5SR - February 7, 2024

Today’s #5SmartReads contributor is Madison T. Clark, a full-time freelance writer, part-time college counselor, and the founder of Grief Cards, a company that makes sympathy cards that don't suck.

American Museum of Natural History Closes Certain Displays Amid New Federal Regulations (TIME)

Museum exploitation of Indigenous history is, itself, a core part of American history.

I’m thankful for this new rule, which requires museums to garner permission from tribes for any artifact currently on display and for any future artifacts they wish to display, or else return said artifacts to the tribes they originate from. Still, it’s jarring and upsetting to see how many museum directors and curators are responding to this new rule, stating that it’s been a ‘long time coming’ that they ‘fully support the change.’

Please do correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t believe anything was stopping them from doing this, for their own museum’s artifacts, before this rule was passed. The rule is simply revealing the reality that the vast majority of these directors, these curators, chose not to seek this type of permission because they simply didn’t have to.

Jamie Chadwick Takes First Place Every Time (The Cut)

The entire reason why I’ve listened to F1 podcasts, binged F1 shows and documentaries, and followed multiple F1 athletes is simple: Hitha Palepu.

Y’ALL! This world is wildly exciting. It is also superbly male-dominated, so seeing an athlete like Jamie Chadwick join the fray - while also learning more about the late W series, which was made up explicitly of women drivers - just increases those excitement levels.

If you haven’t already been swayed into learning more about F1 by Hitha’s passion for it, consider this yet another nudge to look into the sport. And consider choosing Jamie Chadwick as your favorite driver, too!

Jackie Robinson Statue Found Destroyed After Being Stolen From Wichita Park (KCUR via NPR)

This statue was erected in 2021, barely three years ago. It serves as a welcome to these youth baseball fields, a reminder for young players - and their families - that playing sports alongside people who don’t look like you is possible today because of this man’s tenacity, resilience, and sacrifice.

While reports say that this statue is unsalvageable, Wichita will soon have a replica of the same statue, erected in the same place, serving as a reminder of both Jackie Robinson’s legacy and of Wichita’s refusal to let racism and hatred win.

Care, Out of the Closet (The Baffler)

Owning a company that spans the death care and bereavement ecosystems leads me to read a LOT about the institutions that make up these sectors. This includes the world of nursing homes.

This particular essay highlights the limitations of elder care, the harm that can happen in lieu of quality care, and the discrimination that older LGBTQ+ people face within these systems -- and it does so with the gentlest touch.

Trans people in Florida can no longer update their driver’s licenses (The 19th*)

High school students nationwide are struggling to read middle school level texts. Tens of thousands of people in the U.S. don't have access to healthy groceries, clean water, safe streets, affordable healthcare. The world, in so many ways, is at war - with genocides taking place everywhere we look

But god forbid trans people are able to have official paperwork that denotes their humanity accurately.

I wish I had something else to add here, but this is simply heartbreaking and, today, I'm out of words.

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, might you consider referring it to those who may as well? Referrals unlock perks such as merch, books, and mentoring sessions with our team!

Thank you for being a part of this smart community - it means the world to us.