We had institutional support from Northeastern University at a time when universities and other institutions were publicly and ceremoniously committing to funding DEI related initiatives in the tidal wave of so-called racial reckoning that occurred in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. The first symposium took place two months later on a cold and clear February morning in 2022. This annual gathering became an important tradition that we looked forward to each year.

This week, we mark four years since the woman born Gloria Jean Watkins, a Black feminist writer, academic, professor and activist became an ancestor. But in 2026, there will be no bell hooks symposium at my university. Due to university wide fiscal austerity, we will not mark the anniversary this year in any official way. It is a tremendous loss, for our students and for our community locally, nationally and internationally.

As I grappled with my own grief over this loss, I had to also reflect deeply about what it means to be a Black feminist scholar in the academy today.

The post bell hooks Taught Us to Imagine Freedom. Universities Are Forcing Us to Fight for It. appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

Founded in 2014, the Foundation for Advancement of Haitian Midwives (FAHM) partners with and supports Haitian midwives through education and outreach. Their work is urgent today while Haiti is in political turmoil, and unrelenting assaults by paramilitary groups have led to severe insecurity in the capital.

"Most people who are drawn to this want to produce safe competent, evidence-based care and to respect people’s voices, preserving the honor and dignity of every human being.”

The post Thinking Big With Haitian Midwives appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

"I’m an African feminist who believes deeply in the power of art and artistic expression in changing the world."

The post Feminism and Freedom in Ghana: The Ms. Q&A With Nana Akosua Hanson appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

Set in contemporary Port-au-Prince, Gessica Généus's film Freda affirms that not only do Haitian women exist, but that their existence is replete with complexity and beauty. A feminist film in every way, Freda’s commitment to the female characters especially asks us to carefully consider what we look for when we see Haitian women.

The post ‘Freda’ Is the Film We Need Now appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

As a feminist scholar, I marvel at Black women’s pivotal role in Juneteenth celebrations. It reminds me that Black women have always been architects of freedom.

The post Learning From and Leaning Into Juneteenth appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

The exhibition curated by photographers Scheherazade Tillet and Zoraida Lopez-Diago highlights the history of Black women photographers while also re-imagining this world for Black girls.

The post ‘Picturing Black Girlhood’: A Praise Song for Black Girls appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

Recent expulsions of thousands of Haitian migrants showcase how far the U.S. has to go on immigration reform.

The proliferation of Haitian migrants at the Mexican border did not begin under this administration. But for Biden, this represents not only a missed opportunity to distinguish himself on immigration, but also an egregious lack of humanity and regard for Black lives in the Caribbean.

The post The Biden Administration’s Expulsion of Haitians Is Unconscionable—and a Missed Opportunity appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

The post The Status of Black Girlhood in Light of Mikayla Miller’s Death appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

“To talk about Madan Sara is to talk about Haitian women"—but it is also to talk about pressing issues like structural violence, government failures and resistance to neoliberalism that resonate throughout the Global South.

The post “Madan Sara” Tells the Story of Haitian Women Both Ordinary and Extraordinary appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

Like many Haitians these days, my father's unrelenting faith and optimism are waning.

The post Haitian Politics and Dreams For My Father appeared first on Ms. Magazine.