As Americans were distracted by the Super Bowl, the Israeli military slaughtered dozens in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. To recover two hostages, Israel murdered 74 Palestinians in the city it previously declared a “safe zone.” 1.4 million Gazans, more than the population of San Diego or Dallas, fled to Rafah before the Super Bowl Massacre on Sunday. Images circulated of refugee tents reduced to craters and the lifeless body of a girl suspended on a building, missing limbs (Daily Dot). These bombings, according to the Israeli government, were a “diversion” designed to distract from its hos ..read more

Though dozens of schools bear his name, the American education system has made limited progress in advancing Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream of economic and political equity. This May marks the 70th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling that school segregation is unconstitutional. De facto school segregation has nonetheless persisted, with the Economic Policy Institute reporting in 2020 that Black students are more than twice as likely to attend high-poverty schools as their white peers. 60% of Black students are concentrated in high-poverty schools, pre ..read more

I’ve been reflecting on my own journey understanding the inequities we face in the U.S. I have to admit that I’m new. I started learning and reading (resources including yours) in the summer of 2020. Back then, I felt like we were on the brink of change. But now, I’m not so sure. How did we get to a world where we don’t have reproductive rights anymore? And that we’re so split on whether or not we should stop a genocide? Things feel worse in many ways now than they did before. I know it’s the holiday season, and you asked for wishes, but I’m not feeling it. I don’t know what else to do or whet ..read more

At the close of the year, we can all reflect on our desires for change in our communities, the world, and our own lives, giving us the space to stretch our intentions and imaginations beyond the boundaries enforced by social conventions and oppressions. Such work is particularly relevant this year. Christmas celebrations have been canceled in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem due to the U.S.-Israeli genocide in Gaza. This Hanukkah, Jewish activists in the U.S. are having their identities questioned and attacked for daring to oppose the Israeli military campaign. And weeks ..read more

2024 marks an exciting next step for The ARD community. We’re moving to a weekly publication and launching a new public calendar with action items to take each and every day in 2024. This shift will give our team space to focus and dive a bit deeper into the topics that matter most and work closer with communities fighting for change—stay tuned for an announcement soon! We’re thrilled to be expanding and advancing the mission of The ARD: inspiring all of us to take action to make our communities better. This wouldn’t be possible without you following, supporting, and engag ..read more

Students on college campuses across the country have been protesting both for and against the U.S.’s involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Although antisemitic rhetoric is rising, any criticism of Israel is falsely being labeled as such, threatening students’ right to discuss political topics. After a contentious congressional hearing on the topic, major universities are calling for presidents who have been open to student discourse to resign (NBC News). This conservative-driven movement is denouncing free speech as “anti-woke,” a term that’s also being used to ban books, challenge ..read more

Since the current conflict between Israel and Palestine began, there has been an increase in both Islamophobic and antisemitic hate crimes […] Given that we are not personally able to impact the outcome of a war halfway around the world but are able to affect how people locally act, I’d love to see this newsletter focus more on what we ourselves can do to counter both Islamophobia and antisemitism locally. Since the establishment of the Israeli state 75 years ago, the U.S. has given upwards of $130 billion. It is Israel’s biggest supplier of military aid. An additional $14 billion no-stri ..read more

Listen Earning a college degree is touted as a major benchmark in a person’s life, one that positions you to reach further societal milestones and greater career opportunities. Even with public sentiment souring on higher education with rising tuition and student loan debt making it a less practical option, a degree remains a requirement for many well-paid jobs in today’s economy—a sobering reality for millions of workers. For decades, companies have required college degrees as a prerequisite for applicants, alienating more than 70 million people in the U.S., or half the wo ..read more

Listen Christmas is canceled in the Holy Land this year. Christian leaders in Bethlehem and Jerusalem declared that “unnecessarily festive” Christmas celebrations would be inappropriate given the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed by the Israeli military in Gaza. Christian leaders in the neighboring country of Jordan, a Muslim-majority nation that celebrates Christmas as a public holiday, have also rejected celebrations this year. “In our homes we can celebrate, but in our hearts we are suffering. How can we decorate a Christmas tree?” said Ibrahim Dabbour, a Greek Orthodo ..read more

I’ve been wondering about a question related to giving money. I feel such a strong social taboo against giving money to people asking for it on the street that I typically don’t do it, but I also know that those individuals are no less deserving of support than others. Is there a difference between giving cash on the street or the subway, and giving to mutual aid groups or to individuals online? With limited funds to donate, how can I think about where to give that serves to build solidarity and community? How can I respond to people asking for money in a compassionate and respectful way? Grea ..read more