[[link removed]] Weekly Digest
Weekly Digest
Letter from an Editor | September 23, 2023
Dear John,
With students and teachers heading back to school this month, many are returning to an increasingly hostile academic environment—in the form of book bans and other legal restrictions that limit what topics they’re allowed to teach about. These laws, many of which restrict teaching about so-called “divisive topics,” like sexism, racism, LGBTQ+ issues and more, are leaving both teachers and students concerned for the future of education—and for their own jobs and educations.
One New Hampshire educator who teaches future teachers is pushing back—but worries the lack of support that her students will go on to have when they are in their own classrooms. “As a unionized, tenure-track professor, I have academic freedom and built-in support systems if my teaching is challenged,” writes C.C. Hendricks in Ms.’s “Banned” series, which is sharing the stories of educators and students being impacted by legislation and policies attacking education, DEI and more. “Yet, my teaching students are not guaranteed the same support.”
Hendricks pushes back by teaching her students how to teach their own students about issues of identity, difference and intolerance through feminist pedagogies, including community building and student-led instruction. As the forces that seek to silence intersectional feminist voices at both K-12 and university levels continue their battle, uplifting feminist strategies of resistance and voices is more important than ever.
This week marked the release of our new book 50 Years of Ms.: The Best of the Pathfinding Magazine that Ignited a Revolution, which celebrates the most startling, audacious, and norm-breaking articles from our past half-century. We were featured on CBS’s Sunday Morning show [[link removed]] , on the front page of the New York Times Book Review [[link removed]] magazine—not to mention hitting #45 on the Amazon top 100 list, and #1 in the Women’s History and Feminist Theory categories!
We were also honored this week to receive PEN America’s inaugural Impact Award. In presenting the award to founding editor Gloria Steinem, Ms. publisher and president of Feminist Majority Foundation Eleanor Smeal, and me, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said “Through its art, literature and journalism, Ms. magazine became a platform that educated, inspired and mobilized generations of feminists in support of equality. I am deeply honored to present the PEN America Impact Award … in recognition of Ms. magazine’s contributions to journalism, feminism and social change.”
In celebration of 50 Years of Ms ., we’re hitting the road and heading to a bookstore or venue near you in the coming weeks and months—click here [[link removed]] to explore our in-person and virtual events and find one near you. We hope to see you there!
Onward,
[[link removed]]
Kathy Spillar
Executive Editor
This Week's Must-Reads from Ms.
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Ms. on Tour! The Feminist Fight Forward: Lessons from ’50 YEARS OF Ms.’ [[link removed]] New Hampshire Law Banning ‘Divisive Concepts’ in the Classroom Leaves Teachers Vulnerable and Students Unprepared [[link removed]]
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Ms. Magazine Wins PEN America’s Impact Award for ‘Contributions to Journalism, Feminism and Social Change’ [[link removed]] ‘Banned! Voices from the Classroom’: Call for Submissions [[link removed]]
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[link removed] [[link removed]] Tune in for a new episode of Ms. magazine's podcast, On the Issues with Michele Goodwin on
Apple Podcasts [[link removed]] + Spotify [[link removed]] .
Fifty years ago, hip-hop emerged from a party in the rec room of a Bronx building—and a new sound was born: one with roots in African music, but with its own vibe and messaging. Since its first iterations, women have played significant roles in the creation and evolution of hip-hop: as rappers, DJs, producers, breakdancers, graffiti artists, scholars, journalists and more. Michele Goodwin , Drew Dixon and Janell Hobson break down the past, present and future of hip-hop, and the crucial role of women.
We hope you'll listen, subscribe, rate and review today!
U.S. democracy is at a dangerous inflection point—from the demise of abortion rights, to a lack of pay equity and parental leave, to skyrocketing maternal mortality, and attacks on trans health. Left unchecked, these crises will lead to wider gaps in political participation and representation. For 50 years, Ms . has been forging feminist journalism—reporting, rebelling and truth-telling from the front-lines, championing the Equal Rights Amendment, and centering the stories of those most impacted. With all that’s at stake for equality, we are redoubling our commitment for the next 50 years. In turn, we need your help, Support Ms. today with a donation—any amount that is meaningful to you [[link removed]] . We are grateful for your loyalty and ferocity .
READ THE REST [[link removed]] | GET THE MAGAZINE [[link removed]] | SUPPORT MS. [[link removed]]
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