We are horrified by, and grieving over, the senseless mass shooting Tuesday evening at our sister university, UNC-Charlotte. Our sympathies are with the families and friends of the beloved students who lost their lives, and for those who were injured.
I have been moved to tears reading parts of Michelle Obama’s autobiographical book, Becoming. It is uplifting and validating to read the unfolding of her and Barack Obama’s intertwined stories. As she tells it, while much was different about their upbringing and childhoods, they shared a devotion to learning, introspection about their missions in life,...
Vote I have only a few words today, but they are about something that is important to the future of our democracy. Please vote. Vote for the candidates of your choice and on various propositions. If you are a U.S. citizen, see it as a responsibility of citizenship and a way to keep democracy alive...
Time to vote and not to despair Over the past couple weeks, I have had the privilege of talking with many people about the qualifications of Brett Kavanaugh to be Supreme Court justice. These included Republicans and Democrats, several people who knew and had practiced law, students, faculty, family members and others. No one said...
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) – defined as abuse, neglect and family/household challenges experienced during the first 18 years of life — are not evenly distributed among populations. Members of minority groups and children who grow up in poverty have more of them. ACEs can cast long shadows over lives and affect education, health, income and...
Kavanaugh hearings So much has been said and written about the special session in the Senate last week that was part of Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing. It was to be a time during which senators, their staffs and the public would hear from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford about her alleged sexual assault by Kavanaugh when both were in high school. Both would make statements and respond to questions from a seasoned attorney. Whatever the outcome...
One year after Hurricane Maria hits Puerto Rico, Florence strikes the Carolinas Comprehending the death toll in Puerto Rico Sept. 20 was the first anniversary of Hurricane Maria, which struck Puerto Rico as a powerful Category 4 storm and has left thousands of people still without power or with only intermittent service. After Hurricane Fran...
Note: This post includes special comments from Ginger Sall, humanitarian, advocate, member of our School’s Advisory Council and board member for multiple organizations. Stunning US policy shifts Our inboxes are overflowing with digital outrage about the U.S. government’s latest actions on breastfeeding. There is a huge body of high-quality, peer-reviewed, credible evidence for the benefits...
How are we upholding our founding principles? Wednesday was Independence Day in the United States, and I found myself – along with many others, I’m sure – wanting to spend some time reflecting about our country. I’ve been thinking about the Declaration of Independence, and what it means in this era. A reader might ask...
While the President signed an executive order on immigration yesterday, ending his administration’s policy of separating parents and children at the border for detention, the crisis is not over. An estimated 2,342 migrant children, to whom the new order does not apply, are being detained with no clear plan or timeline for reuniting them with...
Thanks to veterans and those in the military As one of three daughters of a brave, honorable, now-deceased WWII veteran who served as a medic in Europe, I salute and honor those who have served or are serving their countries. On a recent flight I shared with more than 20 U.S. Army soldiers, I was...
