In the U.S., under the “three-strikes law,” anyone previously convicted of two or more serious felonies faces 25 years to life in federal prison. It’s a discriminatory policy that disproportionately impacts communities of color, and Chicago-based defense attorney MiAngel Cody is passionate about freeing non-violent drug offenders trapped in the criminal justice system as a result. That’s why she founded The Decarceration Collective (TDC) in 2017: a Black-women-powered law firm fighting to free those unjustly imprisoned during America’s misguided “war on drugs.”  "Black women have historically...

Kristy Kim is the founder and CEO of Tomocredit – a new credit card company that aims to bring the traditionally marginalized into the credit system.  Kim felt the negative impacts of being a female and an immigrant first hand when trying to establish credit in the United States. “When I started to realize how much harder it would be for me to have major milestones because of my lack of credit, I felt like my American dream was going to be shattered.” Kim came to the...

Three years ago, Mexican film director Faride Schroeder and Mexican cinematographer Leslie Montero had to hire a crew for a car commercial. They sought out an all-women crew, including Mexican gaffer Ana “Anni” Martinez and Mexican cinematographer Sophia Stieglitz. Little did they know, that commercial would spark a movement. “They wanted women in every crew position—it was such a specific ask. That’s when I realized, ‘We’re unique! We’re Amazons!’” Stieglitz says proudly. “And that’s how Amazonas Electricas was born.” Amazonas Electricas (Electric Amazons) is an all-women...

In an early scene of Thank You For Supporting The Arts, an intimate documentary on Portland’s beloved stripper Viva Las Vegas, Viva takes the stage at her local spot, Mary’s Club. The space is cozy and dimly lit. The camera zooms in on Viva as she slips out of a red silk robe. The strum of a guitar picks up in the background as Viva playfully takes off her black and pink lace lingerie set and we watch as she moves her naked body –...

Unsplash/Jonathan Borba Have you ever gone to see your male physician for an issue, or ailment, and felt your concerns were not taken seriously?  You are not alone. JAMA Surgery recently published a revealing study surrounding gender biases and post-operative outcomes. The study, which originated from a control group in Ontario, defined these outcomes basesd on complications, readmissions, and death during the first 30-days. Additionally,  a subgroup of this study was also evaluated for characteristics found in managed care settings; and gender based outcomes between doctor...

When Joan Didion died on December 23, 2021, there was an outpouring of national grief. Didion was a pioneer of ‘new journalism’ – long form reporting marked by the writer’s point of view. She was honored with The National Medal of Arts from Obama and a PEN USA lifetime achievement award in 2013. She left us with sixteen books, seven films, a play, and at least two generations of writers influenced by her unique style and calculated craft. As a female writer and a California native...

On December 15th the author bell hooks passed away in her Berea, Kentucky home, surrounded by beloved friends and family according to a press release from hooks’ niece, Ebony Motley.  hooks— born Gloria Jean Watkins— published her first book, Ain’t I a Woman? Black Women and Feminism in 1981, under her adopted pen name “bell hooks.” A name that proudly honors her great-grandmother’s name, Bell Blair Hooks; and is attached to many of her other published works within her successful literary career. hooks has written more...

Our columnist, Sarah Potter, provides this season's tarot readings for the signs.  Sagittarius: Temperance (NOV. 22 TO DEC. 21) Get comfortable in the space in-between, Sagittarius. Now is not the time to dip into extremes just to create an adventure to entertain yourself with somenonsense drama. Unfortunately, nothing you can do will speed things up right now (even though you really want to!) so sit back, relax, and practicepatience as everything unfolds at its natural pace.   Capricorn: Six of Wands (DEC. 22 TO JAN. 19) Your hard work is paying off, Capricorn! The...

When Alice Sebold, the award-winning author of the book The Lovely Bones, was a student at Syracuse University in 1981, she was the victim of sexual assault. After a few months, she encountered Anthony Broadwater, a Black man, and was convinced that she recognized him as being her rapist. In 1982, Broadwater was found guilty based on Sebold’s testimony and hair analysis that tied him to the crime. Broadwater never pled guilty and was denied parole several times. In 1999, Sebold published Lucky, in which...

It seems that Trump-appointed Justice Amy Coney Barrett is upholding her prescribed role in the Supreme Court as she pushes for the overruling of Roe v. Wade. Following Wednesday’s Supreme Court hearing in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a Mississippi case that makes abortions illegal after 15 weeks of pregnancy, the court’s oral arguments highlight a clear divide between liberal and conservative judges while driving at the central question of abortion as a states’ issue or Constitutional right. While Justice Barrett advocates for forced...