When Christmas Dinner Gets Uncomfortably Political, These Cues From “House of Cards” and Other Shows Can Help You Out
This year’s most popular movies and TV series can be a tool to work your way out of a particularly bad conversation.
Social Justice
12 Hashtags That Changed the World in 2014
Slacktivism? Not so much. From #BlackLivesMatter to #BringBackOurGirls, this year's best hashtags around issues of social justice brought fresh voices into some of our most important conversations.
Kids on Chicago’s West Side Break the School-to-Prison Pipeline with Restorative Circles
For these Chicago students, restorative justice isn’t just about causing less harm to those around us. It’s also about actively creating safety, on their own terms.
“Forgiveness Is Liberating”: Desmond Tutu On Healing A Nation’s Racist Past
In 1997, he asked: "Who could have thought we would ever be an example, except of awfulness; who could ever have thought we would be held up as a model to the rest of the world?" Today, South Africa's healing process is a beacon of hope for the United States.
UN Climate Negotiators Drop the Ball in Lima—Now It’s Up to the Grassroots to Pick It Up
Negotiators have stopped trying to win a binding international agreement on carbon emissions. Now it’s up to the people to push our governments to action.
Everything You Need to Know About the Radical Roots of Wonder Woman
Her enigmatic creator believed women were destined to rule the world. 10 facts about the iconic heroine.
An Indigenous View on #BlackLivesMatter
I was reminded over and over this week that black and indigenous communities of struggle are deeply connected through our experiences with colonialism, oppression, and white supremacy.
Why I Want to Burn Everything Down Right Now—And Why I’m Not Going To
What I learned from James Baldwin’s writing about race, in a moment of great anger.
Science Fiction and the Post-Ferguson World: “There Are as Many Ways to Exist as We Can Imagine”
Radical science fiction and fantasy are a remedy for the belief that there is no alternative to the violence and inequality that surround us.
Mentally Ill People Often Face Violence From Police—But These Cities Are Trying to Fix That
Crisis Intervention Teams train police officers to understand mental illness without resorting to violence.
Police Violence Is Not Inevitable: Four Ways a California Police Chief Connected Cops With Communities
“A critical look at any institution with as much power and authority invested in it as the police is probably a good thing.”
#Ferguson Thanksgiving: A Former Slave Proposed the Holiday 55 Years Before Lincoln. Why His Version Matters Today
“For some, racial inequality and fear are raw realities every day, and anything inspiring in American history rings false and remote. For others, the call to reflect on injustice feels like a personal accusation. But we are caught in this history together.”
Undercover University: Palestinians Study Up in Israeli Prisons
More than 40 percent of Palestinian males have spent time in Israeli prisons. The schools that operate within are increasingly important.
When the City Turned Off Their Water, Detroit Residents and Groups Delivered Help
Grassroots action has backed down the city’s aggressive water shutoffs.
New Film Shows How Florida Farmworkers Won Fairer Pay From America’s Biggest Food Companies
"This is not a film about oppression," said Food Chains executive producer Eva Longoria. "It's actually about transformation."
This Food Stand Celebrates Palestinian Culture. When It Received a Death Threat, Students Stood Up
Conflict Kitchen serves up food from countries in conflict with the United States—and its customers think it's worth defending.
An Alaska Native Myth Tells of a Never-Ending Blizzard—Now You Can Learn About It on Xbox
The first video game developed by an indigenous-owned company uses gaming’s immersive storytelling style to connect players with Alaska Native culture.
The New Grassroots Heroes: They Fight Pollution—and Police Brutality—And They’re Changing How Social Movements Happen
"The global justice movement, the antiwar movement, the climate movement: We are now part of a much larger, more systemic movement that really sees the interrelationships between all these systems and climate destruction."
25 Years Later: How the Fall of the Berlin Wall Inspired Global Uprisings from Occupy to Ferguson
Every so often, we witness a period of mass insurgency that seems to defy the accepted rules of politics. If ever there was a time in modern history that exemplified such a moment, it was the second half of 1989.
Divestment Helped to End Apartheid in South Africa—Can It Work for Fossil Fuels?
When it comes to divestment, the anti-apartheid struggle is always cited as an influence. Here's how South Africans are starting to apply those same lessons to addressing climate change.
Next Week Oregon, Alaska, and D.C. Vote on Recreational Pot—And It’s About More Than Just Getting High
If those three measures pass, more states will be added to the list of places where healing from the drug war can begin, places where people will no longer face jail time because of a little nugget in their pockets.
The Avengers Join Guardians of the Galaxy and Other Marvel Heroes to Make Bullying History
“The center of Marvel’s storytelling history is the eternal struggle between good and evil, with many of its greatest superheroes having to contend with—and rise above—bullying, in all its forms.”
To Curb Gun Violence, Chicago Residents Hit The Streets—And Really Listened to Their Neighbors
When a group of volunteers walked the streets of Chicago's east side, they learned that gun violence was not the only problem plaguing their neighborhood.
Before the Zombie Apocalypse—These 4 Trade Deals Were Ravaging the World!
Forget ghouls and goblins. From deregulating Wall Street to shredding environmental and labor protections—these policy monsters are way scarier.
These Two Vets Walked Thousands of Miles to Heal Trauma and Raise Money
Two veterans trekked across America to leave behind the trauma of war and raise money for fellow vets. Now they want to offer the same healing experience to others like them.
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