A few years ago, my date and I sat in a movie theater in Malibu, watching the opening of Couples Retreat. When the first black woman actor came on the screen, my date smacked his teeth in disgust. The woman was loud, obnoxious and senseless. Within the first 5 minutes of seeing her on the […]
Author: Shae Collins
Shae Collins is the creator of A Womyn’s Worth, a social commentary blog that addresses interests of black women.
Did You Miss These Popular Ms. Blog Posts of 2013?
This was an awesome year for the Ms. Blog, with more than 2.5 million page views from more than 230 countries. We even had two visits from Antarctica! As we prepare for another year of intriguing conversations on a world’s worth of feminist issues, we want to remind readers of some of the most widely […]
Michigan Women Now Need Rape Insurance
The Michigan state legislature recently passed a law banning health insurance markets from offering coverage for abortions. Instead, women seeking the procedure will be required to purchase a separate insurance rider for abortion procedures. Under the new restrictions, which will take effect three months after the legislature adjourns for the year, women would have to […]
Last Chance to Score Goals for Gender Equality!
The women in the film are not just unbelievable athletes. They use soccer as a way to challenge gender-based violence, gender discrimination, and cultural biases. —(Ms.) Danny Turken, The Beautiful Game director and producer … Women are campaigning for some amazing projects on Kickstarter, and we can’t publicize them all—but considering how much the world […]
Hey Pop Stars, Culture is More Than Skin Deep
I’m beginning to think pop stars should be required to take a course on cultural appropriation. Katy Perry’s recently added herself to the list of celebrities who make insulting displays of cultures that aren’t their own. At the recent American Music Awards, she sang “Unconditionally” in Japanese-inspired wardrobe, hair and makeup. And that performance followed […]
Muslim Teen To Kick Butt As Marvel’s Latest Superhero
Ms. Marvel, a well-known character in Marvel comics, has come a long way since 1968, when she appeared as a muscular, sexualized blonde superhero in thigh-high patent-leather boots. The newest Ms. Marvel is a 16-year-old daughter of Pakistani immigrants from Jersey City. In February 2014, Kamala Khan will be the first Muslim woman character to […]
‘Tis the Season to be Hungry
As we dip into the holiday season and prepare to bake or fry our turkeys for Thanksgiving dinner, more than 47 million Americans will feel harsher pangs of food insecurity. On Nov. 1, the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program’s (SNAP) benefits from the 2009 stimulus package will terminate, cutting the amount of federal assistance to the […]
NEWSFLASH: Texas Abortion Restrictions Ruled Unconstitutional
At the eleventh hour–a day before dozens of abortion clinics were going to be forced to close in Texas–a federal judge ruled that some of the state’s harsh new abortion restrictions were unconstitutional. While Gov. Rick Perry undercut Wendy Davis’ nearly 13-hour filibuster against a draconian anti-abortion bill in June by passing it in a […]
Top 5 Roadblocks to Plan B Access
Confusion about the law is one of the biggest problems when it comes to access for the emergency contraception Plan B. So let’s clear that up first: At the beginning of August 2013, Plan B One-Step became available over-the-counter. Under the new law, it can be purchased by anyone of any age, male or female. […]
Real Name of Slave Novelist Unearthed
Nearly 150 years after one of the earliest known slave narratives was written, the real author’s identity has finally been unearthed. The discovery preserves writer Hannah Bond’s legacy and her distinct fictionalized account of life as a color-conscious fugitive slave in antebellum America. Previously known by her pseudonym, Hannah Crafts, Bond grew up on a […]