It’s hard to believe we are coming to the end of 2020. This year has been, well, a shitshow, but we’re here. We made it this far. That alone is enough of an accomplishment, methinks.
On the YES! team, we have worked hard to be your guide through the chaos, bringing you a steady stream of solutions-focused stories to help you make sense of everything, provide tips and information, and even soothe your anxiety (because we know plenty of that was going around this year!)
This roundup of our most-read stories of 2020 is a reflection of what this year has brought up for many of us. These stories ask the hard questions, directly call out root causes, and remind us that we all have a role to play in creating a more just, sustainable, and compassionate world.
This roundup of our most-read stories of 2020 is a reflection of what this year has brought up for many of us. These stories ask the hard questions, directly call out root causes, and remind us that we all have a role to play in creating a more just, sustainable, and compassionate world.
1. Are Asian Americans White? Or People of Color?
Scholar-activists discuss the racialized complexities of being Asian American.
2. An Anarchist Quaker’s Prayer to Soothe Anxiety
What my therapist said when she closed her office because of coronavirus.
Toni Genberg’s 0.24-acre Virginia property is certified as Audubon at Home habitat, which means its native plants make it a beneficial location for birds, insects, butterflies, and animals.
3. How to Turn Your Yard Into an Ecological Oasis
Replacing grass with even a few plants native to your region can save insects and the ecosystems that depend on them.
4. Mask-Shaming Won’t Work. Try These 5 Things Instead
Empathy can go a long way when it comes to public health messages.
5. COVID-19 Sparks a Rebirth of the Local Farm Movement
Could this be the beginning of a new food economy?
6. History Shows That Sustained, Disruptive Protests Work
What drives change isn’t majority opinion. It’s the ability of key participants to disrupt the system.
7. 10 Things You Should Know About Socialism
What do we mean when we talk about “socialism”? Here are 10 things about its theory, practice, and potential that you need to know.
8. Arundhati Roy: “The Pandemic Is a Portal”
“Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different.”
9. The Language of Anti-Racism
Whether you’re a seasoned racial justice activist in the front lines of every protest or someone in the beginning steps of racial literacy, we should all evaluate the terminology we use when talking about race.
10. Why the Coronavirus is Humanity’s Wake-Up Call
The pandemic is exposing the deep systemic problems in our society—and it removes any excuse for not addressing them.
Ayu Sutriasa is the digital editor at YES!, where she edits stories in the health and wellness beat, in addition to specializing in gender and body politics. Ayu also writes about body politics for her blog, ayusutriasa.com. She currently lives on unceded Duwamish territory, also known as Seattle, Washington. She speaks English and French.
