Maternal Justice

January 6, 2017

I begin each year with a women’s spiritual retreat at Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Haley Farm in Tennessee. This year Reverend Janet Wolf, Director of CDF Haley Farm and Nonviolent Organizing, shared a meditation based on Langston Hughes’ brilliant 1943 poem “Freedom’s Plow” that she had been using in her ministry on Tennessee’s death row consisting of both incarcerated “insiders” and “outsiders.” All of us were caught up in the poem’s descriptions of centuries of American struggle against oppression and for America’s promised dream of freedom and justice for all.

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Marian Wright Edelman

Maternal Justice

December 16, 2016

International rates of maternal morbidity have been decreasing, however in the United States it's a different story. Pregnancy leads to the deaths of over 600 women each year in the US and US maternal mortality is at the worst it's been for 15 years. For black women, the outcomes are even worse,...

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S. Nadia Hussain

Gun Safety Maternal Justice

December 12, 2016

In April 2015, we witnessed one of the worst videos of police murder ever captured on a cell phone. An unarmed Walter Scott was shot 8 times in the back while running away from South Carolina Police Officer Michael Slager. To further add to this harrowing situation, Office Slager is seen planting...

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S. Nadia Hussain

Childcare & Early Education Environmental Health Family Economic Security Food! Gun Safety Health Care Immigration Maternal Justice Politics & Policy

December 9, 2016

How Grassroots Organizing and Popular Protest Defeated NC’s Bathroom Governor As a lifelong North Carolinian, I really appreciated this data-based analysis from Tom Jensen of Public Policy Polling on how the Governor lost his re-election effort (the first to do so in NC history). First, polls show...

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Ruby Sinreich

Breastfeeding Food! Maternal Justice Politics & Policy

December 9, 2016

December 10 is Human Rights Day . And right before the Human Rights Day this year, I received an e-mail from a mother, upset that her employer doesn’t support breastfeeding and that her supervisor told her “Not only breastfeeding moms are good moms, formula is as good.” I was saddened. I am sad...

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To-wen Tseng

Health Care Maternal Justice

December 8, 2016

The New Jersey legislature attempted to stand up for the rights of incarcerated pregnant women, children and others by passing S51, which would have restricted the use of solitary confinement in state prisons. By vetoing this important legislation, Governor Christie has shown that he has no concern...

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Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner

Maternal Justice Politics & Policy

November 7, 2016

Tomorrow, millions will cast their vote for not only the next President, but for representatives down the ballot who will make the decisions that impact their lives and the lives of their communities. But there are many who, despite being citizens, will have their voices silenced. These are the 6.1...

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S. Nadia Hussain

Childcare & Early Education Families & The Federal Budget Family Economic Security Maternal Justice MomsRising MomsVote Politics & Policy

November 2, 2016

I was embarrassed that I had welled up to the point where my nose and my eyes could no longer function properly. I attempted not to take a huge breath or blink since tears were going to pour. From the stage I listened to Heather C. McGhee tell all of us that we needed to listen and understand one...

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Lina Acosta Sandaal

Childcare & Early Education Families & The Federal Budget Family Economic Security Maternal Justice MomsRising MomsVote Politics & Policy

November 2, 2016

Me avergüenza admitir que me emocioné hasta el punto en que mis ojos y mi nariz no podían funcionar apropiadamente. Traté de no respirar ni pestañar para evitar un chorro de lágrimas. Desde el escenario Heather C. McGhee nos hablaba de la importancia de escucharnos y comprender nuestra condición...

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Lina Acosta Sandaal

Breastfeeding Environmental Health Families & The Federal Budget Health Care Maternal Justice Paid Family Leave Politics & Policy Social & Emotional Development

December 27, 2013

When I married my best friend, Noah, we were young, healthy, and so excited to start a family together. We expected our family building journey to be simple. But, we struggled with infertility. Three years later, our miracle babies found us. We were ecstatic to have twin boys on the way. We named...

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