This weekend MomsRising.org hosted a remarkable conversation. I do confess that I was deeply anxious about gathering a multi-dimensionally diverse group for conversation about the women's movement of the 21st century at the Omega Institute. Having national organizers, local organizers, child care experts, environmentalists, bloggers, social entrepreneurs, an age range...

I was on Jet Blue yesterday and had the time to watch the news -- CNN, ABC, FOX and I can only begin to tell you how much the news folks were nattering about Rev. Jackson's remark about Sen Obama -- talking in shocked or righteous tones about what was...

Written by Mary Olivella, Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, and Joan Blades

Every once in a while a word or phrase is introduced into the lexicon that sheds light on a widespread practice which hasn't yet entered the national consciousness. These phrases take hold because we need them.

A few days ago,...

"You've got to be kidding me!" was the first thing we thought after hearing on Tuesday that Nancy Nord, the head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), doesn't support legislation to greatly increase resources for her agency to stop toxic products from reaching children. Right now there is only...

Yesterday I stood with MomsRising.org, MOMS (Make Our Milk Safe) and Friends of the Earth members babies and small children holding signs to rally for AB 706 in front of Don Perata's Oakland office. We sang about brominated and chlorinated chemicals to the tune of Frère Jacques in front...

This new blog is about consciousness raising and culture change. Very few Americans realize that there is deep bias against mothers in this country and that we are undermining family's ability to care for children. I began to understand this a few years ago when I learned that equal...

Next Monday AB 706, a precedent-setting bill which bans two classes of toxic fire retardants used in our furniture is scheduled to be heard in the California Senate Business and Professions Committee. Advocates for the bill fear it could be killed because the sale of these chemicals to is hugely...

Thursday morning I saw a picture of Cho Seun-Hui looking like an action hero splashed across the front page of The New York Times and we've all seen the TV coverage. This week we have had a media feeding frenzy and frankly it endangers our kids. We've certainly been aware...

Fascinating. It seems that a blog I wrote last week about supporting children is more of a Rorschach test than I realized. I made three numbered points in that blog post to avoid confusion about what MomsRising.org is advocating, since "Building a Family Friendly America" may mean different...

Monday a major Seattle newspaper reported on a MomsRising event on the front page. Since that article was published there has been a hot on-line discussion about whether society should share the responsibility for raising children. Some of the postings are jaw dropping. Take for example this...

I had two members of the press call me yesterday to ask me what I think about Elizabeth Vargas taking time off to have a baby. Do I think that this is somehow wrong? As co-founder of MomsRising.org and co-author of The Motherhood Manifesto I am now...

Launching MomsRising is a leap of faith. Even though mother's issues are not front page news they touch us all personally, some more than others and I believe passionately in the power of grassroots engagement. MomsRising is all about growing a more powerful voice for the caring people that...

A primary goal of our public education system is to provide our country with educated voters. Given this mission one would think that 18 to 24 year olds are the most likely segment of the population to vote because they have recently emerged from 13 years of public education. Sadly...