The recent politicization of LGBTQ+ youth is a reckless abuse of power without regard to the child casualties. Harvard Professor Tim McCarthy and Sam Ames from The Trevor Project discuss the paradox of progress, the current culture war, the struggles and accomplishments of the LGBTQ+ community, and the continued need for resistance, resilience, and advocacy.

In 21st century America, the battle for gender equality persists. In nearly a century after it was first proposed in Congress, the Equal Rights Amendment’s (ERA) simple guarantee that “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex” still is not codified in the US Constitution. At a time when women’s rights are under assault, passing the ERA is more urgent than ever. Enshrining the ERA in the constitution may well depend on the composition of the next Congress and the urgency of support by the American people.

More and more, the provision of healthcare is crossing state lines. Allison Whelan argues that a fractured state-by-state approach to healthcare regulation exacerbates disparities among various populations. As a partial solution, she discusses whether Congress should amend the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to pre-empt state pharmaceutical bans and restrictions.

Not accommodating the female body in the design of products has led to a world that is less hospitable and more dangerous for women. Karen Korellis Reuther, 2022 ALI Senior Fellow, explores how we are excluding half of humanity in our built world and how we can deliver design justice for women.

OPINION COMMENTARY:

As the United States falls behind other developed nations in building a workforce that fuels competitive innovation, Ruthe Farmer, founder and CEO of a non-profit fund focused on diversity and inclusion in tech proposes a plan with a high return on investment: low-income students in their last mile of earning a technical degree.

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION IN SOCIAL IMPACT SERIES:

Dr. Alex Hanna from the Distributed AI Research (DAIR) Institute explains some of the causes of gender and racial bias in AI and discusses using a community- and value-based approach for AI development to improve equity outcomes.

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION IN SOCIAL IMPACT SERIES:

Many of the greatest leaps in technological advancement have emerged from a desire to improve the quality of life for underserved members of society. The article questions and addresses how sustained efforts to develop inclusive and accessible tech might lead to further progress for humanity as a whole.

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION IN SOCIAL IMPACT SERIES:

Cat Wade, a researcher who has been affiliated with the Harvard University Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics and Embedded EthiCS, discusses some reasons for and effects of racism in technology as well as select interventions to address these negative effects.

HUMAN RIGHTS CRISES AND MOVEMENTS AROUND THE WORLD SERIES:

The rights of transgender and nonbinary persons are under siege in the United States, including the right to abortion. Allison Whelan advocates for why we need an inclusive approach to reproductive justice that acknowledges the unique burdens that antiabortion laws impose on transgender and nonbinary persons, as well as other historically marginalized communities.

SHAPING AND EMPOWERING THE FUTURE OF LATINOS IN THE U.S. SERIES:

For over 50 years, UnidosUS has addressed the social, economic, and political issues facing Latinos in the U.S. through advocacy, programs, and partnerships. Sonia Pérez, COO of UnidosUS, discusses their work and the current issues affecting Latinos, a growing demographic now comprising 62 million people and almost 20% of the U.S. population.

SHAPING AND EMPOWERING THE FUTURE OF LATINOS IN THE U.S. SERIES:

The daughter of migrant farmworkers, activist, and change-agent, Mónica Rámirez shares her work on bringing visibility to and advocating for the largely unseen migrant worker community. Ramirez’s impact includes authoring influential pieces including the “Dear Sisters” letter from the voice of women farmworkers standing in solidarity with women in Hollywood, which sparked the TIME’S UP movement.

SHAPING AND EMPOWERING THE FUTURE OF LATINOS IN THE U.S. SERIES:

By activating networks and collaborative partnerships, Amplify Latinx is building economic and political power for the Latino community in Massachusetts. Co-founder Betty Francisco presents their model on increasing Latinx civic engagement, supporting Latino-owned businesses, and driving leadership representation across sectors.

Polarized politics have infected local school boards, which have historically been nonpartisan. With school boards now on the front lines of the culture wars, Andrea Gabor outlines steps to strengthen school boards to function effectively given the mounting pressures facing them.

TRANSFORMING CITIES SERIES:

Baltimore City Schools (BCS) has adopted an ambitious agenda to transform the city’s schools. Dr. Sonja Santelises, CEO of Baltimore City Schools, discusses the pillars of BCS’s Blueprint for Success, her belief that excellence in urban education is possible at scale, and the importance of leadership for the adults and students in the school system and the community.

TRANSFORMING CITIES SERIES:

Resilient, sustainable cities require law enforcement officers who are not only well-trained, but also deserve the confidence of people they serve. Gerald Chaleff has devoted over two decades to this subject, overseeing reform measures and consulting on constitutional policing issues.

TRANSFORMING CITIES SERIES:

Failing to apply a rubric for social impact, government-funded infrastructure has been culpable for legacies of segregating communities, spurring blight or displacement, and devastating natural environments. Daniel Balmori discusses how innovative efforts to reimagine underutilized public spaces -- including prior infrastructure follies -- have demonstrated that, deployed thoughtfully and with a lens toward equity, infrastructure improvements have the potential to positively transform the quality of life for entire communities, catalyze economic opportunities, and make environments more resilient.

TRANSFORMING CITIES SERIES:

Planners and engineers in the 50's and 60's often built freeways directly through African American communities, severing neighborhoods and dismantling small businesses in the way. Sally Bagshaw, Scott Bonjukian, John Feit, and other advocates and government leaders are now speaking out against these 70-year-old road design practices, offering solutions to restore and reconnect neighborhoods.

TRANSFORMING CITIES SERIES:

OPINION COMMENTARY:

Urban greenery can help create more resilient cities -- but only if residents are engaged in the process. Professor John Wilson, working at the intersection of sociology, environmental science and technology calls for an all-hands approach.

REPARATIONS SERIES:

It's important to appreciate slavery and the reparations debate, not merely in terms of the deprivation of African Americans, but the degree to which America has been enriched by the presence of Black people. As Harvard Kennedy School Professor Cornell William Brooks discusses, part of the problem today is that people do not know the stories of the people next to them. We should have real conversations about our history.

REPARATIONS SERIES:

On the 100th anniversary of the horrific Tulsa race massacre, Representative Regina Goodwin, a direct descendant of survivors who now represents the district in the Oklahoma legislature, offers a unique and particularly compelling case for reparations.