Why Inequality Matters
In an adorable experiment known as the “Fairness Study,” two capuchin monkeys in separate cages are tasked with handing rocks to a researcher in exchange for pieces of cucumber. While both monkeys are willing to conduct this transaction, when one monkey begins receiving grapes as the other receives only cucumbers, the underpaid monkey becomes clearly […]
Quit Trying to Escape Identity Politics
Every movement we’ve ever had has sprung from another. I’m taking a freshman-level course in my final semester at Northeastern. Call it what you will, but I’ve found it’s extremely helpful in reevaluating my education and my perspective on more than just books. In week three, we spent the bulk of our time learning foundational […]
What is There to Fear About Social Justice?
The Arizona state legislature introduced a bill, HB2120, in January to limit school activities and courses that, amongst other things, “promote division, resentment or social justice toward a race, gender, religion, political affiliation, social class or other class of people.” This bill expands upon an existing law that banned Mexican-American studies courses in colleges and […]
Trumpian Collective Over Self
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” – Audre Lorde What’s a Tuesday night without curling up in a multi-colored quilt with some chardonnay to watch The Office, before being rudely interrupted by a call to discuss reconciling America’s many divisions after the inauguration? I’m constantly torn on […]
Putting “America First” by Recommitting to Global Health
On Monday, November 14th – six days after the presidential and congressional elections – I piled into an Enterprise rental car with a few friends, and we made the short trip up to Nahant, MA. Representative Seth Moulton was holding a town hall meeting at the public library there, and we hoped to speak to […]
The Case for the Right to Health
As a college student, you might not be particularly interested in politics. You might not see its relevance to your life or to the lives of anyone you know. You might steer clear from cable news, Facebook shares, and Twitter brawls at all costs. However, even if all of these things are true, it’s likely […]
The Performativity of the Anti-Human Trafficking Regime
In my previous column, I touched upon the fraught history of the international counter-trafficking regime, including the rhetoric of white slavery, the Mann Act, and the Alien Act. This installment will focus on international legislative actions on human trafficking and the continued impact of moral panics and crusades on trafficking rhetoric. Before I begin, I […]
The Gruesome Reality of Gun Violence in America
A few weeks ago, a couple of my closest friends and I attended a concert at a small venue. We were blithely dancing, concerned only with the live music before us, when I was struck by a thought that inspired a moment of panic—what if someone were to open fire at the crowd? The room […]
A Notorious Traffic: An Introduction
Few regimes in international law pack as much of an emotional punch as human trafficking. Whether through its portrayal in various media—including the Taken movies or in the music video for Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”—or as championed by various human rights organizations on both the right and left, there is a definite consensus that human […]
The Importance of Inclusive Memorialization: Boston’s Struggle with Racial Inequality
This article is the initial report from a column that aims to explore politics, history, and culture, specifically as they pertain to race and gender. It will probe subjects such as gun violence, child marriage, domestic violence, and racial brutality. It will examine these ideas, and the issues that ensue, on both a local and […]