Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed.”
In 2013 alone, there were over 600 bills introduced that were designed to regulate a woman’s reproduction. Do you know how many bills have been introduced to regulate men’s bodies? ZERO.
We are on the precipice of the next presidential election and at the last GOP debate; there was not one champion for women’s reproductive freedom represented on the stage.
Half of the US workforce and our country are comprised of women, but if we think that our rights of bodily autonomy were just won and done with Roe vs. Wade—I have news for you.
Women’s bodily freedom is not going to be granted to us by men—or one political party or another—it’s going to come when we consistently demand it, and make our elected officials hear us!
Pop Off of the Week: Speaker of the House John Boehner vs. Congress
In a move that shocked the Hill, Speaker John Boehner, who has been wrestling with the Tea Party for the past 6.5 years, has finally thrown in the towel. As of October 30, 2015, Boehner is handing over is gavel and dropping the mic.
Not only is the crying prone, Speaker resigning his place of power within the chamber but also resigning from Congress altogether. There are several people itching for his gavel. Congressman Kevin McCarthy from California has already thrown his hat in the ring—but he does this to a splintered Republican Party who is not quite sure what direction to go in.
Poliwood Round-Up: Trending Topics in the #BlackTwitterverse This Week
Trend of the Week: #IStandwithPP
This week, Cecil Richards, CEO of Planned Parenthood, stood her ground during a brutal day of testimony on her organization’s budget, services and more. After the GOP presidential candidates ranging from Carly Fiorina to Chris Christie made outrageous claims about Planned Parenthood--Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee called a hearing.
The Chairman ended up embarrassing himself by showing evidence “straight from Planned Parenthood” that had actually been manipulated. Nonetheless, countless people showed their support for Planned Parenthood and their services letting the GOP know we won’t go backwards!
THREE: Officially Genius
Each year the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation anoints a class of honorees who many recognize as the “genius award” for their amazing work. Not only do they receive $625K over five years, they also have brunch bragging rights for life—“I am legit a genius, pick up the check”!
This year’s list includes the prolific writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, whose recent book Between the World and Me, is one of the most talked-about book on race in America; Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose new musical Hamilton, is a box office hit on Broadway, and groundbreaking photographer Latoya Ruby Frasier to mention a few.
These are geniuses that are changing the way we think and see the world around us. Who will be next?
TWO: FLOTUS’s Mic Drop
While at an event hosted by Glamour on “The Power of the Educated Girl”, both Charlize Theron and First Lady Michelle Obama offered up some serious girl power to a diverse audience of young women.
Charlize declared, that “there is nothing sexier than a smart woman”, but it was the First Lady that delivered THE line of the event. She said, "There is no boy at this age that is cute enough or interesting enough to stop you from getting your education. If I worried about who liked me and who thought I was cute when I was your age, I wouldn't be married to the President of the United States."
Annnnnnd mic drop!
ONE: Prayers Are NOT Enough
Facing the nation on Thursday after yet another mass murder caused by gun violence, President Obama has no more comforting words to provide the country.
“Our thoughts and prayers are not enough. It does nothing to prevent this carnage from being inflicted somewhere else in America—next week or a couple of months from now,” he said.
The President didn’t stop there either. “We spend over a trillion dollars and pass countless laws and devote entire agencies to preventing terrorist attacks on our soil, and rightfully so,” he said. “And yet we have a Congress that explicitly blocks us from even collecting data on how we could potentially reduce gun deaths.”
Let’s stop just praying and start holding our politicians accountable!
