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.
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.
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.
Darth Vader’s Death Star Created Jobs, Too! New Video Pokes Fun at Keystone Pipeline Claims
The public comment period for the Keystone XL pipeline opened on Wednesday. This video is the comment from California-based climate group Movement Generation.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
How a Chicago Mom Liberated a Foreclosure and Got a Home for Her Four Kids
Displaced by foreclosure, this family took direct action—and got a place to live.
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?
This Guy Turned a 2,000-Page Report on Climate Change into 19 Stunning Haikus
By stripping a technical report of its jargon and unfathomably large numbers, Gregory C. Johnson's haikus offer an arresting and informative entry point into climate science.
Less Stuff, More Heart: 5 Gifts On a New Dad’s Christmas List
This is my first Christmas as a father. Since my baby has never known holiday commercialism, it's made me re-examine what I really want to ask for this year.
The Education of Bill McKibben: How the Unlikely Activist Learned to Break the Rules
“Sometime in the course of the past decade I figured out that I needed to do more than write—if this fight was about power, then we who wanted change had to assemble some.”
Boulder Votes to Break With Xcel and Start Its Own Power Utility
Why moving utilities from corporate to public control puts energy, dollars, and decisions into the hands of local communities.
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