How Everyday Language Centers Some People and Excludes Others
April 24, 2019 | Our society presumes straight white men to be the default human. The rest of us are notable foremost for not being men, white, or straight, and so on.
About Jill Richardson
OtherWords columnist Jill Richardson writes about food, agriculture, the environment, health, tolerance, and well-being. Currently pursuing a PhD in Sociology at University of Wisconsin-Madison, she’s the author of Recipe for America: Why Our Food System is Broken and What We Can Do to Fix It.
Articles by Jill Richardson
Why Is Going Green So Hard? Because Our System Isn’t
April 17, 2019 | If environmental solutions aren’t systemic, living green will always mean going against the grain — and usually failing.
Do Women Get to Be Experts?
April 10, 2019 | Any woman professional is familiar with a nagging doubt: Am I being taken seriously?
The Death Penalty Is Getting Crueler
April 3, 2019 | A horrific new ruling would let states execute people in more painful ways, even when alternatives are available.
A Russiagate Reality Check
March 26, 2019 | For most of us, when we rate how we’re doing in our jobs, we don’t say, “Nobody can prove I committed a crime!”
Getting It Right on What Stuff Costs
March 20, 2019 | Too often we get sticker shock at the cost of public policies, even when they’d actually save us money.
Politicians Are Finally Catching Up on Marijuana
March 13, 2019 | Two-thirds of Americans — and nearly all Democratic presidential candidates — now agree that pot prohibition is more harmful than pot itself.
Starving Kids Won’t Help Them Study
February 27, 2019 | Instead of looking at the real reasons students struggle, one Arkansas lawmaker wants to deny them school lunch funding.
Take It From Me: Addiction Doesn’t Start at the Border
February 20, 2019 | For decades the U.S. has tried to stop drug traffic and made the problem worse. We should treat the root causes of addiction instead.
Now It’s Completely Normal for Women to Run for President
February 13, 2019 | Gender isn’t a qualification for serving as president, of course. It’s just that for nearly two-and-a-half centuries, it has been.
People Who Seek Mental Health Treatment Should Be Applauded
February 6, 2019 | If you’re getting help, be proud of yourself. If someone you love is, support them.
Another Billionaire Presidential Candidate Who Doesn’t Get It
January 30, 2019 | It’s human nature to be clueless about those with less privilege than you — which for billionaires includes nearly everyone.
The Transgender Ban Is About Bigotry and Distraction
January 23, 2019 | Trump's attacking service members to provoke the left, throw red meat to his base, and distract the rest from things like the shutdown.
Hollywood’s Fat Shaming Is Getting Old
January 16, 2019 | In real life, people of all shapes, sizes, and colors are the romantic leads in their own lives.
Is Anyone Really Offended by That F Word?
January 9, 2019 | Republicans stood by a president who bragged about assaulting women. Now they have thoughts about propriety.