Have you ever seen the painting above? The name of this famous painting is sipjangsaengdo. This kind of painting is called minhwa in Korean, which means a folk painting. In the old days, it was practically impossible for most common people to buy paintings. Aside from the fact that they were too expensive, famous artists often painted exclusively for the king and the government. Not until the late Joseon period did paintings begin to decorate the homes of common people.

At that time, anonymous artists started to draw and sell their works to the public. Minhwa often reflected the thoughts, dreams and wishes of common people. They believed that minhwa would bring them good fortune. In the hope of having a long prosperous life, minhwa artists used ten symbols of longevity in their paintings: the sun, clouds, water, mountains, rocks, pine trees, herbs of eternal youth, turtles, birds and deer. They also drew scary animals such as dragons, tigers, or even dogs with four eyes to protect people from misfortune. Minhwa artists also enjoyed painting beautiful flowers with a male and a female bird, because they represented a happy marriage or peaceful home.

The tiger was one of the most frequently painted subjects in ancient Korean paintings. Korea was once known as the land of the tigers. Two or three hundred years ago, it was easy to catch sight of tigers on almost any mountain. Tigers often came down to towns and villages to eat livestock and even harm people. Tigers were both feared and respected at the same time by ancient Koreans. Take a look at the painting to the right. This fierce tiger was painted by Kim Hongdo, a famous Korean artist. The tiger's eyes are set on you. It looks as if it will leap out of the painting at any moment. There is not a single strand of fur out of place. Each strand seems to express power and strength. Even its tail is pointed upward, expressing authority.

The way tigers were painted by minhwa artists, however, was quite different. Look at the tiger on this page by an anonymous artist in the late Joseon period. In contrast to the tiger painted by Kim Hongdo, this one does not look scary at all. There is something comical about it. It has round teeth and its two front legs are gathered together in a shy manner. Its cute tail is between the front legs. It looks like a friendly cat. Even the bird above the tiger seems to want to play with it. Anyone looking at this creature could almost be tempted to pet it. This minhwa has another interesting feature. Have you noticed anything strange about the tiger's body? The face is drawn from the front, the front legs from the side, and the other legs from the back. In this way, minhwa artists applied free and creative techniques to their paintings. They did not feel that an object had to be drawn from only one perspective. A similar technique was also used later by Picasso in a movement called Cubism in the 20th century. Do you think Picasso got his ideas from minhwa artists?

Today, it is becoming harder and harder to find minhwa on the walls of Korean homes. Does this signal the end of minhwa in modern Korea Certainly not! Just because it is disappearing from our walls, it does not mean that minhwa has taken its last breath. If you take some time to carefully look at the world around you, you will see that minhwa is very close by. For example, minhwa lives on in images that decorate the walls of old neighborhoods, school supplies, mobile phone cases, and clothing. Minhwa of yesterday is being reborn to represent the Korean culture of today. None of the original minhwa artists could have imagined the popularity of their paintings, but they became very famous later on. Who knows? If you draw something today, it may become minhwa someday. Don't be afraid to give it a try. Keep in mind the words of the famous artist, Henri Matisse: "Creativity takes courage."

Ed Roberts became disabled due to polio at the age of fourteen, in 1953. Paralyzed from the neck down, he could only move two fingers and several toes. He attended high school by telephone because he was afraid that people would stare at him. One day during his senior year, Roberts asked himself a question, "Should I stay home or get out and go to school like other people?" Instead of being a prisoner to his disabilities, he decided to think of himself as a "celebrity" and go out into the world.

After graduating from high school in 1959, Roberts wanted to study at the University of California, Berkeley, but they would not admit him because of his disabilities. Even the California Department of Vocational Rehabilitation refused to help him attend college. The Department's conclusion was that Roberts was too disabled to ever get a job. Despite the obstacles he faced, Roberts became the first student with severe disabilities to attend Berkeley. His brave decision led many other disabled students to follow suit. Roberts started a disabled student organization and led campus projects that provided services like wheelchair repairs. In 1976, Ed Roberts was appointed Director of the California Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, which was the same agency that had considered him unfit for any job.

It was a cold December evening in 1955. Rosa Parks, a 42-year-old African American woman, boarded a bus in Montgomery, Alabama to go home after a long day at work. She sat just behind the ten seats reserved for whites. At that time, the law separated people of color from whites in schools, housing, jobs, and even on buses. When all the seats for whites were filled, the driver insisted that the blacks give up their seats to white passengers. Ms. Parks had two choices. She could either stand up to give up her seat or stand up to injustice. She quietly refused to give up her seat. She was arrested for her action. Four days after her arrest, a boycott of the Montgomery bus system began. The boycott lasted 381 days and ended on December 20, 1956 when the US Supreme Court ruled that the segregation law was unconstitutional. The ruling sparked many successful non-violent civil rights protests, and everything began with Rosa Parks‘ small decision on the bus.