In order to take real action against the stunning array of life-threatening emergencies that have always been part of the fabric of this nation, we must let go of the illusion that any single one of us can defeat them. It’s like standing in the doorway between two rooms, listening to conversations in both. In […]
No one ever changed the world by asking nicely and listening to “both sides.” We knew how this would end — or at least how it would get started. We sat in silence as the election map turned red on November 8, 2016, because we knew. We didn’t know exactly how it would play out. […]
#MeToo started as an outcry of anger and anguish. But retributive justice swiftly followed. I. Bring It On Like many female authors digging for material in the darker recesses of personal history, I’ve written about my experience of sexual assault. And that of my sister, meaning my actual blood sibling. And that of my sisters […]
You can’t claim to be a part of the resistance if you’re not willing to be uncomfortable and take risks. One year ago, I joined hundreds of thousands of people worldwide and took to the streets for the Women’s March. It was a crisp, cold day in Seattle and as I marched through the streets […]
We can’t expect a contingent that keeps outlets like InfoWars and Breitbart in business to thoughtfully evaluate new information unless they truly, genuinely want to learn. Last fall while canvassing in Pennsylvania for Hillary Clinton, my family in Pittsburgh told me that I could call their house. “That’s not how it works,” I laughed. “No no,” my aunt went […]
We draft letters. We hold meetings. By the day’s end, I and others like me all over the country (working in affected fields like immigration, women’s health care, and environmental science) are thoroughly Trumped-out. I let out a heavy sigh and enter the conference room. “Policymaking in International Education: The View from Washington,” the poster […]
Pride was born in resistance to state violence and it is our responsibility to continue that legacy. We’re out on the streets of Denver celebrating Pride, which takes place every year in June to commemorate the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots and the beginning of today’s movement for LGBTQ equality and liberation. The riots […]
I cannot give myself over to a cycle of inadequacy and shame. So, what can I do? If you receive news from as many sources as I do — New York Times, Washington Post, Facebook, Twitter, that gun control group I joined four years ago, the Islamic Cultural Center I once donated to, the Southern Poverty […]
Every time you stay silent in response to cruelty or misinformation, you create a safe space for bigotry to spread. But you don’t have to let that happen. Everybody’s been there. In a taxi cab, at a graduation party, during a business dinner. You’re having a perfectly good time and then, bam. Somebody says something […]
