Baby Boomers Mobilize Around Climate Change
The generation’s organizing experience, voter turnout, and spending power make them a powerful force for change.
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.
A Growing Wave of Unionizing Drives Change
From Amazon to Starbucks, employees are demanding better pay and working conditions from companies that have long had a free hand to maximize profits at any cost.
The Political Power of Pro-Choice Protests
In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, protests remind the Left how political change happens.
The Danger of Normalizing Trump’s Enablers
Testifying against Trump in the Jan. 6 Committee hearings should not absolve his enablers of the harm they helped him inflict.
Michigan Builds Its School-to-Teaching Pipeline
Educators Rising is a national program that gets students onto an educational career path while they’re still in high school.
The Supreme Court’s Crisis of Legitimacy
The Supreme Court has demonstrated that the highest law of the land is whatever they feel like saying it is. What do we do when the court and other institutions are widely seen as illegitimate?
Mass Shootings and the Culture of Violence in the U.S.
Gun violence cannot be abstracted from a broader culture of violence and authoritarianism that calls for more gun ownership, more police, and more national security.
How to Reduce School Shootings
A combination of policy changes and increased safety measures could help reduce the risk of school shootings, says psychology professor Paul Boxer.
The Case for Joy in BIPOC Stories
When film and television creators feature people of color in their storylines, they often feel compelled to frame them via tragic histories of oppression. But what about simply letting BIPOC characters experience the same joy as their White counterparts?
Walking Tours Get a Radical Makeover, Focusing on People’s Histories
Instead of kings, plutocrats, and generals, a new kind of historical walking tour focuses on the people they repressed, and tells a more complete story.
How Do We Stop White Supremacists From Killing People of Color?
In the wake of the Buffalo massacre, scholar-activist Rosa Clemente worries that communities of color will be more heavily policed while White supremacists will continue to access guns freely.
Tell Better Stories to Win Public Opinion (and Elections)
The antidote to a false narrative on the right is to create a better one on the left to counter it.
Unlearning Racism As a Non-Black Person of Color
A young, mixed-race Iranian American realized during the 2020 racial justice uprisings that being a person of color didn’t mean she was automatically an expert on race and racism.
Women Against the Bomb: Mothers of the Revolution
A new documentary interviews “Greenham Common Women”—tough, dedicated protesters in the struggle against nuclear weapons and nuclear war.
Abolitionists and Environmentalists in Atlanta Band Together to “Stop Cop City”
“The people who are killing us can’t also be the people who are keeping us safe.”
How to Get Past Despair to Powerful Action on Climate Change
The evidence is clear that people are changing the climate dramatically. But human actions can also affect the climate for the better.
Critical Race Theory Opens Up New Opportunities for Student Learning
Amid the heated national controversy about CRT in schools, some Black educators are openly using the framework to help students better understand history and contextualize current events.
How Ukrainian Civilians Are Resisting Military Force
Unarmed Ukrainians changing road signs, blocking tanks, and confronting the Russian military are showing their bravery and strategic brilliance.
The U.S. Constitution Was Meant to Be a Work in Progress
Author and legal scholar Elie Mystal’s first book argues that the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights are deeply flawed, but that it’s still possible to use them to protect the rights of women and people of color.
How to Prevent Burnout Among Black Movement Leaders
What would our movement be like if we abundantly supported Black leaders to transition to their next role in our ecosystem, instead of choosing to isolate them in burnout?
A Program for Youth Is Reshaping Arts Education in Chicago
“It’s not about the art that’s made in the end. It’s about the process, the discussions, and the relationships that you’re building with the people around you.”
When Witnessing Becomes Activism
Witnesses, whether by accident or vocation, help to shape how societies understand social upheaval and respond to social change.
Reforming Laws From Behind Bars
Prison reformists—many of whom are serving long sentences—have united to change the cruel and arbitrary carceral system.
Letting Go of Myths, Embracing Truths
By first transforming and reimagining ourselves, we all have an opportunity before us to truly transform our organizations and reimagine our work.
Activists Working to Defund Baltimore’s Police Face Roadblocks
The city’s activists have seen varying levels of success in housing and food justice. But justice for police abuse remains elusive. Here’s why.
Our Vision to Create the Best Stories Imaginable
In 2025, we will temporarily pause the printing of YES! Magazine.
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