by Arturo Pineda Recently the state of California and the cities of New York and Portland have passed legislation that will gradually raise the minimum wage to 15 dollars. (Portland’s bill will raise the minimum wage to 14.75 dollars). The process to achieve the target minimum wage varies widely but the goal is the same: to create a…
The 14th Amendment Turns 150: Scrutinizing Equal Protection
by Alejandra Padín-Dujon On the 31st of March, a who’s who of America’s foremost Constitutional scholars and Reconstruction historians gathered in Linsly-Chittenden Hall for a panel discussion entitled “Equal Protection: Origins and Legacies of the Fourteenth Amendment.” Drafted in 1866 by the Radical Republican contingency of a U.S. Congress still operating without the eleven Confederate states,…
Kehlani and the Sexualization of Bisexual Women of Color
by Ashia Ajani Kehlani is a twenty year old R&B singer who attempted suicide last weekend after a cryptic Instagram post made the internet think that she had cheated on Kyrie Irving with PartyNextDoor (These accusations were later proven false). Chris Brown even had some unsolicited words for the singer/songwriter, calling her suicide attempt a ploy for attention. But…
What happened when Obama visited Cuba?
by Nicole Chavez A clenched fist. A firm handshake. A steady salute. All are associated with authority and accord. These gestures are the antitheses to the sweaty, limp handshake at the meeting between President Barack Obama and President Raul Castro on March 22nd. The encounter occurred eighty-eight years after the last visit a sitting American…
“Mariposa and the Saint” combines advocacy and art
by Ashia Ajani The Saybrook Underbrook Theater is pitch black. A light slowly brightens up the stage, and a woman in white prison scrubs labeled “SHU” (Security Housing Unit) looks up at a screen. The screen reads: “Mariposa was sentenced to 15 months in solitary confinement for being in possession of tweezers.” From there, the play…