social aspects

"In 2016, sportswear manufacturer Nike and fashion designer Virgil Abloh joined forces to create a sneaker collection celebrating 10 of the Oregon-based company's most iconic shoes. With their project The Ten--which reimagines icons like Air Jordan 1, Air Max 90, Air Force 1, and Air Presto, among others--they reinvigorated sneaker culture. Virgil Abloh's new designs offer deep insights into engineering ingenuity and burst with cultural cachet. Drawing on the genius of the original shoe using lettering, ironic labels, collage, and sculpting techniques, Abloh plays with language and sculptural elements to construct new meaning. Inspired by the wit of Dadaism, architectural theory, and avant-garde happenings, he analyzes what makes each shoe iconic and deconstructs it into an artistic assemblage, making each shoe into a piece of industrial design, a readymade sculpture, and a wearable all at once. Icons traces Abloh's investigative, creative process through documentation of the prototypes, original text messages from Abloh to Nike designers, and treasures from the Nike archives. We find Swooshes sliced away from Air Jordans and reapplied with tape or thread, Abloh's typical text fragments in quotation marks on Air Force 1, and All Stars cut into pieces. We take a look behind the scenes and witness Abloh's DIY approach, which gives each model in the Off-WhiteTM c/o Nike collection its own unique touch. The book documents Abloh's cooperative way of working and reaffirms the power of print. For its design Nike and Abloh partnered with the acclaimed London-based design studio Zak Group. Together they conceived a two-part compendium, equal parts catalog and conceptual toolbox. The first part of the book presents a visual culture of sneakers while a lexicon in the second part defines the key people, places, objects, ideas, materials, and scenes from which the project grew. Texts by Nike's Nicholas Schonberger, writer Troy Patterson, curator and historian Glenn Adamson, and Virgil Abloh himself frame the collaborative work within fashion and design history. A foreword by Hiroshi Fujiwara places the project within the historical continuum of Nike collaborators."--.

Contains a collection of essays about climate change by young activists. Includes a glossary.

1968 Olympic gold medalist Tommie Smith recounts the events that shaped his life and shares the beliefs that led him to raise a black-gloved fist with his teammate while accepting their medals, creating an iconic representation of the conflicts between race, politics, and sports in the mid-twentieth century.

Bowers traces Superman's evolution within the context of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan, oppression from the New Deal of the 1930s, and the battle against fascism during WWII.

"Six eighth graders outside Washington, DC, navigate through conflict and division focused on their school district's Native American mascot"--Provided by publisher.

Groundbreaking investigation of fast fashion reveals that while the price of clothing has been decreasing for decades the human and environmental costs have grown dramatically.

A collection of writings by various authors exploring nativism and the U.S. immigration system, immigration rights, and immigration reform. Also describes the contributions of immigrants, and explores related issues including family reunification, legalization, paths to citizenship, and humane enforcement.

Examines the historical context of self-defense laws throughout time from "castle laws" of the 1600s to lynchings during the Jim Crow era and beyond into present day mass shootings.

Presents the impact of the construction of the border wall between the United States and Mexico on American culture and identity and how it influenced Americans' views on border security, refugees, immigrants, and internal security. Provides interviews from people on all sides of the issue particularly the local people affected by it such as migrants, smugglers, border agents, activists, contractors, and border residents. Highlights the commerce between the United States and Mexico, legal and illegal activities, and the politics and enforcement of border protection in the region of San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Mexico.

Contains a collection of alphabetically-organized entries about marijuana use in the United States and its impact on American society and popular culture. Highlights the health and physiological effects of marijuana use, and profiles famous people, organizations, and laws related to the history of marijuana. Includes a chronology, black-and-white photographs, and additional resources.