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8.02.15: Diversity in the American Outdoors, Hair Removal In History, & Diamonds Aren't Forever

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The National Park Service reports that only 7% of annual park visitors are African American. On today’s show, we delve into environmental and cultural history to find out why the story of the American outdoors is so white.

Then, from clamshell tweezers to electrolysis, we’ll take a look at America’s history of hair removal, and what it reveals about shifting views of racial and social status.

Plus, is technology killing the jewelry industry? We’ll find out why global sales of fine jewelry have been sluggish since the global recession.

Listen to the full show. 

Black Faces, White Spaces

Carolyn Finney is Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at the University of California Berkeley and the author of Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors.

 

Is the Internet Killing the Jewelry Industry?

Reporter Beejoli Shah comes from a family of jewelers and wrote about how technology may be killing one of the world’s oldest trades – the jewelry business. You can read her article: "Has Technology Killed the Jewelry Industry?" at Pacific Standard.

The "Curse" of the Hope Diamond

Producer Rebecca Sheir brings us the story of the reputedly cursed, though admittedly priceless, Hope Diamond.

You can listen to this story again at PRX.org.

 

Plucked: A History of Hair Removal

Rebecca Herzig is a scholar, Bates College professor and author of Plucked: A History of Hair Removal.

 

The Worst Haircut Ever

Jeff Cohen gets to the bottom of what happened when his five year old decided to give his three year old a haircut. Jeff's daughters are also the stars of a children's book he wrote based on the story: Eva and Sadie and the Worst Haircut Ever.

You can listen to this story again at PRX.org.

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