Recent Portfolio
When 14-year-old Bresha Meadows shot her father after allegedly enduring a lifetime of his abuse, she could have just been one more girl processed through what’s become known as the abuse-to-prison pipeline. But instead, the #FreeBresha movement arrived to question the harsh, punitive nature of our juvenile justice system.
Tell Them Our Names - Atavist
For the first time in months, they all danced. The guards gave them the day off. Some stood and watched them, trying to cover up their smiles. Others yelled at them to stop shaking, stop smiling, stop feeling anything other than trapped. Maybe these guards could not handle their visible, temporary joy. Maybe, thought Pauline, these guards do not want to be reminded that we are human. Or maybe they just want to feel powerful. The women kept dancing.
Neither Angels Nor Demons - Sojourners
Kruzan was asking for more time and nuance from her courtroom than our justice system often allows. She was asking the courtroom to see her as a human—one who hurt, feared, lashed out, and had some growing up to do. But grace is a pesky, time-consuming task. The mythical super-predator—who possesses some unshakable evil from birth—is a simpler story to understand than that of a flawed human with a troubled past.
This Is How #MeToo Will End - Sojourners
Over the past 11 months, I’ve loved watching the shifting classification of the #MeToo phenomenon as it proves itself to be even more stubborn and steadfast than the cultures of misogyny and shame that have necessitated its existence. We called it a “#MeToo Moment” until we realized it wasn’t going anywhere. Then, as the momentum snowballed, we deemed it a “#MeToo Movement.” Now --if headlines are the judge-- we are knee-deep in the “#Metoo Era.”So what will be the moniker when #MeToo inevitably reveals itself as a permanent fixture?
Dear financially independent recent grad,
You inspire and shame me with your financial autonomy. The Internet, which must know that your parents do not pay for your phone bill, should reward you for your 4G independence.
Married, Queer, and Co-Pastoring a Church - Sojourners
A documentary video about two women who are the first married same-sex co-pastors of an historic Baptist church in Washington, D.C.
Ten Times We Tragically Failed Tamir Rice: A Hasty, Hyperlinked Poem - 20-Something Survival
When the third minute passed / And the snow beneath you knew you / better than we did.
Tips for Female Presidential Hopefuls (humor piece) - McSweeney's
When an interviewer compliments your hair, give the credit to the wild beauty of menstruation.
How Not to Respond to Grief: On Refugees and Paris - 20-Something Survival
There is a phrase common in the US that is meant to express heroism: “These colors won’t run.” But often they do. They run from peaceful solutions to war in favor of dropping bombs from a safe distance. They run from refugees who are running for their lives. They run from Syrian children washed up on a beach.
'This Is My Iran' - Sojourners
The often untranslated calligraphy reminds a Westerner of at least one important thing: There are many things about these women that we don’t understand. There exists a diverse array of experiences and beliefs in Iran that are — just like the calligraphy — not automatically translatable.
