Why are 63 million girls missing out on education? – Lucy Lamble for Global Education podcast explores the numerous barriers preventing girls in conflict zones and rural, impoverished communities from obtaining education.
LGBTQ and Other “Diverse” Books Lead Banned Books List – September 26 through September 30 was Banned Book Week, but it’s not too late to pick up a literary outlaw. Sarah Seltzer for Flavorwire examines the American Library Association’s challenged book list and the inclusion of LGBTQ themed literature.
This DJ mixes the world’s local music to create a global sound – Jace Clayton is a DJ who mixes musical styles from across the globe to tell a universal story about the unexpected moments of music creation.
Student at Liberal Afghanistan College Shares Horror of Attack – Alia, a 16-year-old student at the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF), recounts the horror of feigning death during the Taliban takeover of AUAF. Alia shares her story as a writer for the Afghan Women’s Writing Project.
This Chinese-American cartoonist forces us to face racist stereotypes – Cartoonist Gene Luen Yang was awarded a MacArthur Genius Grant this year. In an interview with PBS, he discusses his use of comics to tell a story which creates a more emotional impact on the reader than through mere text.
Amicus: 2016 Term Preview – Slate’s Amicus podcast previews the 2016 Supreme Court term. Host Dahlia Lithwick explores the constitutionality of stop-and-frisk tactics with former federal judge Shira Scheindlin. Also, SCOTUSblog founder and publisher Tom Goldstein provides discourse on the cases the Court will hear this term.
East New York painter confronts the ‘brutal’ forces of gentrification– Gentrification is explored through the eyes of artist Patrick Eugéne. Paint is used as a medium to immortalize the disruption of every day, close-knit communities for the profit of house flipping developers.
Opinionated: How Voter Registration Laws Impact Latinxs– Roger Quesada’s Opinionated delves into the obstacles Latinx voters face at the polls.
More Asian-Americans Are Identifying as Democrats, Survey Finds – A study finds that Asian-American support for Democratic presidential candidates has increased faster than support among any other racial group.
Is the US failing its inmates? – Al Jazeera takes an in-depth look at the poor conditions of US prisons and the prisoners striking to make a change. Prisoners across the country went on strike on September 9th to mark the 45th anniversary of the Attica prison riot.
The Asian American Experience In America – Congresswoman Grace Meng discusses the results of the 2016 National Asian American Survey. Representative Meng challenges Americans to ‘do better’ and fight against racist, lazy stereotypes dominating both Hollywood and the mainstream media.
Jesse Williams and Amir Whitaker: Brown v. Board of Education Is a Broken Promise – America Divided documentary “The Class Divide” is profiled by Time. The documentary highlights the inequity of the U.S. educational system 60 years post Brown.
A Photographer Gives Cameras To Child Brides. Their Images Are Amazing – Photographer Stephanie Sinclair has taken photos of child bride across the globe for 15 years. As a form of art therapy, Sinclair provided some young women with the chance to tell their own story through digital photography.
Mexican man accused of raping eight-year-old ordered to buy her father beer – In rural Mexico, the customs and traditions rule the people. While humanitarian efforts are succeeding in improving the lives of women and girls, gender equality in indigenous communities is struggling.
Sex Trafficking Survivor Says It’s Time to Stop Glamorizing Prostitution – A victim of sex trafficking, Rebecca Bender, discusses her experience as a prostitute. Bender discusses her reasons behind rejecting the Hollywood legitimization of prostitution and pimp culture.
Second Look is a monthly content round-up of articles, videos, podcasts, and blog posts highlighting all things race, gender, and/or social justice. Feel free to discuss your thoughts or opinions in the comments below.
Today is International Women’s Day and I find myself reflecting upon the women who raised me and the lessons I learned from each and every one of them. From my mom, to my aunts, to the grandmother I spent so many summers with, each taught me something unique about what it means to be a woman.
The ensemble of Marvel’s Luke Cage is an array of blackness, of brownness, a portrayal that is absent of whiteness. One man holds vigil for the white community and [SPOILER ALERT] he’s a bad guy. I’ve never watched a TV show that didn’t provide a multitude of supporting characters who looked like me. Usually, I can put myself into the shoes of a character because they look like me; they sound like me; they face the same hardships I face. This experience was, for me, otherworldly. In my world, superheroes are white. Even female superheroes are white: Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Black Widow, Rogue, Elektra, Jessica Jones, Catwoman (with the exception of the portrayal by Halle Berry), even the Powerpuff Girls are pale with colorful eyes. Storm is the only recognizable black female superhero, but I don’t see her getting her own stand-alone anytime soon.
Hanifa Nakiryowa is the proud mother of two girls, a graduate of University of Nairobi, a former H.J. Heinz fellow in the Master of International Development program at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, and an acid attack survivor.