Let’s jump right on in, shall we? I’ve long said that people need to keep a close watch on their state legislature.  I’m a Missourian and my state Assembly meets for five months each year. That means five months of watching the Republicans who control both the House and Senate file bills to restrict access [...]

Let’s jump right on in, shall we? While some state assemblies have sought to pass legislation protecting youth from bullying, others are considering bills that seem to show the damage that elected bullies can do with the weapons of government. Such is the case in Missouri where House Bill 2051, the Don’t Say Gay bill sponsored [...]

When I heard about the murder of Trayvon Martin I felt like everything just stopped for a moment. I’m talking about a real halt for a serious moment…a stretching out of time through which everything ached bone deep. There is still much to learn about the murder of Trayvon Martin, but what we know now is [...]

Let’s jump right on in, shall we? I’m a Missourian so trust that I am all over the decision by the Speaker of the Missouri House to honor Rush Limbaugh with a bust in the Hall of Famous Missourians. Some have questioned the outrage claiming that Limbaugh is famous and a Missourian thus qualifying him for [...]

Shall we? Yesterday I traveled to Jefferson City, Missouri to lobby some state legislators who recently voted on a resolution to deny women access to birth control without co-payments  . I was appalled by this vote…not just because I know how important access to birth control is for my fellow Missourians, but also because these legislators wasted [...]

I recently read An Interracial Fix for Black Marriage by Ralph Richard Banks published in the Wall Street Journal. In the article, Banks points to the lower rate of marriage among black women as compared to the general population and attempts to make the case that interracial marriage is the likely “fix” because it would solve [...]

A lot of amazing moments happened during the multi-month battle to protect family planning funding and providers from the out-of-control cuts in the 2011 federal budget. It felt like forever, but the campaign was actually only a couple of months! As we catch our breath and work to capture lessons learned, I’d like to share [...]

March is Women’s History Month and I think it fitting, given the current labor struggles going on across the United States, to remember the Triangle Factory fire. I first heard about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in a women’s history class I took my first year in college. My professor was discussing the intersection of [...]

I’m now two weeks into my post-hysterectomy recovery. Hooray! My surgery went well. It wasn’t easy, but it went as well as could be expected given the size and location of my uterine fibroids. My surgical team was made up entirely of women and they kicked major ass! I won’t get into the gory details. [...]

Hi y’all! I’d like to apologize for my recent absence. I’ve been sick. Specifically, I’ve experienced some serious complications related to uterine fibroids. Last month my doctor informed me that she recommends a hysterectomy and, after a lot of tests (ouch!) followed by a second opinion, I came to the conclusion that she’s right. On [...]

Shall we? My beloved maternal Grandmother did not trust doctors, hospitals or The Man.  She had good reason – she came of age in pre World War II Mississippi, where black women entered the hospital for medical care and left having been given a Mississippi Appendectomy…a hysterectomy that was neither medically necessary, legal or ethical.  [...]

I recently returned from volunteering in Anchorage Alaska with the No on 2 Campaign . Alaskan voters ultimately approved the parental notification measure but the No on 2 Campaign was not in vain, because when reproductive justice activists educate the public through grassroots activism progress happens! My volunteer work in Alaska served as timely reminder that we need to [...]

Sorry I’ve been out of touch, but I’ve been traveling…a lot…to places where the hotels have lousy internet access. Ugh. Anyhoo, shall we? There is an ongoing discussion within my circle of friends about whether a person is being biased toward religious people when one criticizes a religious institution for a policy stance or public [...]

Let’s jump right on in, shall we? Congress has been at odds (surprise, surprise) over whether or not to extend benefits to unemployed workers. Democrats want to pass the extension while Republicans don’t. A lot in the media have reported on this as a typical partisan staring contest…Democrats are glaring and Republicans aren’t blinking while [...]

I heard about the Mehserle verdict in the Oscar Grant case through Twitter. I wasn’t surprised by the verdict or the coverage…and since others have done a fantabulous job breaking all of this down, I don’t feel the need to. Not just yet…no, not quite yet. I do feel the need to explore my feelings. When [...]

I spent this Independence Day catching up on sleep. I know, I’ve heard…a body can’t really catch up on sleep, but the attempt was refreshing as hell. Anyhoo, in between naps I started to ponder the state of the social justice movement. What? Some people daydream about tropical getaways… …I ponder the paradise of a [...]

Shall we? We are now 40+ days into the BP oil spill. The situation is currently the very definition of fubar and, as distressing as it is to hear, we may have to wait until August to truly stop the flow of oil. I can hardly wrap my mind around the devastation that has already happened [...]