Indigenous Peoples Day: Celebrating Heritage, Confronting History

PUBLISHED 10/8/2023 by and

This Indigenous Peoples Day, as we honor the rich tapestry of Native culture and celebrate the diversity and enduring spirit of Native communities, let us also acknowledge the legacy of Native American boarding schools and remember the Native children who were taken from us far too soon.

At least 523 institutions were part of the Native American boarding school system—408 of which received federal funding. These schools were in at least 35 states, yet most Americans know nothing about this history.

Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation: Laphonza Butler Fills Sen. Feinstein’s Seat; Will Burlington Get its First Woman Mayor?

PUBLISHED 10/6/2023 by

Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation. 

This week: Three women are running to become Burlington’s first woman mayor; the slow progress to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment; how racism has shaped the composition of Brazil’s judicial branch; the pioneering shift taken by the Irish government that will impact gender parity in sports; and more.

From the Frontlines in Iran: Our Fight for Human Rights and Gender Equality

PUBLISHED 10/6/2023 by

Nasrin Sotoudeh is an Iranian human rights lawyer who has spent her career fighting for the rights of women and minorities in the Middle East. For her important work, Sotoudeh has been honored with copious awards and designations, including the U.S. State Department’s Global Human Rights Defender title and Ms. magazine’s Top Feminist award. Just this month, she is the sole recipient of both The Civil Courage Prize, which honors individuals who show courage against evil and oppression, and the Brown Democracy Medal from the McCourtney Institute for Democracy, marking the award’s 10th year.

“The monster of oppression has nested in one corner of the world,” wrote Sotoudeh in her new book, Women, Life, Freedom: Our Fight for Human Rights and Equality in Iran. “It dreams of taking over the world. We must overcome our fears, stand up to the beast, and look it in the eyes.”

I Was Low-Income and Undocumented, But I Dreamed of College. Now I’m ACLU’s Deputy National Political Director.

PUBLISHED 10/5/2023 by

With recent judicial blows to affirmative action and DACA, and attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, many underrepresented students are left wondering: Now what?

Do they belong in higher education? Will they have the opportunity to go to college? Will they have a successful career? Will they ever make it? Growing up Latina, low-income and undocumented, Maribel Hernández Rivera had the same questions. Now, she is the ACLU’s deputy national policy director and is searching for ways to support and mentor the next generation.

Judge James Ho’s Connections to the Anti-Abortion Movement

PUBLISHED 10/5/2023 by and

If allowed to take effect, an August ruling from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals would sharply restrict access to medication abortion nationwide and eliminate telemedicine abortion. Three Republican-nominated judges issued the Fifth Circuit ruling. But one of the judges, James Ho, issued a concurring opinion, arguing the ruling did not go far enough.

Ho clerked for Clarence Thomas and has close ties to the Federalist Society, led by Leonard Leo. The judge has referred to abortion as “the immoral, tragic, and violent taking of innocent human life.” He and his spouse, Allyson Ho, have been running in the same circles as key players in the assault against abortion access in the U.S. for years.

Women Need the Afghan Adjustment Act

PUBLISHED 10/5/2023 by

Thousands of Afghan women entered the United States as part of Operation Allies Welcome. Still, they continue to be hampered by the lack of a simple, straightforward and reliable way to obtain permanent legal status and to become citizens.

Congress can change that by passing the Afghan Adjustment Act (AAA), which was reintroduced this summer by a bipartisan group of senators and representatives. AAA would allow Afghans paroled into the United States to apply for their green cards, provided they met basic background checks and other eligibility requirements.

The First Tool to Name Obstetric Racism Might Finally Push Policymakers Into Action

PUBLISHED 10/4/2023 by and

Awareness of the U.S. maternal health crisis has increased—but a parallel crisis of human rights violations against pregnant and postpartum people remains invisible or misunderstood. By convening two People’s Tribunals to End Obstetric Violence and Obstetric Racism before the end of the year, we aim to change that. The first will happen on Oct. 6 in New York City at the NYU Law School, and the second on Dec. 1 in Memphis, at BRIDGES USA. 

We cannot fix the maternal mortality problem without fixing the human rights problem at its core.

How Anti-Abortion Centers Teach Sex Ed Inside Public Schools: ‘They Just Tried to Scare Us’

PUBLISHED 10/4/2023 by and

Crisis pregnancy centers—which counsel women against getting abortions—began to pop up in the late ’60s, as states passed laws legalizing abortion. Today, Texas has the most crisis pregnancy centers of any state.

These groups’ sex ed efforts are widespread: More than 35 of these centers are involved in dozens of school districts across Texas. Within these programs—offered for free to school districts—students are taught if they have sex before marriage, emotional risks include depression, guilt and anxiety. They’re taught that condoms do not keep them safe from pregnancy or STDs. These approaches aren’t effective in preventing or changing behavior. Instead, they can cause students to stop absorbing information that might help them make informed decisions about sex in the future.