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A girl dressed as a ‘catrina’ takes part in the Catrinas Parade in Mexico City to celebrate Day of the Dead. Yuri Cortez/AFP via Getty Images

How ‘La Catrina’ became the iconic symbol of Day of the Dead

An obscure Mexican engraver named José Guadalupe Posada created the satirical skull in the early 1900s and sold it for a penny. But after he died, it took on a life of its own.
The stress of experiencing high levels of community violence harms entire families. skynesher/E+ via Getty Images

Black mothers trapped in unsafe neighborhoods signal the stressful health toll of gun violence in the U.S.

Chronic stress from living with systemic racism and gun violence can lead to increased symptoms of PTSD and depression as well as elevated cortisol levels.
Today’s low-income housing developments, like this one in St. Louis, are of a much higher quality than those of the past. AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

Building subsidized low-income housing actually lifts property values in a neighborhood, contradicting NIMBY concerns

The concentration of subsidized low-income housing developments isn’t as bad as residents fear: It actually increases property values – at a faster rate than other neighborhoods.
When schools shut down to prevent the spread of COVID-19, moms took on the burden of supporting students at home. AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar

I’m a Black sociologist, and a mom – by listening to other Black mothers, I’ve learned about their pandemic struggles and strengths

As the world locked down and a country’s racial reckoning heated up, this social scientist refined her approach to studying the lives of Black moms.
Shelter-in-place measures have made it more difficult for victims of domestic violence to escape from their abusers. Elizabeth Livermore/Moment via Getty Images

Domestic violence 911 calls increased during lockdown, but official police reports and arrests declined

A change in how witnesses, victims and authorities respond to domestic violence reports paired with limited social services placed victims in a vulnerable position during the pandemic.
A team photograph of the 1919 Chicago White Sox squad, many of whom would be implicated in throwing that year’s World Series. Heritage Auctions

How gambling built baseball – and then almost destroyed it

Up until the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, gambling and baseball had a marriage of convenience. A century later, gambling is again being seen as a solution to the sport’s woes.
Contact with nature reduces stress and aggression, one reason scholars say urban green space may reduce violence. Shutterstock

Can parks help cities fight crime?

Some parks reduce violence in the local vicinity. Other parks attract crime. The difference has to do with how these urban green spaces are designed, programmed and managed, experts say.

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