Right now, we face critical challenges to women's equality, both in the U.S. and around the world—but it can be hard to keep up. In this weekly roundup, find the absolute need-to-know news for feminists.

BY ELIZABETH HIRA | No one deserves special privileges—that’s the through-line of the brouhaha surrounding President Biden’s commitment to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court. But here’s the quiet part out loud: The people making that argument seem to mean that no one deserves special privileges anymore. Because, statistically—as many of us know—it has been the special privilege of white men to run this country, purportedly representing the rest of us, since our founding.

Here’s the rub: It’s not just historical. Today’s conversation about who deserves to be considered for seats of power merits a substantive review of who currently wields power. Today’s data shows that white men are significantly overrepresented in every part of government. They are 62 percent of all officeholders, but 30 percent of the population. That won’t change unless the country collectively acknowledges the literal concentration of American power among white men, decides it is not ideal, and takes affirmative steps to remedy it. The Court is a great place to start.

Now, railing on about white male privilege feels obvious and trite, and much ink has been spilled on the cultural meaning of identity politics. But data is different, and it makes one thing clear: American government in no way reflects America. This should not sit well with any decent American. Every time we have the chance to put a person in a new position of power, we must ask: Does this addition help reflect America? This would not just be “nice.” Choosing not to do this, by default, perpetuates a system where male, white power makes decisions for the rest of us.

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We know it's hard to keep up with everything going on in the world right now. That's why going forward, we'll provide a weekly roundup of the stories we think are important that Ms. may not have covered. Here's what we're reading this week: 

• "Supreme Court Restores Alabama Voting Map That a Court Said Hurt Black Voters" — The New York Times
• "The 19th Explains: Everything you need to know to claim the child tax credit this tax filing season" — The 19th
• "Pauli Murray applied to be a Supreme Court justice in 1971. 50 years later, a Black woman could make history." — The Washington Post

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