fallen apart in 1976 and he decided the best way to heal was to take himself away, out of his comfort zone, out of the urban jungle of New Delhi where he had been brought up, and into the wild, about which he knew very little. That instinctive decision would not just heal him, but change the course of his life, and the life of many a tiger. He had heard about Ranthambore from his sister and brother-in-law — my parents — who filmed a documentary, The Jungle Life of Rajasthan, there a couple of years prior, and had pitched their tent under the great banyan tree at Jogi Mahal. All three of them were now captivated by this special place and also by the man who was then the game warden (later, field director), Fateh Singh Rathore, with his Stetson, aviator glasses, and luxurious moustache. When I arrived on the scene a few years later, Fateh kaka was at the hospital in New Delhi and gave me my first tot of honey, soon after I was born. It was with this pioneering trio, Valmik, Fateh kaka, and my father Tejbir, that I spent my formative years in Ranthambore, living under the canopy of the great banyan and Jogi Mahal, sleeping out in the open on charpoys with only mosquito nets for protection as the tiger's roar, the raspy sawing of leopards, the bark-like alarm calls of sambar deer, and the cacophony of langur monkeys echoed off the walls of the medieval fortress. Often, we woke to find fresh tiger pug marks by our beds. This experience and these three exceptional men shaped me in different ways, and as I look back to an incredibly fortunate childhood, the die for my life was cast around the Jogi Mahal campfire. The discussions varied from the day's wildlife sightings to the positive changes in tiger behaviour post the ban on shooting — they had now started to roam more confidently and freely even during the day without the fear of being shot by trophy hunters — the problems they still faced, and what was needed to ensure their survival. The trio co-authored their first book, With Tigers in the Wild, in 1982, and Valmik went on to become a prolific author, with over 40 books in 50 years. A village that had voluntarily left their ancestral lands in the heart of the National Park, and had been resettled on more fertile and accessible land at the edge of the reserve in 1977, required funding to build a wall around their village school. Jagan, the sarpanch, had come to meet Valmik on a scorching day in June to make a request for assistance. I happened to be present, and he sent me off in 48 degree Celsius heat in our open Mahindra CJ3B Jeep with Jagan sarpanch for a site visit to Kailashpuri village, about an hour's drive away. In his typical matter-of-fact, firm, and gruff way, he told me that it was now my responsibility to raise the funds required, which I was to calculate, and ensure the wall was built at the earliest. I followed his direction, delivered what was asked of me. As any 10-year-old would, I expected a pat on the back from the big man. No pat and no special mention was forthcoming, lest I think I had achieved something already. There was much more to be done, and so I quietly better get on with it. Quintessential Valmik! The foundation and its activities made a lasting impression on me and formed the basis for the many initiatives I presently work on. Though Valmik relished his private time in the wild, observing, documenting, and photographing wildlife and tiger behaviour, he spent a lot of his time with forest officers, guards, conservationists, scientists, and with the communities that lived in or around India's national parks, tiger reserves and sanctuaries, finding innovative solutions to complex issues in his mission to help preserve India's 'natural treasury' as he called it. Valmik made countless critical interventions in the 150 or so government committees and boards he served over his lifetime. From the apex National Board for Wildlife chaired by the Prime Minister to the Supreme Court's Central Empowered Committee for Forests, many State Wildlife Boards, and also the Tiger Task Force set up by the then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, in the aftermath of Sariska's tigers being poached to extinction. He famously gave a note of dissent — I think the only one — much to the chagrin of the powers that be. Valmik always said it as it was, without fear or favour. He didn't give two hoots about any nasty repercussions that might come his way. He unwaveringly believed in the truth and lived by it without exception. In the last few years, he was disillusioned with the lack of courage and conviction among many who were tasked with protecting and preserving India's wildlife. Many of his suggestions and recommendations, including his many roars to create a specialised Indian Wildlife Service fell on deaf ears. But, he was not one to give up even when he knew the end was near. As his family, friends, and well-wishers try to heal from the heartbreak of losing him less than a month after he was diagnosed with cancer, the fight to ensure the survival of India's wildlife and habitats, that is so intricately linked with the survival of our 1.4 billion people, will go on, taken forward by the countless people Valmik encouraged, inspired and mentored. That is his formidable and eternal legacy. Jaisal Singh is an author, conservationist, and entrepreneur. The views expressed are personal.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
11 Father's Day gifts for the patriotic dad that were made in America
Fox News and its syndication partners may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom. If you are looking for a Father's Day gift for a dad who takes pride in American craftsmanship, choosing a gift that's made in America can be both meaningful and memorable. Brands like L.L. Bean, Stetson, Red Wing and Igloo (among others) have stood strong over time and continue to create products made exclusively in the U.S. No matter what your dad is into, there's a product on this list he'll love, from work boots to cast iron pans, coolers, tents and much more. You can also check out our list of the best Amazon deals for dads to get some inspiration. Or, if your dad is one of those dads that always says he has everything, check out our list of unique gift ideas. Original price: $149.99 Stetson hats are and have always been made in America. Dads who spend a lot of time outdoors could use a classic Stetson Bozeman outdoor hat. Made from 100% wool, this hat is durable and will last for generations. The genuine leather lining helps with sweat and will keep your hat dry. Original price: $74.50 Read On The Fox News App Lodge pans are made from incredibly durable cast iron and are crafted in Tennessee. Lodge's 15-inch cast iron pan is a great all-around pan, whether your dad loves to cook on his gas stove, grill or directly over the fire. They come pre-seasoned, so he can get cooking right away. 12 Father's Day Gifts For The Dad Who Loves To Cook (And Eat) Igloo is committed to making all their coolers in America. An ideal cooler for dads who like to spend time in the woods is the Igloo Trailmate. It's a 70-quart cooler with off-roading wheels, an easy-to-pull handle, a bottle opener, a mesh storage pocket and a fold-out tray for food and drinks. The Weber Spirit E-210 gas grill is a stunning gas grill that can cook up enough food for a small family. The metal side tables are scratch-resistant and easy to clean, making them the perfect prep space. The procelain-enameled, cast-iron grates help retain an even heat to give you the sear you want every time. Upgrade Your Dad's Bbq Setup With The Best Grill Deals If your dad loves camping, get him the Weber Traveler portable gas grill. At 32 inches wide and just 37 pounds, the grill is big enough to cook for up to four people and small enough to take anywhere. You can move the grill with just one hand, and the lid locks automatically as you start moving. Red Wing boots are proudly made in America, and they're some of the most durable work boots on the market. Red Wing's Class Mocs have unbeatable traction paired with a unique, stylish look. These boots are made of leather and designed to be water-resistant. Father's Day Gifts For Dads Who Love To Hunt L.L. Bean has always made the majority of their products in their home state of Maine. Their flannel-lined camp sleeping bag is no exception. Crafted from flannel-lining and classic water-resistant materials, this sleeping bag can hold up to most camping conditions. They come in a handful of colors and flannel patterns that your dad is sure to love. Upgrade your dad's tent setup with a four-person tent from L.L. Bean. The simple design makes this waterproof tent easy to set up in minutes. All windows and the door have a mesh lining that lets in air while repelling bugs. Dads who love to fish will appreciate L.L. Bean's travel spin rod. It's easy to carry to any body of water, thanks to the lightweight design that features rugged graphite. It breaks down into four pieces with a hard case for protection while you're traveling. For more Deals, visit Most Vitamix blenders are still manufactured in Ohio. The design of the Vitamix 5200 blender allows you to handle large batches of drinks, soups and other foods you want blended. With just a drop of dish soap and some water, the Vitamix will clean itself with a quick blend. Consider getting your dad coffee from a veteran-owned business like the Black Rifle Company. With blends like the Just Black blend and the Tactisquatch blend, these simple but strong-tasting coffee options are sure to impress your dad. You can also select a company like Koa Coffee, which uses beans that farmers grow and process in Hawaii. They even have subscriptions available, so your dad can restock every article source: 11 Father's Day gifts for the patriotic dad that were made in America
