Prism Guest Writer

by Cirien Saadeh

In a Feb. 24 announcement, teachers with the Saint Paul Federation of Educators (SPFE) and the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT), which includes both teachers and Education Support Professionals, announced an intent to strike. Filed with the state of Minnesota’s Bureau of Mediation, the intent to strike was authorized by the board in a vote counted Feb. 17 and provides a legally-mandated, 10-day warning to the school districts about a possible strike.

by Mai Tran

This article was originally published at Prism

As a vegetarian on a restricted diet, Joel Davis is often the first to notice when commissary items become scarce.

“I literally have to remove the vegetables from my lunch tray and save them until I can see if there is anything on the dinner tray to combine them with,” Davis said. “I’m used to fasting a lot, so I often just go without eating.

by Sakshi Udavant

This article was originally published at Prism

When a 35-year-old server from Pittsburgh tried to organize around COVID-19 safety at her job in early January, she was fired for sending “negative texts” to her coworkers. Nicole, who has asked to withhold her last name to protect her identity, had worked at the restaurant for four months and was increasingly frustrated by management’s lack of health considerations for staff.

by Sravya Tadepalli

This article was originally published at Prism

Disability advocates in California have given their blessing to proposed legislation that would curb the power of conservators and promote less restrictive alternatives to conservatorships. Conservatorship abuse gained a national spotlight when singer-songwriter Britney Spears fought to be released from a 13-year conservatorship that allowed her father to have full control over her person and assets.

by Natasha Ishak

This article was originally published at Prism

Last week, Justice Stephen Breyer surprised the public by announcing his retirement, paving a path for President Joe Biden to pick a liberal replacement to fill the retiring jurist’s seat on the Supreme Court. The president had repeatedly stated he would nominate a Black woman to the court during his presidential campaign and reaffirmed his pledge to do so.

by Reina Sultan

This article was originally published at Prism

Eric Adams began his tenure as New York City’s mayor making explicitly pro-policing and -incarceration promises, with a so-called tough-on-crime approach that he argued was what voters wanted when they elected him. Historically low voter turnout—the lowest New York City had seen since 1953—suggests otherwise. Still, he has remained steadfast in his desire to be the law and order mayor.

by Trevor Smith

This article was originally published at Prism

When the pandemic first hit in Mar. 2020 and various states started to enforce mandatory lockdowns, the country’s low-wage workers of color suffered the most. Already facing lowered income, wealth, health coverage, and housing security, the pandemic only worsened these volatile economic conditions as Congress failed to pass bold economic legislation.

by Kinjo Kiema

This article was originally published at Prism

People selling food on the streets, whether out of a cart or a food truck, are ubiquitous in city life worldwide. Many street vendors sell fresh produce and food in places where grocery stores can be scarce in the U.S. But vendors themselves face challenges: Many are undocumented immigrants at risk of criminalization.

by Ray Levy Uyeda

This article was originally published at Prism.

“Help Wanted” signs have gone up and stayed up in storefront windows around the country as the COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread loss of life and fueled the Great Resignation. Still, criminal justice advocates say the worker shortage could be turned around if employers hired those most willing to work in a pandemic and in need of a job: formerly incarcerated people.

by Sravya Tadepalli

This article was originally published at Prism

When Houston resident Paul Middendorf woke up congested one early morning this month, he decided to get tested for COVID-19. He found a COVID-testing pop-up site in the East Montrose neighborhood of Houston and joined the approximately 40 others in line to get a test.

by Kinko Kiema

This story was originally published at Prism.

More than 38 million people experience hunger or food insecurity in the U.S., yet one-third of all food produced for consumption goes to waste.

by Sakshi Udavant

This story was originally published by Prism.

One evening last year after two months of being stuck inside due to shelter-in-place orders, Chital Mehta, an Indian mother living in Delaware, took her two young kids on a walk and broke down in the middle of the road.

“The lockdown deeply affected my sanity,” she said. “I struggled to engage my children inside our small apartment.

by Reina Sultan

This article was originally published at Prism

Last week, Twitter CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey announced that he would be stepping down as the company’s CEO. In the post, Dorsey also named Twitter CTO Parag Agrawal as his successor. Agrawal, who has worked at Twitter for 10 years, has been involved in many key Twitter initiatives, from building out AI capabilities in 2014 to working toward Dorsey’s decentralization goals in 2019.

by Tasmiha Khan

This story was originally published at Prism.

Coverage of the fight against climate change in the U.S. often ignores the efforts of Muslim activists, for whom caring for the environment is a religious obligation. However, Muslims have been among those urgently calling for greater conservation efforts and more sustainable policies, both nationally and within their own communities.

by Delilah Alvarado

This story was originally published at Prism.

In February, severe winter storms sweeping across the U.S. caused an extreme power crisis in Texas. People across the state went without power for an average of two days, and some lost access to fresh water for even longer and had to boil the water that was available.

by Cat Brooks

This story was originally published at Prism.

In three courtrooms, in three American cities, the same familiar scene is unfolding. With arrogance, disdain, and even laughter, white men who have committed egregious acts of violence in the name of white supremacy are supposedly facing consequences.

by Frances Nguyen

This story was originally published at Prism.

Throughout the pandemic, news outlets have covered the restaurant industry’s struggle with labor shortages and rising costs.

by Lakshmi Gandhi

This story was originally published at Prism.

Urban planners and community advocates have long noted that the interstate highway system was designed to separate and isolate poor Black and brown communities from the economic hearts of their cities.

by Nick Nguyen and Carmen Scurato

This story was originally published at Prism.

So far the Facebook Papers have led to dozens of stories about how the company knew it was failing to remove hate speech, misinformation, and calls to violence in languages across the globe. As much as this focus on Facebook’s global harm is vital, we shouldn’t overlook the role that the social media language gap plays in harming communities within the United States.

by Juliana Clark

This story was originally published at Prism.

From an early age, Joel Velasquez knew that Texas A&M University was his dream school, drawn by the university’s sizable student population, traditions, and leadership opportunities.

by Lakshmi Gandhi

This story was originally published at Prism.

Last week, activists and organizers from Amazon’s Staten Island distribution center traveled to their regional National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) office to deliver the signatures needed to formally request a vote to form a union. Shortly after the signatures were delivered, Natalie Monarrez noticed an instant change in the moods of her coworkers.

by Aria Velasquez

This story was originally published at Prism.

Last week, the Supreme Court ruled again in favor of law enforcement officers invoking qualified immunity in cases of excessive use of force. Based on a pair of 2016 cases from Oklahoma and California, the decisions were handed down without the court hearing oral arguments or any sign of dissent from the justices.

by Sydney Pereira

This story was originally published at Prism.

At first, COVID-19 put people out of work. Beginning in March 2020, millions lost jobs practically overnight as government leaders locked down nonessential businesses, and Congress expanded jobless payments to help people weather coronavirus outbreaks.

But nearly two years in, the entire labor market has turned upside down.

by Montse Reyes

This story was originally published at Prism.

Lawmakers in Texas have unveiled a new proposed congressional map that stands to protect Republican incumbents throughout the state at the expense of accounting for the massive growth of Black and brown populations.

by Jennifer Chowdhury

This story was originally published at Prism.

On Sept. 23, the New York City Council passed a historic set of bills establishing safety and security for delivery workers, particularly those working for food delivery apps.

by Jenn Fang

This story was originally published at Prism.

Texas’ abortion ban, known as State Bill 8, is by far the harshest in the nation and has already all but eliminated abortion access in Texas. With an estimated nearly 250,000 Asian American adults who identify as female residing in the state, the ban is certain to disproportionately impact their communities. While the ban now faces a legal challenge from the U.S.

by Bareerah Zafar

This story was originally published at Prism.

Pro-choice organizations across Texas are working to provide residents with access to free emergency contraception and other reproductive health needs in the wake of the state’s near-total ban on abortion.

by Cirien Saadeh

This story was originally published at Prism.

Voters in Minneapolis will soon be able to vote on a brand-new system for public safety. The Minnesota Supreme Court recently announced that the Yes4Minneapolis charter amendment, which would replace the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) with a multifunctional Department of Public Safety, could be included on the November 2021 city ballot.

by Lakshmi Gandhi

This story was originally published at Prism.

While conservative movements and bills taking aim at anti-racist approaches to education have primarily focused on schools, libraries can also be particularly vulnerable as repositories not just for books, but for information, education, and resources.

by Maurizio Guerrero 

This story was originally published at Prism.

Tens of thousands of immigrants with strong ties to their communities are deported from the United States every year just because they cannot afford an attorney. Immigrant advocates nationwide are pushing the Biden administration for decisive action and funding to support universal legal representation efforts to give immigrants a fighting chance to determine their future.