Prolonged Uprising Is the New Normal
Along with community care, accountability, and the disruption of oppressive systems.
YES! Article archive
Opinion
10 Indigenous People Whose Statues Should Replace Columbus’
In a country of this size and diversity, it makes little sense to cling to statues that honor only a few, including historical figures unworthy of such acclaim.
Reading “Bangkok Wakes to Rain” Helped Me Imagine a New Normal
Author Pitchaya Sudbanthad maps a sense of perspective and possibility that feels urgent for a city that has faced existential threats long before the current COVID pandemic.
It’s Time For a Black New Deal
We’ve known for years what we needed to do to address poverty and systemic racism in America. It's long past time to just do it.
How Muslims Are Mourning Without Proper Death Care Rituals
Due to COVID-19, the Muslim community is grappling with how to grieve without traditional burial practices that are essential in Islam.
As Chicago Reopens, We Can’t Forget Our Black Youth
Young Black people have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus shutdown. As we reopen, their unique needs should be met.
An Uprising Was Inevitable
George Floyd’s death—and so many before his—was avoidable. But until Black Lives Matter to elected officials, police officers, and White Americans, the uprisings will continue.
How a Community Rallied to Change Prison Rules During COVID-19
There’s a mentality in prisons that places more value on power than protecting human life and we need to talk about that.
A Service Industry Where Every Worker Thrives
The pandemic is the gravest crisis for tipped workers and the service sector in U.S. history, but also the greatest opportunity for transformation.
Don’t Let COVID-19 Rob Graduates of the Celebrations They Deserve
Graduations are another casualty of the coronavirus pandemic. This hits harder for students of color.
War Is a Poor Metaphor for This Pandemic
We need a different way to name the type of partnership between people and their government.
Antiracist Parenting During COVID-19 and Beyond
The cultural work we do in our homes and the activism we do to end systems of oppression may look different during this pandemic, but it matters all the more.
How the Coronavirus Will Shape a Generation
This pandemic re-emphasizes the ways in which global tragedy can draw clear markers between one generation and the next.
In Response to the Coronavirus, Governors Are the Real Leaders
When the Trump Administration fails the test of guiding the nation during a crisis, local officials have picked up the reins of power—for better or for worse.
Beyond the Coronavirus, My Students See a Better World
The pandemic may foreshadow how climate change will disrupt our communities, but it has also unveiled a counterrevolution already brewing among young people.
How I Found Racial Healing During the Pandemic
There’s no upside to the uptick in anti-Asian violence, but I’m glad to see more of us awakened and speaking out.
Fossil Fuel Bailouts Are Class War. This Is How We Fight Back
Global oil markets are in turmoil, with crude prices at their lowest level in years, even going negative at one point in April. When the U.S. economy is in trouble,
Muslims Are Redefining Ramadan Traditions Amid COVID-19
In many ways, this forced pause embodies the spirit of Ramadan, focusing on slowing down, and making deeper spiritual connections.
Now Is the Time to Take Radical Steps Toward Housing Equity
It’s time to think big about housing. No more evictions and foreclosures. Rent and mortgage cancellation on a grand scale. Twelve million new green housing units in the next 10
Grieving Our Collective Loss—One Stitch at a Time
Taking a cue from the many traditions that liken human life to fabric, I started knitting a COVID-19 death-toll blanket.
4 Good Practices for Taking Care of Kids in Quarantine
A family therapist encourages parents and others raising kids to focus on the 4 R’s: routines, rules, relationships and rituals.
Instead of Buying Guns or Hoarding Food, Let’s Feed Each Other
Planting roots in our neighborhoods—rather than individual victory gardens—allows us to reassess the true meaning of community and show our neighbors that we have their backs.
Balancing Grief and Joy in a Time of Uncertainty
Be it through mutual aid, healing circles, grief rituals, or direct actions, we grow our resilience when we gather with the intention of holding one another’s wholeness.
Chernobyl Is My Inheritance, but It Has Lessons for Us All
My family survived Chernobyl and outlived a seemingly invincible empire. Now, I look to this history for guidance through this pandemic.
From Emergency to Emergence
The coronavirus outbreak is presenting us an opportunity to rethink our economic system—and remake it in an image we’d prefer.
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