8 stories you gotta read this week
Estimated reading time: 3m 40s
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8 stories you might've missed |
When President Biden used the word “illegal” — an outdated and offensive term to refer to people residing in this country without authorized documentation — it drew ire from the immigrant community, advocates and fellow Democrats after the State of the Union address. Referring to the president, one advocate said, “He succumbed to the pressures of a political climate that is increasingly hostile towards immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking people and families.” Reckon's Vanessa Arredondo recently wrote about the reaction to Biden's use of the xenophobic term. |
By the end of 2022, syphilis hit a 72-year high, with 205,000 total cases. More than 3,500 of those were in babies — up from just 300 a decade prior, according to CDC statistics. Of those cases nearly 10% resulted in stillbirth or infant death. Indeed, not since 1950 have more pregnant women and babies been sick with syphilis — a perfect storm of slashed public health funding and the spread of so-called maternity-care deserts, defined as counties lacking maternity-care hospitals or obstetric providers. By one estimate, some 6.9 million U.S. women live in places with no or low access to maternity care. Read more about how physicians are sounding the alarm about the spread of syphilis from The Fuller Project. |
Niecy Tates, who is in her third year of teaching 11th and 12th grade Math in Baltimore City schools, found herself in the same school system she is a product of. Tates comes from a long line of educators, but teaching was not on her immediate agenda. In college, she majored in computer science. It wasn’t until serving as a summer camp teacher as part of a program with the National Society of Black Engineers that she realized, like many in her family, she’d been bit by the teaching bug, too. Read more about Black women teachers who want to change the world by Danielle Buckingham. Get more stories like these by signing up for the Black Joy newsletter. |
Many talking points against trans girls and women in sports falsely reference an unfair advantage over cis athletes due to physiological characteristics. In fact, genetic make-up and internal and external reproductive anatomy are not holistic indicators of athletic performance, especially if a trans woman meets NCAA standards. Plus, advocates claim fairness in sports does not exist—even outside of the gender debate. Reckon's Denny cast a spotlight on nine trans women athletes who played for a future where everyone wins. |
More must-read stories from the Reckon team: Growing, packaging, transporting, and consuming food is one of the biggest environmental stressors after energy production and transportation. That's why eating locally and seasonally is one of the best things you can do for the environment. Social services and mental health care are difficult enough for many Americans to access, but a unique set of challenges arise for recent migrants in need of care. In Chicago, girls around the city have found avenues to push back against the status quo that historically wants them to remain quiet about their periods and are pushing for menstrual equity in their communities and schools. When news of a Mississippi bill that could have shuttered three historically Black institutions arose, HBCU students, alumni and supporters across the country flocked to social media in disbelief, ready to take action. |
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From water crises to toxic pollution, Black communities are bearing the brunt of environmental injustice. Join Reckon and Next City Thursday, March 21 at 4 p.m. CT for a powerful conversation examining the ongoing struggles for a safe environment in Black communities directly impacted by climate catastrophe. After an overview from Next City editorial director Deonna Anderson, Reckon climate reporter Chris Harress will moderate a conversation between the “father of environmental justice” Dr. Robert Bullard, Louisiana special education teacher turned environmental justice advocate Sharon Lavigne and Public Citizen’s climate campaigner Kerrina Williams about solutions and how to take action now. |
Got something you want us to dive into soon? Let us know at [email protected]. That's all we've got for this week! The Reckon Team |
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