On the Diversity of Black Identity
A Black poet answers the questions you’re too afraid to ask.
YES! Article archive
Social Justice
Blacksmiths Turn Unwanted Guns Into Garden Tools
Shotguns often become hand spades, and a weapon like the AR-15 that was used in recent mass shootings has a thicker barrel that suits an afterlife as a mattock.
Montana Center Destroys Unwanted Guns—Trying to Make a Dent in 300 Million
Most of the center’s clients have been middle-aged people who inherit guns and don’t want them ending up in the wrong hands.
The Surprisingly Long History of Racial Oppression in Coffee Shops
Centuries before two Black men were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks, capitalists met at coffee shops to profit from the transatlantic slave trade.
Guns & America: New Public Radio Project Wants You to Better Understand All Sides
A new program will take listeners beyond the politics of the current gun debate to explore Americans’ relationships with weapons.
In Gaza, a Focus on Creating IT Jobs For Women
A social enterprise starts up in one of the world’s most difficult environments, but one bursting with human capacity.
The President’s Pardon of a Black Man Wasn’t About Justice
Trump’s other notable pardon was a racist sheriff. So what’s the deal?
Teaching the Holocaust Will Change After All Survivors Are Dead
More states are requiring Holocaust and genocide education as a way of dealing with the increase in hate crimes.
The Shooting Statistics Are Clear: It’s Not Schools That Are Dangerous
Schools are the sites of fewer than 3 percent of students’ gun homicides; the other 97 percent occur somewhere other than school.
Bicycling on Haunted Streets
“I’ve also come to believe that our streets are haunted by ghosts
as well through a sort of past and present collective trauma
that remains unresolved.”
An Unusual Way to Rescue a City From Blight—Bees
As the city removes thousands of blighted properties, this couple saw an opportunity to support a cooperative economy.
Kids Say #MeToo After Each Performance of This Play
As sex education steadily loses federal funding, this program teaches kids about personal body safety—and that abuse is never their fault.
Where You Can Still Hear Stories of the Palestinian Expulsions 70 Years Ago
On Twitter, #MyNakbaStory allows descendants of the 700,000 exiled during the formation of Israel to honor their past—and continue their protests.
Beyond Fasting: What We Can All Learn From Ramadan
It’s a holiday intended for introspection and community, something Muslims and non-Muslims alike can benefit from.
Twelve Years Old and Out of Time
Childhood ends when a black child is criminalized.
What Really Helps the Unemployed Find Full-Time Jobs
Social safety net programs need more money, not less, for a work requirement program to succeed.
For Young Professionals, Rural Towns Are Doing What Cities Can’t
Low housing prices, good school systems, and friendly neighbors make small-town living an appealing option for young people—but is it for everybody?
How a University and a Tribe Are Teaming Up to Revive a Lost Language
At Miami University in Ohio, the Myaamia Center is revitalizing culture and building racial equity. The project was decades in the making.
Nature Is Medicine—Even in a Prison Cell
The “Moss-in-Prison” project helped me bring my love for trees and forest to men and women in the deepest windowless reaches of the prison system.
“What Took So Long?”: Coming Out When You’re Well Into Adulthood
A new memoir explores why it’s OK to be uncertain about your identity at any age.
How Restorative Justice Can Work to Keep Students of Color in School
A recent federal report shows boys, black students, and students with disabilities get kicked out of school at higher rates than their peers.
The New Lynching Memorial Will Tell the Stories of Women Victims, Too
The historical narrative of lynching has often left out women and children, but the reality was much more complex.
Tourists, Beware: Trump Administration Wants Your Social Media Handles Before You Travel
Such scrutiny will affect people coming to the U.S. for work, for business, for tourism, or simply to visit family.
Why Misunderstanding Identity Politics Undermines Intersectionality—and Goals of a Just Society
A white patriarchal system should not define who ideal citizens are.
When Robots Take Our Jobs, Platform Cooperatives Are a Solution
This thriving new sector is a critical step toward a fair and vibrant economic future.
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