Ms. Must-Reads: Sept. 25

With students and teachers heading back to school this month, many are returning to an increasingly hostile academic environment—in the form of book bans and other legal restrictions that limit what topics they’re allowed to teach about. These laws, many of which restrict teaching about so-called “divisive topics,” like sexism, racism, LGBTQ+ issues and more, are leaving both teachers and students concerned for the future of education—and for their own jobs and educations.

One New Hampshire educator who teaches future teachers is pushing back—but worries the lack of support that her students will go on to have when they are in their own classrooms. “As a unionized, tenure-track professor, I have academic freedom and built-in support systems if my teaching is challenged,” writes C.C. Hendricks in Ms.’s “Banned” series, which is sharing the stories of educators and students being impacted by legislation and policies attacking education, DEI and more. “Yet, my teaching students are not guaranteed the same support.” 

Hendricks pushes back by teaching her students how to teach their own students about issues of identity, difference and intolerance through feminist pedagogies, including community building and student-led instruction. As the forces that seek to silence intersectional feminist voices at both K-12 and university levels continue their battle, uplifting feminist strategies of resistance and voices is more important than ever. 

This week marked the release of our new book 50 Years of Ms.: The Best of the Pathfinding Magazine that Ignited a Revolution, which celebrates the most startling, audacious, and norm-breaking articles from our past half-century. We were featured on CBS’s Sunday Morning show,  on the front page of the New York Times Book Review magazine—not to mention hitting #45 on the Amazon top 100 list, and #1 in the Women’s History and Feminist Theory categories!

We were also honored this week to receive PEN America’s inaugural Impact Award. In presenting the award to founding editor Gloria Steinem, Ms. publisher and president of Feminist Majority Foundation Eleanor Smeal, and me, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said, “Through its art, literature and journalism, Ms. magazine became a platform that educated, inspired and mobilized generations of feminists in support of equality. I am deeply honored to present the PEN America Impact Award … in recognition of Ms. magazine’s contributions to journalism, feminism and social change.”

In celebration of 50 Years of Ms., we’re hitting the road and heading to a bookstore or venue near you in the coming weeks and months—click here to explore our in-person and virtual events and find one near you. We hope to see you there!

Onward,

Kathy Spillar

Executive Editor

This week's Ms. Must-Reads:

• "New Hampshire Law Banning ‘Divisive Concepts’ in the Classroom Leaves Teachers Vulnerable and Students Unprepared" — C.C. Hendricks
• "‘Banned! Voices from the Classroom’: Call for Submissions" — Aviva Dove-Viebahn and Karon Jolna
• "Ms. Magazine Wins PEN America’s Impact Award for ‘Contributions to Journalism, Feminism and Social Change’" — Ms. Editors
• "Ms. on Tour! The Feminist Fight Forward: Lessons from ’50 YEARS OF Ms.’" — Ms. Editors