What Native Hawaiian Culture Can Teach Us About Gender Identity
As the documentary Kumu Hina reveals, living between both genders is the more powerful “mahu" way.
Social Justice
Rev. Sekou on Today’s Civil Rights Leaders: “I Take My Orders From 23-Year-Old Queer Women”
A leading activist pastor speaks about the emerging face of civil rights leadership in 21st century America.
One Poem That Saved a Forest
How the friendship between a poet and a timber baron kept a grove of California redwoods from clear-cutting.
Truth and Reconciliation at Work: How These Commissions Help Heal Wounds From Racial Injustice
Fania Davis explains how Truth and Reconciliation Commissions can help communities heal from a history of racial violence and oppression.
Watch These 12-Year-Olds Talk About Race More Candidly Than Most Adults Do
These New York City middle-schoolers opened up about their experiences with race and racism in WNYC's "Being 12" series.
17 Ways You Can Work For Social Justice
Be present, question assumptions, and be loud! Social transformation starts with everyday people working for change.
Why Bree Newsome’s Action Was the “Amazing Grace” I Needed
She showed us that we liberate ourselves through our actions. She reminded us, in the midst of deep sorrow, that we, who want to see a better America, must keep living, fighting, breathing, doing.
A Rabbi’s Plea: We Need Slavery Reparations In Order to Move Forward
It’s clear that the trauma of slavery continues to impact the contemporary American psyche.
How a White Supremacist Became a Civil Rights Activist
The story of a KKK leader’s transformation shows us that we need not live forever with the kind of violence we saw in Charleston last week.
Watch Jon Stewart’s Moving Comments on Charleston Shooting and Racism in America
For once, Stewart had no jokes to offer.
The US Has Spent $14B on Community Policing—What Have We Learned So Far?
Gauging whether a community policing program has been successful ultimately depends on how you define success.
What I Learned From My Weeklong Obsession with Rachel Dolezal
Is Rachel Dolezal blacker than I am, or a misguided white woman in need of a reality check? I asked two black women—one who worked with Dolezal and another who is a leader in the #BlackLivesMatter movement—to weigh in.
Solar Panels Are Part of the Pope’s Revolution—But So Is Dismantling Structural Racism
The Pope is talking about a revolution that goes way beyond simply adding renewable energy to our current extractive economy.
Things White People Should Never Say
“I’m not racist, but...” and other things to avoid saying when talking about race.
Can Money Help Shrink Jail Populations? The MacArthur Foundation Is Betting $75M on It
The grants will help jail systems develop a plan for eliminating “the overuse and misuse of jails.” But prisoner advocate Dan Berger says this doesn’t address larger issues like police bias and racism.
How a Bronx Theater Uses Avant-Garde Theater to Teach Everyday Activism
Whether the crisis is AIDS or cyber-bullying, Pregones Theater’s empathy-based theater techniques help young people rehearse for action.
150 Years Later, Two Universities Answer for Their Founder’s Role in the Sand Creek Massacre
Under pressure from students and community members, Northwestern University and University of Denver take the first steps towards righting historic wrongs.
Is Populism Making a Comeback? What You Need to Know About Its History—And Its Future
The 19th century populists gave us co-ops and workers' rights. Here's how we can build on their work to solve 21st century problems.
Can America Heal Its Racial Wounds? We Asked Desmond Tutu and His Daughter
South Africans surprised everyone by transitioning to a relatively peaceful post-apartheid society. Here’s what Americans can learn.
His Ancestors Were Slave Traders and Hers Were Slaves. What They Learned About Healing from a Roadtrip
We embarked upon a journey to test whether two people could come to grips with deep, traumatic, historic wounds and find healing. We had no idea where we would end up.
Audio: Desmond Tutu and His Daughter Mpho On How the U.S. Can Heal From Racial Wounds
The father and daughter recently published The Book of Forgiving, a guide to help perpetrators and victims embrace their mutual humanity.
What If Your Hometown Became “America’s Rape Capital”?
Missoula has a problem—just like every college town in America. A sociologist weighs in on Jon Krakauer's new book about sexual assault at the University of Montana.
How Lynching Shaped American History—From the Old South to Modern Prisons
For Bryan Stevensen, the largest evil surrounding African-American history isn’t slavery, but the pervasiveness of white supremacy and the difficulty we have discussing it openly.
You’ve Heard What’s Wrong in Freddie Gray’s Neighborhood. Here’s One Local’s Vision for Turning That Around
Blaize Connelly-Duggan’s vision for the neighborhood is all about community ownership and development without displacement.
These Moms Lost Their Kids to Violence. On Mother’s Day Weekend, They’re Marching on Washington
Maria Hamilton's son Dontre was killed by police officers. After no one was charged, she sought out hundreds of other parents and decided to take their demands to Washington.
Inspiration in Your Inbox
Sign up to receive email updates from YES!
Help Fund Powerful Stories to Light the Way Forward
Donate to YES! today.