The Sierra Club confers its highest honor, the John Muir Award, upon the “Father of Environmental Justice,” Dr. Robert Bullard, to whom we offer our enthusiastic congratulations. Possibly the first African American to receive this award, Bullard notes, “it is highly unlikely that I could have been a member of the Sierra Club in my home town of Elba, Alabama when the first John Muir Award was handed out in 1961.” Read his opinion piece on accepting the Muir Award here.
At the Nation, Jessica Valenti compiles a list of social ills for which commentators have blamed feminism. Read on to learn how traffic, mass shootings, and impotence are feminism’s fault!
Did you know that in the 1890s, 58% of STEM students were women? What changed? Dr. Ainissa Ramirez at TED outlines our culture’s efforts to dissuade women and people of color from pursuing STEM, and the ultimate effect: “By not tapping into all of our human capital, we all lose.” Keep reading to learn about her dream dinner party with six scientists.
Also at the Nation, Samhita Mukhopadhyay deplores racist reactions to the crowning of new Miss America, Nina Davuluri, while taking a dim view of the pageant itself. “The minor net good is that little South Asian girls may feel better about themselves when they see a beauty queen that they can relate to. But Miss America still sends a message to girls and women that what you look like determines what you are worth.”
University of San Diego profiles its alum, immigration activist Enrique Morones, who recently made an appearance on the O’Reilly Factor, demonstrating tremendous patience and grace while addressing widely-believed misinformation about immigration.
After the success of the first You Belong LGBTQA sports camp for youth, Wade Davis’ initiative is planning another one in late winter in Newark, NJ! “As a former professional athlete and a proud gay man, I have wanted to create a place for young athletes, no matter their sexual identity, to come together, play hard and focus on becoming better athletes and leaders.” It sounds like you are creating just such a place, Wade. Keep up the good work!