Though women gained the right to vote a century ago, it’s taken much longer for them—and especially Black women—to be granted a seat at the cultural and political table of America. In a new essay for the 19A Brookings Gender Equality series, Andre Perry writes that for the U.S. to become more equitable for all, more Black women need to be in elected offices and other positions of power.

Before Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, American combat operations in the Middle East were mostly temporary and short-term. Bruce Riedel explains why this event was a turning point, provides background on the history of U.S. military involvement in the region, and discusses the difficult task of bringing U.S. troops home.

Job and business losses, difficulties making housing and rent payments, and underemployment are among the economic stressors disproportionately affecting Latino Americans amid the pandemic. Gabriel Sanchez, Edward Vargas, and Adrián Pedroza detail how financially devastating COVID-19 has been for Latino families across America and propose targeted steps policymakers can take to help.