Posts Tagged: young people
Welcome Alabama State University!
It’s official: Our first HBCU (historically black college or university) chapter is up and running! We are so excite to see what ASU students do in the coming semesters to encourage their peers to fight for reproductive rights nationwide. Check out some of their student members, reppin’ URGE so, so well!
A Reflection On The Midterm Elections
The midterm elections were a tough time for anyone invested in seeing progress for reproductive rights. While most were focused on candidates, wins in the House of Representatives and the Senate, many narrowly missed reproductive rights amendments that passed that set states back years in regards to protecting the safety of those seeking effective reproductive rights legislation. Alabama and West Virginia both rolled back the rights of so many on November 6th. West Virginia’s Amendment 1, which blatantly states that “Nothing in this constitution secures or protects a right to an abortion or requires the funding of an abortion,” will roll back any and all state funding to abortion providers in the state in the future. Alabama’s Amendment 2 goes one step further by saying explicitly to “declare and otherwise… Read more »
It Was Never A Secret
Victoria’s Secret chief marketing officer Ed Razek has come under fire after an interview with Vogue where he insinuated that trans and plus-size models are not attractive enough to be a part of the “fantasy” of their brand. The brand has been met with criticism since his comments, and #boycottvictoriassecret was a trending topic on Twitter. But let’s be honest: even if you haven’t seen what the models look like in the annual fashion show, anyone with a passing familiarity with Victoria’s Secret knows the brand always has been a blatant catering to the white male gaze. Look back at the “Perfect Body” campaign from 2014 that showcased only one type of body. Or the many extreme uses of PhotoShop. Not to mention the many instances of cultural appropriation over… Read more »
Breaking News: Sexual Education Did Not Prepare Me for Sex
Let me introduce myself. I am an upper middle class woman who grew up in a fairly prosperous area. I went to a middle school and high school that are highly ranked in the country. I am currently in the Honors College at a well-ranked public school on the pre-medical track. My friends, for the most part, are progressive and openly talk about sex. All of these factors, one may think, might make me more prepared for sexual encounters. This may be the case, but I still would not label myself as “prepared”. In fact, I think I was fairly far from it when I started having sex and still do not know as much about sex and sexual health as I would like. I have made many mistakes along… Read more »
Now More Than Ever, Local Action Matters
On April 10th, Neil Gorsuch became an associate justice on the United States Supreme Court. With his nomination came the death of the Senate, due to the elimination of rules that maintained the checks and balances of our government. His confirmation is a signal of how the three branches of government are going to operate for the next four years. If we’ve learned anything over these past 100 days, it is that for every regulation or protection is taken away, another executive order is signed that negatively impacts our communities and the ones we love. We have to utilize our knowledge and privileges to combat against these wide sweeping injustices. We have seen this begin — from the federal judges in Hawaii that overturned the travel ban and the cities… Read more »
Is POTUS the most important election tomorrow?
Tomorrow is the Big Day! The final day for US voters to cast ballots for the 2016 election. While the hype around the elections has reached and sustained a fever-pitch in the mainstream media, many young and marginalized communities still feel…uninspired. Fear not, I am here to inspire you! *charm bomb explodes* There are 101 reasons you should go and vote tomorrow and they are spelled: down ballot races. Wtf is a down ballot race? “Down ballot” refers to the elections listed near the end of the ballot; in other words, the last few elections/names/propositions listed on your ballot. In even more words: the races at the bottom of the ballot-list. Typically, ballots are organized with the most “senior” elected positions listed at the top, such as federal elections like… Read more »
Fighting the Lazy Millennial Myth
Being a politically involved and concerned millennial is hard when older generations do nothing but criticize your generation for being lazy, having a short attention span, being addicted to technology, or being non-committal. Constantly hearing that your generation falls short of the mark adds a whole new challenge for progressive millennials in conservative areas who are trying to make long-lasting change. The best way to fight the feeling of disenfranchisement is to connect and build teams with other millennials who are committed to making a difference. I got that refreshing feeling yesterday at URGE’s Kansas Advocacy Day. Not only did we get the chance to work with other college students, we also worked with and got support from older, concerned community members. Unfortunately, not everyone can make the time to… Read more »
Universities need to offer child care facilities, student housing
Recently, I wrote an article for my college newspaper asking them to consider opening a childcare facility on campus for student parents. In it, I reference statistics from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research that claim that only around half of all public universities in the United States offer childcare for prospective student parents. Broken down, the study shows only 48 percent of community colleges offer basic childcare services, and 57 percent of public four-year colleges. Of the 3.9 million student parents enrolled as undergraduates at these institutions, 57 percent of them are low-income earners. Single parents, primarily women, have the toughest time of it, often having to work 40 hours a week to provide for their families. According to this same study, only 6 to 7 percent of private… Read more »
18 and pregnant: how a young mom is challenging the stigma of “teen pregnancy”
The thought of having a baby has always been difficult for me to grasp and a vision I never really had for myself. I just do not feel like I am the type of person fit to be a mother. Maybe one day I will feel differently, people do change after all, but maybe I won’t, and that’s okay too. In 2013, there were 26.5 births for every 1,000 adolescent females ages 15-19. I never thought I would fit into that statistic. And when I found out one of my best friends, Liliana Lucio, did the summer after our senior year, I was shocked. We grew up together, we went to school together from the time we were three years old to our high school graduation. We knew everything about… Read more »
What Could King v. Burwell Mean for Young People?
The Supreme Court is poised to release a decision on the King v. Burwell case any day. This case may have not received the attention it deserves for its possibly devastating outcome, especially for young people. Many people have discussed this case in terms of tax credits, something that young people may not think about very much. However, if the plaintiffs are successful, it would mean that any state using the federal government’s infrastructure for its healthcare exchange would not be able to receive federal financial assistance. Currently, that financial assistance in the form of tax credits helps low- and middle-income people pay their monthly insurance premiums. Without that assistance, monthly payments will increase substantially. For example, in Alabama where the average monthly insurance payment in 2013 was $178, that… Read more »
