How a Library with No Books Could Change the Way We Read (And Bring Us Closer Together)
The Empathy Library is a new digital archive where people can point to the books, movies, and other media that help us learn to understand one another.
YES! Article archive
To Truly Address Inequality, Let’s Build a People-Centered Economy
The high-tech hubs and natural gas drilling the president called for in his state of the union speech aren't the answer to our economic woes. Instead, we need to follow the leadership already coming from communities, workers, and small-business owners.
Obama Calls for “Opportunity for All”: 8 Policies to Make It Happen
While the president outlined important steps forward last night, bolder steps are needed. Here are eight with the power to truly create the universal opportunity the president called for.
“So My Daughter Won’t Have To”: Why Kelly Sue DeConnick Fights to Make Women Welcome in Comics
Kelly Sue DeConnick is a woman author working in the comic book industry, who's had successful titles in both mainstream and independent forms. In this Q&A, she talks about her feminism, creativity, and her love for old-school "exploitation" movies.
Growing Concern Over Japan’s Dolphin Hunt Leads to Widespread Outcry
The dolphin massacre depicted in the Oscar-winning film The Cove took place again this year. But the reaction to it shows a changing public mindset toward the rights of sea mammals.
Photo Essay: Pete Seeger’s Life on the Hudson
In December 2007, YES! editor-in-chief Sarah van Gelder interviewed Pete Seeger in his home in Beacon, New York. Seeger showed Sarah his family photo albums, his DIY solar-powered car, and, of course, a whole wall filled with banjos.
“We Shall Overcome”: Democracy Now! Remembers Folk Icon Pete Seeger
Folksinger and lifelong activist Pete Seeger passed away on Jan. 27. He was a constant presence in the labor and antiwar movements, and an innovator in the use of music to create solidarity and social change. In this video, Democracy Now! commemorates Seeger's life and work.
Video: New Hampshire’s Campaign to Make 2016 About Money in Politics
At a time when politicians spend more time fundraising than making policy, the New Hampshire Rebellion aims to make political corruption the number-one issue in the 2016 election cycle.
With Only Months to Live, This 17-Year-Old Inspired Millions with Music and Love
When he was just 14 years old, Zach Sobiech learned that he had only a few years to live. He decided to use that time creating beautiful music, and inspired a lot of people while doing so.
Why the Smartphone Became the Lightsaber of the Environmental Justice Movement
From West Virginia to the Gulf Coast, residents of communities facing environmental problems are discovering that visual storytelling brings results. Their number-one tool is the humble smartphone.
Paradise Farmed: Inside Kaua’i’s Local Food Movement
The issue of local food is more urgent when you're more than 2,400 miles away from the nearest continent.
Fracking Standoff in Texas: One Woman’s Struggle to Stop Drilling on Her Family’s Land
Frances Shure is responsible for decisions over whether to let gas companies frack land that's been in her family for generations. The more she's learned about the process, the less willing she's been to say "yes."
India’s Own “Occupy”: How a New Political Party is Battling Corruption—and Winning
A few months ago, India's Aam Aadmi Party was a curiosity; now, it’s a call for pro-democracy movements elsewhere to step up their game.
Zapatista Communities Celebrate 20 Years of Self-Government
The Zapatistas are still running their own schools and hospitals, raising new generations, and carrying on a dialogue with the outside world that has enriched both sides.
How a Great Man Put Down His Guns: Martin Luther King’s Path to Nonviolence
It took years of political evolution for King to understand nonviolence not merely as a moral force, but as an effective strategy for leveraging political change.
How Restorative Justice Changed This Colorado Cop’s Views on Prison
In restorative justice, those who commit crimes have to face the consequences of their actions. After this Colorado policeman tried it out, he came to believe it's part of the answer to America's prison problem.
Video: An In-Depth Look at North Carolina’s Progressive “Moral Mondays” Movement
Alarmed by the ultraconservative policies of their state government, North Carolina residents are taking to the streets to say that social justice is the moral way to go.
How a Fruit and Vegetable Auction in Rural Ohio Helps Appalachian Farmers Thrive
Produce auctions are getting fresh vegetables into food deserts, building community, and helping rural farmers earn a living.
Travel Companies Boycott “Human Safaris” and 13 Other Victories for Tribal People in 2013
Times have never been tougher for indigenous people living in traditional ways. Yet 2013 saw them winning land rights, fighting misrepresentation in the media, and winning solidarity from unexpected allies.
Beyond Classic Disney: 5 Great Animated Kids’ Films Without the Racial Stereotypes
Many of the Disney classics contain outdated images of racial and gender groups. Luckily, recent animated masterpieces provide alternatives without sacrificing anything in the way of imagination.
10 Clever Ideas From Around the World to Root Out Inequality (Like Fining Extreme CEO Pay)
From Switzerland to New York, it seems like people are talking more than ever about inequality—and its antidotes. Here are some of the most promising and provocative ideas from last year that could shift our course in 2014.
Movement to Resist Tar Sands “Megaloads” Brings Together Northwest Tribal Members, Environmentalists
The struggle pits the tribes and their allies in the environmental movement against the General Electric subsidiary that manufactured the evaporators and the hauling company that is providing transportation for them.
What a Progressive, Lesbian Fox News Pundit Learned About Emotional Correctness—From Sean Hannity
Enough with political correctness. Sally Kohn on why persuasion doesn't begin with ideas, facts, or data, but in having the compassion for others that we want them to have for us.
Sitting Is the New Smoking: Why Walking Is the “Secret Sauce” for Better Health and Happier Communities
Whether you live in the ‘burbs, the city, or the middle of nowhere, the "wonder drug" of walking is just what the doctor ordered.
After 20-Year Fight, Bronx Community Wins Big on Development Project Committed to Living Wages and Local Economy
The people of New York’s poorest borough fought to ensure that redevelopment of its castle-like landmark will benefit those who live there. Will it be a gamechanger?
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