Tennessee Tied Teachers’ Jobs to Standardized Test Scores. Here’s How They Pushed Back—And Won.
The teachers found their careers at risk when an erratic statistical tool became a key measure of their success.
Political Power
YES! believes in the fundamental right of people to determine their own political future, and reports on efforts to expand access to democracy and voter enfranchisement, while also acknowledging the limits of electoral politics, and “democracy” as it has been used as a bludgeon by imperial powers.
Remembering Maya Angelou: Fiery Poet of Peace
In Angelou’s poem “A Brave and Startling Truth,” we can sense the poet’s yearning for a more peaceful and loving future.
From Stand-up to Twitter, A New Generation’s Fresh Take on Storytelling
Today's storytellers show that each of us can be part of something more powerful, diverse, and creative than we might have imagined.
Meet 6 Nutrition Blogger Moms Who Crashed the McDonald’s Shareholder Meeting
Current trends suggest one in three kids will develop Type 2 diabetes as adults. These moms told McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson what they think about the fast food industry targeting their kids.
The War on Drugs Destroys Lives—Here Are 6 Things You Can Do About It
The movement to end the violence through the decriminalization of drugs has never had so much momentum. And it's never been easier to get involved.
Meet the Girl Who Sparked Brown v. The Board of Education With a High School Walkout
The stories of people behind the landmark decision—like that of 16-year-old Barbara Rose Johns—are even more compelling and inspiring than the sea-changing ruling itself.
How Macklemore’s Trumpet Player Is Bringing Music Back to His Kenyan Hometown
The Madaraka festival is a celebration of African cultural heritage and modern-day entrepreneurship—and the proceeds will help build a recording studio for 68 youth in Kenya.
The Game of Thrones Rape Scene: Why We Can’t Pretend It Never Happened
Pretending that a rape never happened is a problem—regardless of whether it took place in fiction or reality.
This Fifth-Grader Raised $200,000 to Clean Up the Gulf Oil Spill by Selling Watercolors
These three young activists found creative ways to tackle issues from climate change to voting rights.
When This Teacher’s Ethnic Studies Classes Were Banned, His Students Took the District to Court—and Won
Curtis Acosta's classes in Mexican American Studies gave kids pride in their heritage—until the Arizona Legislature canceled them. That's when his students became activists, and some real-life lessons began.
Why Saul Alinsky, Author of “Rules” for Social Change, Would Probably Break Them Today
Most organizers today believe that Alinsky taught to focus on building organizations and not social movements. But the author's own political work shows a more flexible approach.
Video: Festival Brings Spirit of Kenya’s Independence Movement to the US
The Swahili word "madaraka" means "self-realization." The festival bearing that name seeks to empower youth to create positive change in their own lives, their communities, and the world.
Legalization is a Human Rights Issue: Latin America Steps Up Resolve to End the Drug Wars
On the heels of pot legalization in Washington and Colorado, the movement for less punitive drug policy is coalescing at every level. Its new leaders could come from the very countries that have suffered the most.
Edward Snowden’s TED Talk Offers Guided Tour of NSA Leaks
The former NSA contractor, who is living in asylum in Russia, spoke from the screen of a wheeled robot.
The “Twilight” Manifesto: What Pop Culture Gets Wrong—and Right—About Masculinity
Blockbuster series like Twilight have left their mark on a generation of girls, but what message are they sending boys? Here are a few to look out for.
These Seattle Teachers Boycotted Standardized Testing—and Sparked a Nationwide Movement
Parents, students, and teachers all over the country have joined the revolt to liberate our kids from a test-obsessed education system.
W. Virginia’s Grassroots Response to Water Crisis: A Movement in the Making?
Community responses to the Elk River chemical spill draw on West Virginia's long, proud history of grassroots work for environmental and economic justice.
John Lewis’ Moving Graphic Novel Brings the Civil Rights Struggle to a New Generation
In the tradition of “Maus” and “Persepolis,” “March” tells the story of young African Americans who, like its author, rose up from the Jim Crow South to assert their human rights.
This Is What Happened When Scholastic Tried to Bring Pro-Coal Propaganda to School
“The United States of Energy” was a colorful series of lessons on the advantages of coal, aimed at 4th-graders—and sponsored by Big Coal. Here’s how educators and activists worked together to get it out of classrooms.
Teenage Defender of First Nations Rights Becomes Literal Superhero
Shannen Koostachin, a teenage activist who died before ever seeing the results of her work, has inspired a new hero in the DC Universe.
A Social Justice Tour of Oscar Winners Through the Decades
The upcoming Academy Awards will recognize some of 2013’s best social justice-themed films. Here are some of our favorite past winners.
From Trayvon Martin to Jordan Davis: Can Art Provide Justice When Courts Fail?
"Having not been a judge or a witness who could've helped communicate what Michael Dunn did, my art is the only way I can give Jordan Davis justice."
Tiny Houses for the Homeless: An Affordable Solution Catches On
A growing number of towns and cities have found a practical solution to homelessness through the construction of tiny-house villages—and housing officials are taking notice.
How the Fight Against Alabama’s Anti-Immigrant Law Transformed a Community
Gwendolyn Ferreti Manjarrez is an organizer with the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice. Here, she speaks about the role of grassroots groups in the fight to roll back HB 56.
In Pete Seeger’s Letters, A Voice for Justice Sings On
In the midst of Seeger's countless documents was one that stood out. The editor who found it reflects on coming back to that letter today.
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