Calling race a “social construct” does not mean that the biological ancestry — and specifically West African ancestry — of African Americans is mythical. It also doesn’t mean that my ancestry has no actual implications. (See the map of sickle-cell density above.) And in the future, it may mean even more. Ancestry — where my great-great-great-great grandparents are from — is a fact. What you call people with that particular ancestry is not. It changes depending on where you are in the world, when you are there, and who has power.
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| — | Ta-Nehisi Coates (via theatlantic) |
Bronx Literary Festival at the Bronx Library Center!
nypl:
Join the Bronx Library Center in celebrating the best and brightest literary talents of the borough tomorrow, Saturday, May 18th at 11am!
Meet local authors, sit in on fiction-writing workshops and network with fellow writers, readers and Bronxites!
Highlights of the day’s events include performances by the Edy Martinez Big Band, Peggy Robles Alvarado, Layding Lumumba Kaliba, Tony Mitchelson, Sandra Maria Esteves, and more.
More information can be found here.
Henry Cavill on "Why Lois?" in the Official Movie Guide
Question: Why is a hard-driving woman like Lois Lane the right match for Superman?
Henry Cavill: I think the interaction between her and Superman is that she is obviously "superwoman" in a societal sense. And she's finally found the guy who can literally sweep her off her feet!
“I wanted to show a part of the Megalopolis that struck me, that showed very clearly that something is not working well for us as human beings in relation with our environment.” -Héctor Mediavilla
A glimpse of Mexico City’s subway as seen through the lens of photographer Héctor Mediavilla.
Known as one of the worst cities in the world in which to drive, Mexico City’s rush hours aren’t much better underground with a subway system that generates around 4 million riders a day.
Read: Inside Mexico City’s Chaotic Underground Rush Hour
[Images: Héctor Mediavilla]
Seriously, if we believe a 14 year old is too immature to know how to take a pill, do we really think she’s adult enough to handle an unwanted pregnancy?
The truth is that the age restriction is completely arbitrary, tied only to our puritanical comfort levels. And listen, I get it; I think it’s fair to say that most people are uncomfortable with the idea of a 14 year old having sex. But here’s the thing - access to Plan B isn’t about keeping a 14 year old from having sex - by the time she gets to the pharmacy, that ship has sailed - it’s about keeping a 14 year old who has already had sex from getting pregnant. And despite what urban legend (or past embarrassing FDA memos) may tell you, making emergency contraception more available is not more likely to make young teens have sex - it will just make them less likely to end up pregnant.
We can’t let our discomfort with teen sex trump young people’s right to sexual and reproductive health and we can’t continue to let politics trump science. If we care about young women’s health and bodily autonomy and integrity, we’ll drop all age restrictions from emergency contraception. Anything less isn’t just illogical - it’s immoral.
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| — | “Hey, FDA: Drop the Plan B Age Restriction,” my latest at The Nation (via jessicavalenti) |
