Paper & Cotton

Cornerstone laying for the Negro Church at 129th Street and 7th Avenue, September 19, 1920.

Fifth Avenue traffic, 1938. Not colorized.

On August 12 [2025], a Kenyan high court ruled that a trans woman’s rights were violated while she was in custody. The landmark ruling went even further, mandating the government to pass legislation for the recognition of trans people under Kenyan law. The trans woman, referred to as ‘SC’, brought the case after she was arrested by Kenyan police on charges of “impersonation” in June 2019. She was remanded to a women’s prison and, while in custody, she was subjected to intrusive body searches and non-consensual medical examinations to “determine her gender”. Moreover, her medical records were leaked to the media. With the support of Kenyan rights group Transgender Education and Advocacy (TEA), SC sued the Kenyan Prison Service and the hospital where she underwent medical examination, arguing that her treatment by authorities was unconstitutional. She also claimed that her dignity had been violated and that the case demonstrated that in Kenya, there is a legislative gap in regard to the protection of trans people in prison. In the landmark decision, Justice R. Nyakundi of the Eldoret High Court ruled in favour of the trans woman, awarding her 1,000,000 Kenyan Shillings (approximately €6,500) in damages. The court found that her rights to dignity, privacy and freedom had been violated by the inhuman and degrading treatment she received while in custody. Justice Nyakundi went a step further in his ruling, ordering the Kenyan government to introduce legislation to protect the rights of trans people in the country. The judge mandated the government to either pass a Transgender Protection Rights Act or amend the Intersex Persons Bill, which is already under consideration. “This is the first time a Kenyan court has explicitly ordered the state to create legislation on transgender rights, and a first on the African continent,” said Lolyne Ongeri, a spokesperson for Jinsiangu, Kenya’s leading advocacy organisation for intersex and trans rights.

16 Sept 2025

On Monday, September 15, 2025, Mississippi was shaken by two separate tragedies. Within hours of each other, the bodies of 21-year-old student Demartravion “Trey” Reed and 36-year-old Cory Zukatis were found hanging from trees in different cities. While officials are treating both cases as death investigations, the timing, manner of death, and Mississippi’s fraught history with racial violence have drawn public concern.

Civil rights historians note that public hangings of Black men were once used to enforce white supremacy through fear and violence. Even in the modern era, when such cases are ruled suicides, communities often remain skeptical. “There is a deep mistrust because of history,” said one community organizer in Jackson. “When a young Black man is found hanging, people will always question whether it was truly suicide or something more sinister.”

While we may never know exactly what goes on in the mind of an octopus, we do know that they express themselves by changing colors. Enter the wonderful world of chromatophores and join our aquarist Candace to learn more about octopus communication! 🐙💙

Corey Alston (Mount Pleasant, SC)

“​​My name is Corey Alston. I’m a fifth generation Sweetgrass Basket Weaver. I currently run the family business in the Charleston City Market. Sweetgrass Basket Weaving has been a major part of the Gullah Geechee Culture dating back to days of Enslavement. This coastal art form has been recognized as South Carolina State Handcraft and has been known to be kept alive the longest along Sweetgrass Basket Makers HWY of South Carolina. This skill is one of the rare arts of our country that is founded nowhere else in America. Gullah Sweetgrass Baskets are a national treasure.

“​​Being chosen as one of the artisans of Mt. Pleasant does not only bring awareness to my skill set and my culture as a Gullah Geechee representative, but in collaboration with Acres of Ancestry raises awareness of the unjustifiable treatment that Black and minority farmers have endured. The more that this topic is brought to the forefront, the more that our nation’s leaders will see that treating white farmers one way and then treating Black farmers another way will not be accepted. I applaud Acres of Ancestry for working tirelessly on making sure that everyone understands what our elder farmers are going through.

“​​These two Sweetgrass Baskets are called ‘Poppa’ and ‘Big Momma.’ It took six months to complete ‘Big Momma’ and four months to complete ‘Poppa.’ They both measure 36 inches tall.”