Beware of “Feminism Lite”

Writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie makes a confession: sexism bothers her more than racism. Here’s why she believes the current trend towards “Feminism Lite” is no answer. A few years ago, Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie received a letter from a childhood friend and new mother, asking her how she could raise her baby girl to… via… Continue reading Beware of “Feminism Lite”

Gallery: Portraits from the Standing Rock protests — ideas.ted.com

In September 2016, photographer Camille Seaman joined protesters at the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota. Here, she brings us up close with some of the many people who have been drawn there to defend the water and the earth. In September, I felt called — not just as an indigenous person of the Shinnecock… Continue reading Gallery: Portraits from the Standing Rock protests — ideas.ted.com

Homophobia in our blood — ideas.ted.com

Homophobia and mass shootings are afflictions that won’t be solved overnight — but the problematic and outdated restrictions against gay blood donors could be. Nothing rubs salt in the wounds of tragedy like bigotry or bureaucracy — or both. But that is just what happened last week after the shooting at the gay nightclub Pulse… via… Continue reading Homophobia in our blood — ideas.ted.com

Why (some) parents don’t vaccinate — ideas.ted.com

The many-headed dragon of public anger has a mouthful of fire for parents who don’t vaccinate. But such scolding misses the mark, alienating caring parents who just want their kids to be safe. When measles broke out at California’s Disneyland in 2015, sickening nearly 150 people across seven states and spreading to Mexico and Canada, the…… Continue reading Why (some) parents don’t vaccinate — ideas.ted.com

How do artists make a living? An ongoing, almost impossible quest — ideas.ted.com

Only ten percent of art school graduates make a living from their artwork. Why should this be such a pipe dream? I’ve had only two career goals in my life. The first was to go to Mars. I made it all the way to graduate school before realizing that I really preferred Earth, and also,… Continue reading How do artists make a living? An ongoing, almost impossible quest — ideas.ted.com