At a time when nearly half the states have repealed the death penalty, Erica’s story illuminates the lives of many of the women who remain on death row and exposes the depravity of sentencing people to death.
Demystifying Cyber: Cybersecurity Should Be on Everyone’s Radar, Says Congressional Staffer Hope Goins
Demystifying Cybersecurity highlights the experiences of Black practitioners, driving a critical conversation on race in the cybersecurity industry, and shining a light on Black experts in their fields.
This month, we spoke with Hope Goins, the majority staff director of the U.S. Committee on Homeland Security, about how cybersecurity affects everyone. “We need to find ways to make people realize the practical application of cybersecurity to their lives—from ensuring that children consume information via secure platforms to understanding how utilities like water and energy can be impacted by poor security.”
Deshaun Watson’s Slap on the Wrist Is a Slap in the Face to Women and Survivors
At least 30 massage therapists accused Deshaun Watson of unwanted sexual aggression during their sessions with him. To this day, Watson has shown absolutely no remorse or even understanding that what he did was wrong. But rather than suspending him for the entire 2022 season, as the NFL had wanted, Robinson issued a six-game suspension. Six games and he has to get all future massages from team therapists.
While the NFL’s disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson said Watson’s conduct was “egregious” but “nonviolent,” there’s a short runway between ejaculating on people without their consent and escalating behaviors. Robinson’s decision is a slap on the wrist that feels like a slap in the face to women, sexual assault survivors, and sports fans who believe that the way you win is just as important as the victory.
Oakland Museum of California’s ‘Hella Feminist’ Exhibit Grieves, Celebrates, and Provokes
In a world where the meaning of “feminism” is increasingly being questioned by those on both the right and the left, a thoughtful contemplative examination of the term’s history and future can be hard to find. But the Oakland Museum of California’s “Hella Feminist” exhibition does just that.
(“Hella Feminist” is on view at the Oakland Museum of California in Oakland, California from July 2022-January 2023.)
Pregnancy as Punishment: The Impact of Abortion Bans on Incarcerated Women and Girls
The Dobbs decision is falling hard on young and low-income women, who don’t have the resources to travel out of state to obtain abortion healthcare. But an often-overlooked population especially hard hit is incarcerated women and girls, and those on probation and parole.
Close to 900,000 women and girls are under the control of federal, state and local carceral systems in the U.S. Prisons in states banning abortion can entirely block incarcerated pregnant women and girls from seeking abortion healthcare out of state and can even block those on probation and parole from traveling out of state to obtain abortions.
We Deserve Diverse Books: ‘The Right Is Wrong’
During the 45 years that award-winning author Nikki Grimes has been publishing children’s and young adult novels, she’s seen massive changes in the industry. Protagonists today are far more diverse, featuring more protagonists of color and characters who are disabled, non-binary, questioning or LGBTQIA+.
Right-wing organizations think many children’s books are offensive and have launched a campaign to squelch this progressive turn.
“The right is wrong. A more inclusive, accepting and humane world is possible.”
Our Abortion Stories: ‘If He Had Found Out I Was Pregnant, He Would Have Kidnapped Me and the Baby’
On June 24, the Supreme Court overturned the longstanding precedents of Roe v. Wade, representing the largest blow to women’s constitutional rights in history. We’re chronicling readers’ experiences of abortion pre- and post-Roe. “There is no room for inaction. If not for yourself, speak out for others.”
“Eliminating women’s reproductive healthcare rights doesn’t eliminate unplanned fetuses. It gives birth to unwanted children. Forcing women to give birth to unwanted children creates dependence on others. Both mother and child have little chance of climbing out of poverty on their own.”
‘P-Valley’ and the Black Lives Behind Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization
“We felt it our responsibility to depict the war on Black women’s bodies raging in this conservative state,” said Katori Hall, creator of Starz’s P-Valley.
The Best and Worst States for Gender Parity—and What Works to Increase It
Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation.
This week: the best and worst states for women’s representation and gender parity; what’s working around the globe to increase percentages of women in office; the presence of women artists at MoMA; the vital connection between the work for gender equity and the work to address climate change; and more.
Poland’s Near-Total Abortion Ban Threatens Ukrainian Refugees
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, more than 3.5 million Ukrainian refugees have entered Poland. Coupled with the strict abortion laws in Poland and the overall circumstances surrounding the refugee crisis, hundreds of women and other pregnant individuals are now forced to carry their pregnancies to term.