Culture and Connections

Picture this: A dusty dirt road in Fort Myers, where cows and chickens seem to have wandered out of a Vietnamese countryside postcard. But this is no ordinary weekend. This is Tết -- the Vietnamese new year -- and Bo De Tam Monastery is throwing a huge celebration.

In cities big and small, the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was celebrated Monday. Southwest Florida streets were packed with signs, slogans and sanguinity.

At a time when political and philosophical divisions seem to be deepening across the U.S., a panel discussion at the Collaboratory in Fort Myers brought in experts to explore ways on bridging the divide.

While many are packing away Christmas decorations and saying goodbye to holiday treats, a small Egyptian community in Fort Myers is just getting started. For them, January 7th marks the heart of the season—Coptic Orthodox Christmas.

The holiday season has a way of bringing people together through shared tradition. Though the rituals may differ, some celebrations share a common theme of devotion, especially for local Catholic immigrant communities.

Every year, millions of people celebrate Christmas to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. But historical evidence suggests that Jesus wasn’t even born in the month of December.

Across the United States, a growing number of people are identifying as religiously unaffiliated, also known as "nones.” According to PEW research center, they make up more than 25% of the U.S. population. But, this religious shift has ripple effects.

In the heart of Fort Myers lies a small—but mighty—Lay Buddhist community. The 10-person group has been around for over a decade, but this year might be their most challenging one to date.

It's that time of year when folks around Florida gather around the table for Thanksgiving. But for some Native American communities, the holiday looks a little different these days.

As we commemorate Native American History Month, we turn our attention to a small city in Southwest Florida. From treaties and broken promises to surprising acts of cooperation, the story of Fort Myers offers a lens into the complex history of the Seminole Wars and their lasting impact.