Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon

Over the last couple of years, states have passed increasingly restrictive laws in an effort to reduce access to abortion. And this year, the Supreme Court is deciding on new cases that could validate some of the harshest laws, potentially opening the door for an end to Roe v. Wade. But at the forefront of this fight over abortion access are providers few people know about: independent abortion clinics. PhD candidate Amy Alterman explains what exactly these independent clinics are, how they are affected by anti-abortion stigma, and how comedians are helping to lift up and support their work. For More on this Topic: Check out Abortion Access Front, the comedy group mentioned in the episode Find your independent abortion clinic at the Abortion Care Network Find your local abortion fund at the National Network of Abortion Funds

In 2009, Barack Obama was sworn in as the first African American president in this country’s history after a momentous election. But for many in this country, that election was anything but joyous. Soon after, a movement that became known as the Tea Party took shape on the right in opposition to this president and his policies. Fast forward 8 years and a very familiar story seemed to play out, but this time on the left. It became known as The Resistance. PhD candidate Leah Gose explains what similarities and differences exist between these two groups and what we can learn by looking at the two of them together. Check out the Upending American Politics book Read the SSN brief by Theda Skocpol and Vanessa Williamson, Making Sense of the Tea Party

Over the last few decades, minority enrollment at America’s colleges and universities has increased exponentially. These institutions, many predominantly white, like to tout enrollment rates as evidence of their commitment to racial diversity. But do these numbers tell the whole story? Professor Bedelia Richards details how black students still frequently experience discrimination on campus, what this means for their education and wellbeing, and how universities can make change to help create more inclusive campuses. For More on this Topic: Read Richards’ brief, How to Create Inclusive Environments for Black Students on Predominantly White College Campuses Check out her post for Inside Higher Ed, Is Your University Racist?

America is getting more diverse, and that means more children of color are students in our schools. But teachers are still overwhelmingly white, so many of these students rarely see teachers who look like them. Professor Michèle Foster tells the little-known story of why America lost many of its black teachers, what that means for students, and what can be done to change things. For More on this Topic: Read Foster’s brief, Why America Needs More African-American Teachers and How to Recruit and Retain Them Check out her feature in an episode of Revisionist History on black teachers after Brown v. Board of Education. This episode originally aired on June 14, 2018.

We are living in the midst of an epidemic. Over the past 15 years, the number of Americans dying from opioid-related overdoses has skyrocketed by more than 200%. Facing a mounting death toll, policymakers have proposed solutions from needle exchanges to reducing the availability of prescription opioids. But the crisis seems to rage on. Professor Keith Humphreys digs into how we got here, what we know about which policy responses actually work, and what might be next in the never ending fight against addiction. For more on this topic: Check out his SSN brief, How America Can Effectively Fight the Opioid Crisis Read his opinion pieces for The Washington Post Find the Vox article mentioned in the episode on the rise of meth and cocaine overdoses

What should the next 10 or 20 years look like in the United States? Many Americans say we need to go back to the future. They want to restore something, or protect something they’re worried the United States is losing. And that’s not just the Make America Great Again crowd. But others argue that it’s not time to restore democracy -- it’s time to realize democracy. Dr. K. Sabeel Rahman explains what it would take to make America’s democracy work for everyone  and why the time for big, structural change is now. For more on this topic: Check out Rahman’s article, Realizing Democracy Demands Addressing Deeper Structural Roots of Failure and Possibility of Shared Power, and the full Realizing Democracy series in the Stanford Social Innovation Review Visit the Demos website

Last year, climate change took center stage. With presidential candidates releasing bold plans to tackle the issue, massive protests organized by young people across the globe, and ever more dire reports coming out of the United Nations, this issue is getting attention unlike ever before. Doctor Fernando Tormos-Aponte discusses where climate organizing stands now, how some organizers are focusing on justice and equity in their work, and how this is all playing out in Puerto Rico after the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017. For more on this topic: Check out Tormos-Aponte’s SSN brief, How Social Movements Build Power through Intersectionality Listen to Leah Stokes’ interview mentioned in the episode, Episode 172: The Battle over Clean Energy

No one likes to believe they would be on the wrong side of history. Most of us prefer to think that in times of crisis, we would do the right thing -- we wouldn’t be complicit in evil. Yet every day, individuals just doing their jobs make decisions that harm people. And when many members of an organization make many small, harmful decisions, that builds up. Professor Ashley Nickels lays out how organizational decisions and structures can lead to real acts of evil that harm individuals and whole communities, how this played out in Flint, Michigan, and what can be done to prevent tragedy before it strikes. Check out Nickels’ book with Guy Adams and Danny Balfour, Unmasking Administrative Evil Read her SSN brief, Stabilization and Equity - Responses to Urban Fiscal Crisis in Flint, Michigan, and Beyond Donate to support No Jargon at www.scholars/donate

This year, millennials officially became the largest generation in America. In passing over Baby Boomers, these young Americans, along with Generation Z, have the potential to change US politics by making their voices heard at the polls. The only problem is, many of them don’t turn out to vote. Professor Jake Grumbach explains what’s behind their low voter turnout, how one policy could change that, and what this all says about the role of states in pushing US policy and democracy forward. Read Grumbach’s opinion pieces with Charlotte Hill on same day voter registration in The New York Times and Forbes  Check out his SSN brief, Why Today's Policy Action is Mostly at the State Level Listen to Alexander Hertel-Fernandez’s No Jargon episode on his research mentioned in the episode Donate to support No Jargon at www.scholars/donate

The old saying goes: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And yet, across the country, there are thousands of children who struggle to find a good meal in the morning. In fact, hunger is likely a bigger problem in this country than most people realize. Professor Maureen Berner lays out the problem of food insecurity in American, what it can tell us about the larger issue of poverty, and how we need to reframe our thinking to address the problem. For more on this topic: Read Maureen’s SSN brief, Why Local Food Pantries Signal Important Truths about the Economy and the Struggles of Low-Income Households Watch her TEDx talk, Local Economic Security: Think Childhood Hunger