The Breakdown: Basketball Coach Goes Viral Advocating for Gender Equality
Plus, *big* wins for gun safety, Black men on screen, and a youth-led movement in Canada.
Getty Images: Mike Ehrmann / Staff
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The One Big Thing
Notre Dame Women’s Basketball Head Coach Goes Viral While Advocating for Gender Equality
Muffet McGraw, head coach of Notre Dame’s women’s basketball team, responded to comments about why she stopped hiring men on her coaching staff, sparking a meaningful conversation on gender equality in sports. “We don't have enough female role models,” she said. “We don't have enough visible women leaders. We don't have enough women in power.” Her all-female coaching staff has lead Notre Dame to seven straight conference titles and served as a platform for women to reach the highest levels of sport. Women are breaking barriers in men’s pro sports too, with Becky Hammon becoming the first woman assistant in the NBA and the two women coaches making history after being hired by the NFL’s Tampa Bay Bucs.
March Madness ends Monday! Turn a recycling bin into a basketball hoop to go green before the tourney ends.
(Pop) Culture Shock
Diverse Portrayals of Black Men in Media Are Here to Stay
Season 2 of On My Block, the rave teenage drama of four inner-city high school students navigating life, love, and conflict, just came out on Netflix and no one shines more than Brett Gray as Jamal. As one of the more comedic characters, Gray is being celebrated for emulating Will Smith’s iconic character in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and adding to the emerging trend of refreshing and diverse Black personalities shining in mainstream media, from Frank Ocean to Keiynan Lonsdale. “I thought it was really refreshing to see a Black male character portrayed this way,” he says. “Just, you know, not having to be so hard all of the time. When I was 14, I was neurotic and crazy and ambitious, and I also had that innocence.”
The Good News Is...
Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Bump Stocks
The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the Trump administration’s ban on bump stocks, a feature that enable guns to fire faster and made the 2017 Las Vegas shooting the deadliest in American history. The ban is lauded as a win for gun safety and a step towards what the majority of Americans desire: common sense gun safety reform.
Sign up for the Do Something About Gun Violence campaign for ongoing ways to keep our communities safer.
That's What She Said
“I want to remind you guys to protect your peace and your energy and to not forget to take care of yourselves.”
-Ariana Grande on her Instagram stories reminding her followers to practice self-care. (Side note: After seeing her story, I took a ferry ride with my sisters as my self-care. It was blissful.)
Quick Hitters
Why aren’t more people talking about… the US Steel factory near Pittsburgh violating health standards and triggering sky-high asthma rates.
Meanwhile, in Israel… major elections are happening tomorrow. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to hold onto power by suggesting Israel take permanent control of the West Bank, where 2.6 million Palestinians currently live.
My hero today is… the Students Say No Movement in Canada, where students walked out in protest of proposed changes to the educational system, including increasing class sizes and cutting arts funding.
I’m obsessed with… Khalid’s new album. Last week, I geeked out on Billie Eilish, so I’m riding a high on new music after this feel-good, vibey music. I guess you could call me a “Free Spirit” -- see what I did there???
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