"Women, Life, Freedom"

(President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund Janai Nelson, center, speaks to members of the press after the oral argument of the Merrill v. Milligan case at the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 4, 2022, in Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court heard oral argument of the case that challenge whether the new congressional map of Alabama violates the Voting Rights Act. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) On Tuesday October 4, 2022 Supreme Court Justices heard oral arguments for a case that challenges an Alabama voting redistricting map which could possibly eliminate the safeguards of the Voting Rights Act. The case, Merrill v. Milligan, examines whether Alabama’s 2021 redistricting map violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act because it weakens the voting power of African Americans in Alabama.  Black Voters make up roughly 27% of the Alabama population, but only one congressional district - which is about 14% of the state's population -  would be majority black in the plan drawn...

     (An Iranian woman, during a protest in Istanbul on Monday, help pieces of her hair that she had cut off) Since the death of Mahsa Amini, and the ongoing protests worldwide, pressure is being placed on the Islamic Republic to make governmental changes. Mahsa Amini was a young woman killed at the hands of “morality police” in Iran for reportedly disrespecting the clothing norms in Iran. As protests erupt, it is safe to say the regime is out-dated and must go.  The regime’s goal is to “islamize” the Iranian people and culture, however in doing so many basic and fundamental rights have been stripped from the people; more specifically, the women. Women being the primary victims of the regime's institutionalized misogyny, patriarchal tradition and overall authoritarian Islamic ideology, have spurred great civil unrest and scrutiny which has great potential to create lasting change. For the first time in history, Iran is witnessing generational change, and more importa...