I’ve always laughed at whatever comes out of comedian Amy Poehler’s mouth, but when I read her speech at last week’s Time magazine gala dinner, I cried. Named by Time as one of this year’s 100 “most influential people,” the Parks and Recreation star cracked plenty of jokes—“I have so much influence...

On Sunday we acknowledge the noble role of motherhood, which is easy. Mothers are the givers and guardians of life. They not only risk their own lives to create new ones, but nurture and care for their families – for generations – and selflessly address their own needs last. As a mother, I’ve realized so much of what we do isn’t because we’re the only ones able, nor because we actually want to. Rather we are often the only ones who anticipate problems and actually see what needs to be done.

The challenges faced by nursing mothers at work, especially those in hourly, lower-wage positions, are very real. We know that 77 percent of mothers in retail or lower-wage jobs give up breastfeeding after returning to work . This is because continuing to breastfeed at work is so difficult--...

As a writer and activist, I subscribe to numerous newsletters and have given to countless causes. Here is a sample of what was in my inbox on Tuesday, May 3: "Each year, the first week of May is Teacher Appreciation Week — a chance to say thank you to the teachers who work long hours helping our...