It’s been 19 years since the 9/11 attacks forever changed the social and political fabric of the U.S.. On the anniversary of the attacks, feminists are mourning the tragedy, while also reflecting on our current convergence of crises, including racial injustice and a pandemic that has taken 50 times the number of lives lost in the 9/11 attacks—while receiving only a fraction of the government attention and response that the attacks received.
Author: Oliver C. Haug
Oliver Haug is an editorial intern with Ms. Magazine and a recent graduate of Smith college. Their writing has previously appeared in Autostraddle and the New York Times' newsletter "The Edit." You can read more of their work at oliverhaug.contently.com, and follow them on twitter here.
Teachers Face Backlash Over Black Lives Matter Posters
As the new school year begins in the midst of the pandemic, students and teachers are adjusting to a multitude of changes, with districts nationwide shifting to distance learning systems. But in addition to coping with remote instruction, many teachers are trying to address the summer of protests for racial justice in their classrooms. And some of them are being persecuted for it.
“Bad Dads” and the Policing of Black Parenthood
Abby Johnson, notable anti-abortion advocate and recent RNC speaker, said that it would be “smart” for a police officer to racially profile her Black adopted son, and says over-incarceration of Black men is the result of “bad dads.”
Like the “welfare queen” myth, the “bad dad” stereotype is based on the stereotyping of Black people as lazy and unfit—and it’s a stereotype not grounded in fact.
But aside from her statistical misinterpretations, Johnson’s statements raise questions about her own position as a (racist) white parent raising a Black child, and the ways in which interracial adoption can negatively affect a child.
“A Good Day for Our Country”: Feminists React to Kamala Harris for VP
After months of anticipation and speculation, Democratic nominee Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that his running mate for the 2020 election will be Kamala Harris.
Supreme Court Allows Trump to End Census on Oct. 15
The Census Bureau has announced that door-knocking and other field activities will be cut short a month earlier than planned—which could cause a fatal undercount of already underrepresented groups, including minorities and rural populations.
Michigan Teen Incarcerated for Not Doing Homework Freed
Grace, the Michigan teen whose story went viral a several weeks ago after she was incarcerated for failing to complete homework assignments, has been freed. The Michigan Court of Appeals ordered her release from Children’s Village, where she’d been detained since May, on Friday.
“We can’t forget Grace is just one case in our broken criminal justice system. Let this case shine a light and raise awareness of the work we still need to do.”
It’s Still a Crime to be a Trans Woman in the U.S.
Two recent legal battles prove the sheer danger and frankly illegality of being a trans woman—and a trans woman of color, in particular—in the U.S.
A new HUD rule gives homeless shelters the right to turn away transgender people from single-sex facilities. And in New York, an anti-loitering statute has come to be known as the “Walking While Trans” ban.
Nursing Home and Care Workers Officially the Most Dangerous Job in the U.S.
As coronavirus rates rise in urban areas, physicians are expressing concern about the lack of resources in long-term care facilities and nursing homes.
We Heart: Oprah Steps Aside to Make Way for Breonna Taylor
For the first time in the history of O magazine, Oprah is stepping aside, and letting another face take center stage: Breonna Taylor. “We can’t be silent. We have to use whatever megaphone we have to cry for justice,” she said.
Inadequate Data Obscures the Effects of COVID-19 on Communities of Color
A new report reveals that COVID-19 disproportionately impacts Black and brown communities—and that inadequate data reporting is reinforcing these disparities.