Symptoms of Neo-Imperialism in Economics: The Robinson Crusoe Narrative
“As a result, I naively dismissed the problematic example and attributed it to the time and context it was written in. It was only when my professor assigned Crusoe, Friday and the Raced Market Frame of Orthodox Economics Textbooks, by Matthew Watson that I finally caught a glimpse of the bigger picture – that the Robinson-Crusoe rhetoric is actually commonplace in economics textbooks.”
Protests in the US and Nigeria: Adult Problem, Young Leaders
“My view of modern Black-led youth movements comes from a place of sadness and admiration. I hate that people my age are forced to fight the battles of corruption but I am extremely humbled by the acts of courage I’ve seen. The hands of white supremacy have twisted our ideals to value money over people, production over product and individuals over communities. The EndSARS protests started as a call for the disbanding of the police force but turned into a multi-dimensional demand for a more equitable government.”
Iowa was a Mess and it Needs to Be Fixed
“The Iowa caucuses have been nothing short of a disaster. Before they began, full results were expected by the end of the night. It has now been over one week since Iowa, and there is still no official winner...Initial problems began when the Shadow App, an application used to vote in certain precincts, crashed.”
The Rent is Too Damn High: Unpacking California's Complicated Relationship with Housing
“An economy previously built on dispersed manufacturing has transitioned to white-collar jobs in urban areas like California’s Silicon Valley, and the supply of new housing hasn’t been remotely close to keeping pace with the increasing demand.[2] Yet, it hasn’t always been this way — and it doesn’t have to be now.”
Don't Get It Twisted: Hair Discrimination is Racial Discrimination
“When African people were savagely kidnapped and arrived in unknown territory, they were deprived of their traditional wardrobes, practices, and rituals. Natural hairstyles, particularly braided hairstyles, were seen as a form of communication. It communicated a story about a person’s marital status, age, religion, ethnic identity, wealth, and rank within the community. One of the first things slave traders did was shave slaves’ heads. Europeans erased the slaves’ identity and culture by dehumanizing them.”
Corruption: The Epidemic that Destroyed Lebanon
“Three months out of the explosion, in the city laid waste, destitution and despair is palpable. Winter’s darkness is growing; electricity cuts have soared to 22 hours a day and impending thunderstorms threaten those who are still living in roofless and windowless homes, who jump at every loud sound, unable to sleep from their resurfacing PTSD.”
Data Privacy
“It’s all too easy to take for granted all of the ways technology has improved our lives. But as in most things, some have benefitted from the technological revolution more than others. And the ones who’ve gained the most have done so largely in the shadows, packaging and selling their product to anyone who can pay the price. This ever-growing industry is Big Data. And all of us are the product.”
Candidate Profile: Amy Klobuchar
“A seasoned moderate Democrat who has long advocated for increased bipartisanship in Congress, Klobuchar has had an impactful and notable political career both within and outside the confines of her state. Despite this, her early presidential campaign efforts did not resonate with prospective voters.”
Can Parochial School Teachers Claim Employment Discrimination? The Court (Correctly) Says No
“The Supreme Court handed down a number of high stakes decisions in its summer term, deciding issues ranging from disclosing Trump’s tax returns to deciding the fate of DACA recipients. One particular, though less notable, case that reached the court involved the question of whether the 1st Amendment’s religion clauses bar civil courts from adjudicating employment-discrimination claims brought against a religious employer.”
Will Kamala Harris' Nomination as VP Help Joe Biden Win?
Kamala Harris’s nomination feels much more impactful than any other vice presidential nomination in recent memory. But could it help Joe make it to the Oval Office?
Note:
This article was written before President-Elect Joe Biden was projected to win the 2020 General Election.
Intersectional Understandings of Brutality: State Violence and Sexual Assault
“In that moment, my mind only considered the “what-ifs.” What if my mother was not so close by? What if there were fewer people around? What if I were to be arrested by him, alone in a police car?”
WARNING: This article contains discussions of sexual assault and sexual violence.
Wildfires and The Utilities that Light Them
“Of all the hot topics in the news today, nothing burns hotter than California’s wildfire crisis… However, if you recall from middle school science classes, fire requires another ingredient to ignite; all fires require a spark, or ignition source, to start. That source has a name in California, the most detested company in the state, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).”
China's Information War on Covid-19
“During the last week of 2020, I traveled to Shanghai to visit a friend before New Year’s. While having lunch, I got a Wechat message from my mom forwarding an article titled “The Situation is Worse than we Think.” This must be about the “new virus” from Wuhan that I had heard bits about from here and there, I thought after reading the title, but soon put my phone away, thinking that it is just one thing among hundred others that mom worries too much about.”
Where Public Health Meets Politics: COVID-19 in the US
“The question of overcoming the virus is hardly a scientific one anymore, but a political and ethical one.”
The State of The Union: A Battleground
Pelosi’s heavy involvement in President Trump’s history-making impeachment, among several other more specific instances demonstrating the pair’s mutual animosity- namely their respective State of the Union behavior and the ensuing social media battle- have led to the House Speaker coming to represent different things to different people.