Most Recent Articles - YES!

YES! has a positive solution-oriented focus. We reframe issues, reflect diverse human-scale stories, and offer tools for people to use and to pass along. Here are our most recent articles and blogs.

"Fault in Our Stars" Literary Gems
by Jing Fong
Dec 06, 2014
We received many powerful essays for the Fall 2014 Writing Competition. Though not every participant can win the contest, we'd like to share some excerpts that caught our eye.
Video: Remembering Nelson Mandela and His Reconciliation Process—Which Is Needed Now More Than Ever
by Kayla Schultz
Dec 05, 2014
A singing flash mob honors the passing of Nelson Mandela, who died one year ago this week and helped establish South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation process after apartheid.
From College Campuses to Conflict Zones: Violence Against Women Is Both Personal and Political
by Samir Goswami
Dec 05, 2014
Ending gender-based violence is not just about changing laws. It's about changing how we think.
An Indigenous View on #BlackLivesMatter
by Leanne Simpson
Dec 05, 2014
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
by James Edwards
Dec 04, 2014
What I learned from James Baldwin’s writing about race, in a moment of great anger.
The Radical Homemaker’s Reading List: 8 Books for Happier Families, Healthier Guts, and Saner Lives
by Shannon Hayes
Dec 04, 2014
A short list of books that have kept discovery alive and well in 2014 at Sap Bush Hollow farm.
Science Fiction and the Post-Ferguson World: “There Are as Many Ways to Exist as We Can Imagine”
by Mary Hansen
Dec 03, 2014
Radical science fiction and fantasy are a remedy for the belief that there is no alternative to the violence and inequality that surround us.
This Country Needs a Truth and Reconciliation Process on Violence Against African Americans—Right Now
by Fania Davis
Dec 03, 2014
The decision not to indict Eric Garner's killer is just the latest story in a long history of violence against black men. What response can disrupt patterns set by centuries of racism?
Meet the Lobstermen Arrested for Blocking a Coal Freighter—and the DA Who Kept Them Out of Jail
by Natasha Donovan
Dec 02, 2014
Last spring, these men were in a small white lobster boat anchored to block the path of an oncoming freighter hauling 40,000 tons of coal. They didn't expect the district attorney to support them.
Sit Still, Listen, and Accept Being a Target: What White Men Can Do in Times Like These
by Kevin Fong
Dec 02, 2014
From law enforcement officers to sports team owners, we're hearing plenty of stories of white men behaving badly. Even the most decent and principled ones have to exercise muscles of consciousness they haven’t needed to use before.
The Battle in Seattle, 15 Years On: How an Unsung Hero Kept the Movements United
by Jonathan Rosenblum
Dec 01, 2014
A lead organizer of the protests against the World Trade Organization in 1999 remembers Tyree Scott, a quiet presence in the labor movement who urged unity when it mattered most.
Mentally Ill People Often Face Violence From Police—But These Cities Are Trying to Fix That
by Daniel Ross
Nov 28, 2014
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
by Steve Early
Nov 28, 2014
“A critical look at any institution with as much power and authority invested in it as the police is probably a good thing.”
Inside Palestine: 3 Families On What Life is Really Like, From Making a Living to Staying Together
by Cate Malek, Mateo Hoke
Nov 26, 2014
Missile strikes in Gaza and home demolitions in the West Bank make headlines, but rarely are they presented in the context of everyday life. Meet three Palestinians trying to make ends meet and keep their families safe.
“I’m Scared to Be a Black Male Walking Down the Street”: Seattle Teens on Why They Skipped School for a #Ferguson March
by Kayla Schultz, Mary Hansen
Nov 26, 2014
“We all just left class. As soon as 11:00 came, we stood up and walked out of class. Together as one.”