A Bloody Sunday mural in Bogshire, Ireland, near where the shootings took place. Photo in public domainMONDAY, JANUARY 30: The 40th anniversary of the infamous Bloody Sunday killings in Northern Ireland falls on a Monday year this. ReadTheSpirit reports in detail about why we all should remember this milestone, including a video from Derry.

On this day in 1972, unarmed Northern Catholic civil rights demonstrators marched in protest of Britain’s internment policy for suspected Irish nationalists, despite a British ban on the march. When the march took place, British Army paratroopers were sent to the scene; 13 demonstrators were soon shot dead, 17 wounded and a 14th man died later. (Wikipedia has details.) The killings garnered global attention to the “troubles of Northern Ireland,” with particular focus on the brutality of the British soldiers.

Several artists sounded off about the event: the band U2 wrote and sang “Sunday Bloody Sunday” in 1983, and John Lennon penned his own version of “Sunday Bloody Sunday” for the album “Sometime in New York City.” Paul McCartney’s single, “Give Ireland Back to the Irish,” was banned by the BBC.

An annual March for Justice has taken place for several years at Derry, Ireland—the site of the attacks—to honor the Bloody Sunday victims. Much has transpired over these decades to bring peace—read our ReadTheSpirit story for more details. However, emotions are running high in Derry over the 40th anniversary and plans for a march by friends and relatives of the victims. News organizations are following events in Derry, once again, as they unfold through Monday.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12: Two years ago in 2010, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake shook Haiti, followed by dozens of aftershocks. More than 300,000 people died. Another 300,000 were injured. More than 1 million people were left homeless. Wikipedia has an extensive overview of the quake’s impact.
Making matters worse, all hospitals and major medical facilities around the nation’s capital were devastated. Roads were blocked. Transportation systems and communication were knocked out. Relief efforts were hampered by the aftershocks and Haiti’s already existing poverty.

MARK 2-YEAR ANNIVERSARY BY GETTING TO KNOW KENT ANNAN

In March 2011, we introduced the innovative grassroots activist Kent Annan to ReadTheSpirit readers. First, we published an in-depth interview with Kent about his work and his inspiring book about working to rebuild Haiti, called “After Shock.” Then, in May 2011, Kent sent us a special prayer written by Haiti Partners—colleagues he works with to rebuild healthy communities in Haiti.

Want to mark the 2-year anniversary in your group or congregation? Copy the special Haiti Partners prayer that Kent sent us (along with permission to freely distribute this prayer to encourage greater awareness about Haiti). Or, go back and re-read our interview with Kent and then share his inspiring thoughts with others. You can visit Kent’s own website to see his own blog posts. You also can jump right to the Haiti Partners website.

Still wondering what to tell friends at this 2-year anniversary? The Haiti Partners group sums up the message pretty well: “This month marks two years since the earthquake. The message being broadcasted in the media right now is: There’s little change and Haitians continue to suffer in spite of so much aid. There is truth to that—but it’s not the whole truth because people like you, who are contributing to Haiti Partners, need to know that your dollars have made and are making a real, tangible, hopeful difference every day!” Bottom line: Activists like Kent and groups like Haiti Partners are making headway. Let’s all take this anniversary as a milestone to roll up our sleeves and keep helping them.

SIGNS OF HOPE & ACTIVISM IN HAITI NEWS NATIONWIDE

WASHINGTON POST: Canadian Aid to Help Move Huge Quake Camp The Post story reports, in part: “Canada’s government is providing $19.9 million over two years to finance the resettlement of the camp dwellers. Canadian Minister of International Cooperation Beverley Oda said the project will also help train 50 Haitian entrepreneurs and create 2,000 jobs for removing debris and rebuilding and repairing homes.”

VOICE OF AMERICA: Health Officials Seek Support to Stamp Out Cholera Among the most deadly and long-lasting after-effects of the quake is an epidemic of cholera. Voice of America reports that the two year anniversary brings a fresh global appeal to tackle this deadly challenge. The report quotes experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, from UNICEF and from the Pan American Health Organization.

MIAMI HERALD: Thousands of Haitians March For years, the Herald has provided some of the best U.S.-based reporting on the Caribbean. This Herald story reports both on a large annniversary march in Haiti and on international appeals for renewed commitments of aid. In part, it reports: “On the second anniversary Thursday of the earthquake that killed more than 300,000 people, frustrations are mounting but Haitian leaders and foreign donors are trying to lay the foundation for change and move the conversation away from aid to development and job opportunities for millions of Haitians who currently rely on informal jobs, remittances and nongovernmental organizations to survive.”

Originally published at readthespirit.com, an online magazine covering religion and cultural diversity.

AIRPLANES IN THE AIR AS SYMBOLS OF DOOM: Twice in American history, the images of airplanes zooming through our skies became the iconic images of tragic, years-long eras of global warfare. This image of a Japanese bomber over Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, is now in public domain.WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7: In millions of homes—and in countless community newspapers nationwide—Wednesday marks a remembrance of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and America’s entry into World War II. The 111-year-old Record newspaper in Stockton, California, made the point in an impassioned editorial published in its Sunday editions. Editor Mike Klocke wrote: “A number of readers of The Record will pick up their newspaper Wednesday with a firm priority: finding coverage of the anniversary of Pearl Harbor. It’s an important check and balance for this and every American newspaper. Dec. 7, 1941, is not—nor should it ever be—a day to be forgotten.”

MEDIA REMEMBER DECEMBER 7: NEWS NOW—AND THEN

The Record in Stockton certainly is not alone, especially since this December 7 is the 70th anniversary. Here are some of the more notable stories we are seeing emerge nationwide:

Mercury News: Attack 70 years ago still fresh in minds of old sailors.
Seattle Times: Pearl Harbor survivor returns to ship after his death.

Library of Congress: December 7 story and links to photos, artifacts and archives.
U.S. Navy History Command: See a wide array of actual Navy photos related to December 7.
Listen to FDR’s broadcast to the nation: History Matters website provides both audio and text.
LIFE: Selection of famous photos from December 7 attack.

CNN: Aging Pearl Harbor attack survivors passing on the baton.
Washington Post: Five myths about Pearl Harbor.
Baltimore Sun: A brief look at the weather on December 7, 1941.
Elgin Courier-News: How one small-town newspaper covered these events in 1941.

READ THE SPIRIT REMEMBERS WWII

Stories of war and peace are major themes at ReadTheSpirit.
Blessed Are the Peacemakers: This book by Daniel Buttry contains more than 80 profiles of peacemakers, mainly in the 20th century, and is our latest book-length release on themes of war and peace.
You’ll Never Know: This inventive series of graphic novels by Carol Tyler is widely praised for the way Carol compassionately explores WWII memories with her father. Have you explored memories with a veteran?
ReadTheSpirit Holocaust Educational Resources Page: Our ongoing coverage of resources for teachers continues to highlight new books and films appropriate for classes.

NEW! New DVD on children in the Holocaust—and children remembering it now: This week, we have just added a review of Inside Hana’s Suitcase, a new-to-DVD documentary that’s appropriate for children and circles the globe linking a class in Japan with a survivor’s family in Canada.

Originally published at readthespirit.com, an online magazine covering religion and cultural diversity.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4: The Boy Who Lived is also the boy who raked in billions—$6.37 billion, to be exact—in movie revenues, and today is the 10-year anniversary of the London premiere of Harry Potter’s first movie. A decade ago today, fans of the “Harry Potter” series anxiously awaited the UK and North American cinema release of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” which came just 12 days following the London world premiere. (Get wizarding details from the Warner Brothers official Harry Potter website.) Advance ticket sales of the first movie broke records, and today, film producers and actors look back at the series as the most successful film franchise in movie history. (Check out the premieres in photos, courtesy of UsMagazine.) This holiday season, “Harry Potter” fans can immerse themselves in Harry Potter’s world with the release of the eight-part DVD series. But be warned: it takes 19.6 hours to watch all eight movies!

RELIGION AND HARRY POTTER

Is religion related to the Harry Potter series? Absolutely!
You may enjoy reading our extensive ReadTheSpirit coverage:
ReadTheSpirit: Is Harry Potter Christian?
AND Harry Potter Central: Christian? Crowds? Great Ideas?
AND Expert Help in Sparking a Harry Potter Discussion

POTTERMORE.COM

Now what? After the release of the eighth film, “Harry Potter” fans have been anticipating the launch of Pottermore, a “unique online reading experience from J.K. Rowling” that is reported to contain backstories of characters, interactive reading experiences, video games, ways for fans to interact and more. (The Christian Science Monitor has an article.) However, despite its much-anticipated October launch, Pottermore has been released in Beta; other than the approximately 1 million Beta users, all other Potter fans will have to wait for access while the website receives upgrades. It was announced on Pottermore that “Harry Potter” e-books will be available sometime during the first half of 2012.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26: Raise your voice and learn about the Queen of Gospel today—it’s the 100th birth anniversary of Mahalia Jackson. From the age of 4, Mahala (who later inserted the “i” into her name) sang in the Church, later moving to enormous concert halls, presidential inaugural balls and even the funeral of Martin Luther King, Jr. The African-American singer best known for her powerful contralto voice recorded approximately 30 albums during her career. Most recently, Time Magazine editors selected Mahalia’s “Move On Up a Little Higher” for the exclusive list of 100 “Best Songs” since 1923. (Learn more from the official Mahalia Jackson website.)

Born on this date in 1911, Mahala Jackson was a resident of New Orleans. After her mother’s early death, Mahala was sent to live with her Aunt Duke, where she was beaten and pushed to work long days. At 16, the singer escaped to Chicago; it wasn’t long before Mahalia met Thomas Dorsey, the “Father of Gospel Music,” and began a 14-year co-tour that led to a recording contract. (Wikipedia has details.) In 1948, she recorded “Move On Up a Little Higher”—a single that sold 8 million copies. Two years later, the Queen of Gospel became the first gospel singer to perform at New York’s Carnegie Hall; Mahalia began hosting her own Sunday night radio show in 1954; and two years following, she performed on the Ed Sullivan Show, where all of America became familiar with her voice and her style of music.

Mahalia Jackson wasn’t just famous in the U.S.—her rendition of “Silent Night” became one of the best-selling songs in Norway’s history. In Paris, she was known as the Angel of Peace. (Hear Mahalia’s “Amazing Grace” here.) The Queen of Gospel refused to stop her demanding carer even after strict doctor’s orders, and in January of 1972, she died of heart failure.

Following a 1993 book, “Got to Tell It: Mahalia Jackson, Queen of Gospel,” a movie is set to be released next year that will star former American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino as the famed singer.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23: It’s been 10 years since the music industry was transformed by an announcement from the late Steve Jobs: the first Apple iPod debuted. Priced at a steep $399 and able to hold 1,000 songs, that first iPod raised more than a few critics’ eyebrows: many questioned Jobs’ latest invention and wondered if the general public would grasp his concept. Yet with the simple concept of “everybody loves music,” Jobs took the leap—and did so with great success. (Read more about the release from Apple.com.)

More than 125,000 iPods were sold within two months. After 10 years, more than 320 million iPods have been sold. (Check out a graph of iPod sales and more at CNET.)

What began in 2002 as a small iTunes digital music store with 200,000 songs has now become a mammoth source of music, movies, TV shows, Apps and more.

The typical iPod today is more than just one music device—it’s a whole line of devices that include the iPod Classic, iPod Touch, iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle. That’s not to mention the iPod Apps on cell phones and tablets. (Wikipedia has details.)

Apple’s iPod sales actually have been down since the company introduced the iPhone—a phone with iPod capabilities—but the music industry has been transformed permanently. Some argue that the iPod hurt the music industry, since nearly every song or type of music is now available at the click of a mouse—and suddenly revenues sank to lower online levels per tune. Also, now, millions of digital tunes are downloaded and shared illegally. (Learn more in an article from the Chicago Tribune.)

EXPRESS YOUR MUSICAL HAPPINESS

How has the iPod affected your life? What playlists have developed? This month, ReadTheSpirit readers are contributing to a growing playlist of songs that they say help them to remember their happiness in life!