Julie Taboh

Honeybees Help Displaced Workers in West Virginia

The coal industry in West Virginia once played a major role in the state's economy. But as mines closed, miners and many others affected by industry shutdowns found themselves unemployed. Now they -- and other West Virginians looking to make extra money -- are finding a sweet alternative for their livelihood; harvesting honeybees. VOA’s Julie Taboh traveled to the southern region of the state to see how it’s being done.

Rockwell's Four Freedoms Revisited

Revered painter illustrated American life from World War II through the civil rights movement

Eco-Conscious Artists Highlight of Prestigious Smithsonian Craft Show

In this year's show, 120 crafters from across the country presented art in 12 different media

Eco-Conscious Artists Highlights of Prestigious Smithsonian Craft Show

More than one million plant and animal species are likely to become extinct due to human activity, according to a new report by the United Nations. That threat to Mother Earth has inspired one of the most prestigious craft shows in America to highlight -- and reward -- artists who are creating environmentally sustainable work. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more.

National Parks Traveler Ends Record Three-Year Journey

'This has not been some walk in the park,' Mikah Meyer says, 'but that's not what I asked for. I asked for an adventure, and I got an adventure'

National Parks Traveler Completes Record Three-Year Journey

National parks traveler Mikah Meyer just completed a three-year, record-setting journey visiting every National Park Service site in America. That's 419 sites — from parks, canyons and prairies, to oceans, Civil War battlefields, and Native American territories. VOA's Julie Taboh, who followed many of Mikah's adventures, was there as he visited the very last site on his list, at the top of the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in his adopted hometown of Washington, D.C.

Women’s Voting Rights Activists Highlighted in New Exhibit

Pioneers of Women's Voting Rights Highlighted in New Exhibit

In 1920, American women gained the right to vote. The historic milestone was the culmination of decades of struggle by women working on both state and national levels for political empowerment. Now a major new exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington examines that complex history ahead of the 100th anniversary of that momentous event. VOA's Julie Taboh has more.

Red Dresses Raise Awareness for Missing, Murdered Native American Women

The REDress Project Highlights Missing, Murdered Native American Women

Forty red dresses hang outside of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington. They're present 24 hours a day, in all weather, to draw attention to the plight of missing and murdered indigenous women who experience violence at a much higher rate than non-indigenous women. The dresses are part of an exhibit being presented in the U.S. for the first time. VOA's Julie Taboh has more.

Celebrating 50 Years of Gay Rights

New Exhibit Commemorates 50 Years of Gay Rights Movement

A groundbreaking new exhibit at the Newseum in Washington marks the 50th anniversary of a police raid on a gay bar in New York's Greenwich Village, and highlights key moments in the modern gay rights movement in America that many believe was born out of that historic event. For some members of the LGBTQ community, the exhibit is deeply personal. VOA's Julie Taboh has more.

American Muslim Feeds Needy in DC

Muslim restaurateur Kazi Mannan provides free meals to the homeless at his popular DC restaurant.

American Muslim Feeds the Needy in his Washington Restaurant

A Pakistani immigrant who came to the U.S. as an impoverished young adult now helps feed the homeless and needy in his popular Washington restaurant. As a Muslim American, he says he's simply heeding the will of God; to serve his fellow men with what he has. Which in his case is food, and so much more. VOA's Julie Taboh has his story.

Free Books Inspire Love of Reading in DC’s Youngest Residents

Most of Washington DC's youngest residents take part in the program

Free Books Inspire Love of Reading in DC’s Youngest Residents

Three years ago, Washington, DC launched an ambitious program to provide free books to every one of its youngest residents. Today, the program is a huge success with nearly 80 percent (33,518) of District children under age five enrolled. VOA’s Julie Taboh sat down with a participating family to find out what impact the program has had on their child, and spoke with key members behind the initiative to learn about the successful collaborations that have made their mission possible.

Grand Canyon Celebrates 100th Birthday as National Park

On February 26, 2019 the Grand Canyon celebrates 100 years since its designation as a national park. But as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the ancient site has inspired adventurers, poets and painters for hundreds of years. Whether looking down from its massive rim or up from the rushing waters of the Colorado River, it's easy to see how it got its name. National parks traveler Mikah Meyer explored the site during an eight-day trip. He shared highlights with VOA’s Julie Taboh.

Entrepreneur Makes European-style Chocolate with Special Needs Youth

Entrepreneur Makes European Style Chocolate with Special Needs Youth

When Sarah Dwyer left a lucrative job in banking to spend a year in France, she had no idea it would give her an opportunity to fulfill a childhood passion. Almost ten years later, the American entrepreneur has never been happier, and is spreading that joy to her customers and workers alike... with chocolate. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more.

Chocolate: From Flower to Fruit of the Gods

Chocolate. It’s considered a food of the Gods. But the heavenly concoction comes from humble beginnings. From a tiny flower it develops into a fruit containing cacao seeds -- or beans -- that make up chocolate as we know it... and which Americans consume at a rate of almost four and a half kilos per person each year. That number peaks on February 14th -- Valentine’s Day -- when lovers across America present it to their beloved as an expression of their affection. VOA’s Julie Taboh reports.