Join the Mamas 

Sigh. It’s 2020 and the Supreme Court is debating, yet again, if employers have the legal right to deny employees access to birth control coverage based on religious grounds—a problematic premise that not only discriminates against women but also violates the fundamental separation of church and state. 

I usually toss out the alumni-magazines-slash-pleas-for-money that come from my family’s assorted alma maters. Surprisingly, this cover article from The Penn Gazette entitled, "Toward a New Boyhood," was well worth the long read.  

Whether you’re on-board with her progressive agenda or not, it’s hard to dismiss the meteoric rise and influence of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (AOC), the beloved dem from Queens who others, particularly of the older, whiter, male variety, just love to hate.

I can’t believe I just wrote that but thanks to the journalist Jessica Bennett, I have the opportunity to weigh in on this taboo topic, or as she coins it, the “poo-triarchy.” 

Research shows us that when government policy makes it easier for mothers to work outside the home, many do. Subsidized child care and access to early education remain the two critical factors in determining women’s overall employment. Not surprisingly, the number of mothers in the workplace increases when school days are longer and childcare is more affordable. In states such as CA, Oregon and Washington where the school day is shortest and childcare is more expensive than the national average, fewer mothers work outside the home. 

When activist Tarana Burke first coined the phrase, “Me Too,” way back in 2006, it was a specific rallying cry for women of color who had suffered and been silenced by sexual assault. It took another 11 years before the phrase entered mainstream culture and became the hashtag of the year — one that erupted onto screens and forever changed the way we talk about sexual discrimination and abuse.