“Held captive.” It was how one 13-year-old described the feeling of growing up poor in our wealthy nation, and for more and more Americans living in poverty, this feeling isn’t just a metaphor. The recent Department of Justice report on police and court practices in Ferguson, Missouri put a much...

Mother's Day — you might wonder why a woman would cringe at that. Maybe she recently lost a child or suffered a miscarriage. Maybe she misses her mother. But often, it's because she's experiencing infertility. Mother's Day can be incredibly difficult for women experiencing infertility. Fifteen years after my own experience, my wishes on Mother's Day are to help women celebrate the day, not struggle through it.

Being a child care teacher is my passion. But when I think about Mother ’s Day, sometimes I feel ashamed. I feel like less of a mom. That’s because even though I work hard and I’m good at my job, I am not paid enough to provide for my own children. I ’ve been working in child care for 13 years. I...