It’s a full moon today! Time to reflect on all you’ve accomplished in the last cycle and release anything weighing you down. Think about something you’ve been proud of lately, and forgive yourself whatever needs forgiving. On we go!
KEEP THAT BRAIN SHARP
I love a quiz. A fun fact. A yummy little amuse-bouche of knowledge. Learning new things is literal nourishment for the brain, and at the Quiz Bowl National Championship in Atlanta, kids got a chance to show just how healthy those brains are (even in the area of *groan* AI).
- More than 1,600 students converged on the city during Memorial Day weekend to answer questions like “What is the capital of Nigeria?” (Abuja) and identify famous figures through quotes.
- Judith Danovitch, a professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University of Louisville, explains activities like this ward off risk of what is being called digital amnesia, “where we no longer remember anything other than how to use our devices to get the information we need.”
🧠 READ MORE: An expert explains why how we learn affects what we retain
HOT CHICKEN FACTS
Nashville hot chicken is such an enigma. Fried chicken dishes and spicy stuff are two of the South’s signature subtypes of cuisine, but there’s something singular about this specific type of hot chicken. It’s a “know it when you taste it” kinda thing. You can’t just toss a cutlet in hot sauce and call it hot chicken.
- Like all good food, no one really knows what went into the original recipe, but its development is credit (again, like so much good food), to Black communities in the South.
- The widely accepted origin and present-day mecca of Nashville hot chicken is Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, founded in 1945.
- According to legend, founder Thornton Prince was a bit of a womanizer, and his lady friend made him super hot chicken as a gloriously petty revenge. Plot twist: He loved it, and it became an institution.
- While every recipe is different, two things get you close to the real taste: lots of cayenne pepper, and a sauce that’s more of a paste than a liquid.
🍗 I love this juicy long read from The Bitter Southerner about the history of Nashville hot chicken, spiced with Civil Rights-era challenges and Opry music stars.
SIPS FROM AROUND THE SOUTH
💚 Whitley County, KY: Area leaders partnered with the state of Kentucky to create a life jacket loan system for people visiting the Cumberland River. The program is in honor of Matthew Strickland, a hero who died saving two girls from the river last year. More from WKYT
🍲 Belle Chasse, LA: Food service manager Cheryl Taulli has been serving meals at Padua House for nearly four decades. Padua House is a residential program for children and adults with disabilities. She says serving there is a calling, and in return, she’s earned a lifetime of love and gratitude. In celebration of America’s 250th birthday, WWL Louisiana is highlighting people making a quiet difference in Louisiana communities. More from WWLTV
🥎 Jackson, MS: The Magnolia State, or the Diamond State? Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame writer Rick Cleveland takes a look at an amazing season for the state’s baseball and softball programs, which have won multiple championships and topped division standings at all levels. More from Mississippi Today
🌍 Atlanta, GA: Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens helped unveil a new sculpture of Nelson Mandela at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. He said the striking work is a tribute to a “shared struggle” for racial justice, and its place in the airport reminds people what Atlanta stands for. More from UATL
TELL US SOMETHING GOOD
Is there a cool event we need to know about? Something great happening in your town? Let us know. This is your space, too. sweettea@ajc.com.
SOUTHERN WISDOM
To me, murals signal that people care about this area and are paying attention to what happens here.
Downtown Atlanta Inc. works to revitalize and improve the downtown area through projects like public art. Read about their latest contributions.
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About the Author
AJ Willingham is an National Emmy, NABJ and Webby award-winning journalist who loves talking culture, religion, sports, social justice, infrastructure and the arts. She lives in beautiful Smyrna-Mableton and went to Syracuse University.
