Mothers and Daughters is a portrait and interview project, taking a look at the complex, identity framing family relationship. My own mother, Marjorie Cumbo, suffered from a bipolar disorder and passed away from cancer over 20 years ago, (I was 19). Her influence on me was profound, as is her absence. My work ethic, my creativity, and unfortunately my likelihood of developing cancer are all things I can attribute to her. After testing positive for the BRACA2 gene, I opted to take preventative measures that have...

Mother and Son, Wollaita Tribe Ethiopia Photo by Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia (Creative Commons 2.0)With Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and I hope you have thought of how you would like to celebrate your mom, grandmother and every other incredible woman in your life. Mother's day is a celebration of honoring mothers, motherhood and mother figures in our lives—a day where mothers are reminded of their love, sacrifice and influence in our lives.  Mother’s Day in the United States began with a woman named Anna Jarvis,...

In a leaked document published late Monday, May 2nd, by Politico, it is being suggested that the Supreme Court is set to overturn Roe v. Wade, the historic 1973 decision legalizing abortion in the United States. If struck down, abortion rights will be left up to individual states, which could have dire consequences for the 40 million women who live in states with “hostile” abortion laws. The war on reproductive rights has been heating up in recent years, with the passing of the Texas Heartbeat Act...

Of all the things that have thrown Twitter in a frenzy, like Donald Trump winning the 2016 US presidential election, it’s going to take an excruciatingly long time for it to recover from this one. Thanks to Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform for a whopping $44B on April 25, this year, in both cultural and economic senses, has brought us the most nerve-racking social media fiasco. Musk’s disjointed vision for Twitter includes releasing it from censorship restrictions to foster freedom of speech and democracy....

In early March, an apparent Russian strike damaged and destroyed a hospital in Mariupol, a city in southern Ukraine. According to The New York Times, “seventeen people were injured, including staff members and maternity ward patients.”  Over 1,000 women give birth in Ukraine every day. Since the war started, hospitals are one of many necessary facilities being targeted. Because of the dangers of pregnancy and giving birth in a war zone, thousands of babies are being born with no health support, and in dangerous conditions. “Primarily,...

A literary and academic legend whose work helped influence an entire generation of feminists, bell hooks died on December 15, 2021, at age 69. Think you know what made bell so swell? Then take the quiz! 1. When bell was born on September 25th, 1952, her given name was: a.) Chloe Anthony Wofford b.) Marguerite Annie Johnson c.) Gloria Jean Watkins d.) Ramona Lofton 2. Which of the following titles is the first book bell ever published, launching her multifaceted literary career in 1978?a.) and there we wept: poems b.) Yearning: race,...

Empire and Hidden Figures actress and entrepreneur Taraji P. Henson was just appointed to President Biden’s Board of Advisors for Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs). You may know Taraji P. Henson as a successful actress, but what you may not know is she is also a proud HBCU alumna, graduating from Howard University with a BFA in acting. Henson is one of 18 members of the board, including the first female president of Tougaloo College, Beverly W. Hogan, and the CEO of the National Society of Black...

After a long and arduous confirmation process, and many tear jerking moments like this one, (thanks Cory Booker,) Ketanji Brown Jackson has officially been confirmed to the Supreme Court after a bipartisan vote of 53-47. Jackson's move into the Supreme Court is met with exuberant celebration as she is the country's first Black woman to be seated on the highest court of the land in 200 years.  A judge on the US court of appeals for the D.C. circuit, her experience in law is as extensive, as...

Searching for a powerful role model of old age? Then look no further than Baba Yaga, a magical spirit who has been preserved in ancient Slavic folktales and who can show you how to be wrinkled and badass at the same time. By Madame Pamita  illustration by Dilek Baykara If you find yourself in the deepest and wildest Eastern European spruce forest, you might see a tiny light on a mountainside, far away from civilization. If you hike toward this light, you’ll see that it emanates from...

SINCE THE MID-20TH century, the derogatory phrase “blue rinse” has been used to describe a “matronly” white woman, sometimes of the type who clutches her pearls when faced with the shock of the new, be it miniskirts or gay marriage. Given that these are not the people one would associate with crazy-colored hair, what’s behind this ageist, sexist slur?  Blue hair has been around longer than you might think. Fashion designer Lucile had her models wear wigs dyed in shades of red, green, and blue during a 1913 show. “Until one...