Category / 2018 / Bodies / Home / Justice / Social Justice
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Who Will Take Care of the Homeless?
Dr. Matthew Desmond, critically acclaimed sociology professor and author of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel Evicted, stands before an audience of educated, middle-aged men and women in a Washington D.C. bookstore, giving a heartbreaking, impassioned speech about the worst inequalities and injustices of housing. He fervently pleads, “Do we believe that housing is a fundamental…
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Good Sex Is Rare–And Necessary
I didn’t realize how much I took my sex education for granted until I came to Wash U. I went to a loosely Christian-affiliated school in Minneapolis, where puberty education was a part of sixth grade health, and we moved into sexual education in grade seven. A few weeks of health class were devoted to…
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Separation of Shul and State
It isn’t just antisemitism in France. It’s an anti-religious fervor sweeping the nation, causing people to tuck in their crosses, stars and crescent moons and save religious practice for the home. Sure, there are places of worship dotting the landscape — France is beloved for its astounding Catholic architectural works, historical masterpieces such as the…
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Spreading the Word: Latin America’s Shift Away From Catholicism
Ever since missionaries descended on Latin America during the European colonization of the 16th and 17th centuries, Catholicism has been the dominant religion of the region, from Puerto Rico to Chile. Home to 425 million Catholics, Latin America is home to over 40 percent of the world’s Catholic population. Brazil and Mexico boast the world’s…
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Food Deserts: Where Nutrition Meets Inequality
What is a food desert? The 2008 Farm Bill defines a food desert as an “area in the United States with limited access to affordable and nutritious food, particularly such an area composed of predominantly lower income neighborhoods and communities.” According to the USDA, to qualify as a “low-access community,” at least 500 people and/or…
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The Puerto Rico Dilemma
Earlier this year, the United States celebrated its 241st birthday, and while our nation has seen great progress throughout its history, it is as important to acknowledge the shortcomings of our democracy as it is to celebrate its promises. Reflecting on the politically turbulent past few years, we must take a second look at our…
