A historic number of black women candidates ran for Alabama office.

Kayla Stewart
06.05.18

In the first part of 2018, Alabama politics were getting a monumental shakeup — courtesy of black women.

At least 70 black women candidates launched electoral campaigns across Alabama for local, state, and national offices in 2018. It's a historic number in Alabama state politics.

Teri Sewell became the first black woman to represent Alabama in Congress in 2011. Now she supports other black woman candidates. Photo by Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images.

This parallels a national trend: There are 590 black women candidates across the United States in 2018 — the largest in history. And particularly in a state where black Americans make up over a quarter of the population but aren't nearly as visible in government positions — and with a history of racial tension and inequality — this representation is both powerful and necessary.

The numerous campaigns across the state reflect a changing Alabama, a welcome shift for many voters of color. Leading this huge change is a pool of black women candidates who are incredibly diverse in educational and political experience and ultimate goals for their constituents.

Arlene Easley, a lifelong Alabamian candidate with a business administration background, is running for the Alabama House. Easley, a child of the Jim Crow-era South, told Glamour she ran to represent people like her.

"I'm running for people like me, who go to work every day, who are raising their family, who want to see jobs, higher-quality education, better access to health insurance, and affordable living wages in Alabama," Easley said.

Other black women candidates, like Rep. Terri Sewell, aren't newcomers to politics.

Sewell made history in 2011 when she became the first black woman to represent Alabama in Congress. Now up for re-election, Sewell is hoping to continue working toward an inclusive political atmosphere that makes spaces for black women's voices.

"As a congressional intern during the late eighties, I remember walking the halls of the Capitol and not seeing many black women in any role, let alone as elected officials," Sewell told Glamour. "When I was first elected, making my voice heard as a black woman surrounded by older white men was a challenge. This year we’re proving the strength of our voice at the ballot box."

Terri Sewell has served in Congress since 2011. Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images.

Black women's presence flips the script in a state with a history of particularly rough racial relationships.

Home to numerous civil rights marches, a notorious lynching history, and a culture that still continues to perpetuate decades-old racism, Alabama has struggled to find ways to create a state that is truly equal for all. For decades, black women have been at the helm of activism and community engagement trying to create real and lasting change.

In spite of flawed stereotypes about the South and black Americans' willingness to vote, black women voters across the nation have helped candidates like Doug Jones, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, and Barack Obama get elected. This dedication to the right to vote and the hope for a better future for Americans of color has been central to their mission, and it continues today. It's something that black women candidates take into account, and according The Ohio State University associate professor and political scientist Wendy Smooth, the voters are counting on the candidates to take their concerns seriously.

"Alabama voters are looking and evaluating candidates in all of these races with an eye to which candidates can have the most positive impact on their communities," Smooth writes in an email. "While we (press, pundits, scholars) are making much of the numbers of Black women stepping forth as candidates, in the end its their messages, their policy positions that matter most to voters—as it should. Black women candidates want voters to understand the messaging of their campaigns; the issues they stand for; and what they seek to contribute to their communities and on behalf of their communities."

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.

On June 5, Alabamians will head to the polls to make their decision on various candidates. As encouraging as this year's race demographics are, black women candidates have a battle ahead. Alabama is still a predominately Republican state, and most black women candidates are Democratic. As with many places in the United States, racism is still pervasive and often finds its way into both communities and government.

Regardless of the voter outcome across the state, this election is setting the stage for a new, different Alabama.

It also makes it clear that black women are fighting not only for better elected officials but for multiple seats at the table.

"The significance of the increase in Black women running this year is certainly important for highlighting their political activism that spans time," Smooth writes. "However, I am most interested in how this year’s midterm elections inspire women and Black women in particular to continue running for office; continue learning about public policy; and continue mobilizing their communities to participate in the electoral process. All of these actions enrich our democracy and increase the likelihood that more voices inform our decisions and practices. In essence, I’m thrilled by this attention to Black women this year and women overall, but I am driven to think ahead about how this attention sets expectations for even greater participation and inclusion in politics."

Black women have been on the frontlines of activism, politics, and community engagement. Their rise in politics is long overdue, and the Alabama primary sets the stage for a future that is more inclusive for all communities. It's about time.

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Florida city forecloses on man's home after fining him $30,000 for not mowing his lawn.

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Should a man lose his home because the grass in his yard grew higher than 10 inches? The city of Dunedin, Florida seems to think so.

According to the Institute of Justice, which is representing Jim Ficken, he had a very good reason for not mowing his lawn – and tried to rectify the situation as best he could.

In 2014, Jim's mom became ill and he visited her often in South Carolina to help her out. When he was away, his grass grew too long and he was cited by a code office; he cut the grass and wasn't fined.

France has started forcing supermarkets to donate food instead of throwing it away.

But several years later, this one infraction would come back to haunt him after he left to take care of him's mom's affairs after she died. The arrangements he made to have his grass cut fell through (his friend who he asked to help him out passed away unexpectedly) and that set off a chain reaction that may result in him losing his home.

The 69-year-old retiree now faces a $29,833.50 fine plus interest. Watch the video to find out just what Jim is having to deal with.

Mow Your Lawn or Lose Your House! www.youtube.com

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Michelle Obama named 'most admired woman in the world,' because of course she is.

The world can't get enough Michelle.

Jimmy Kimmel Live/YouTube

The world officially loves Michelle Obama.

The former first lady has overtaken the number one spot in a poll of the world's most admired women. Conducted by online research firm YouGov, the study uses international polling tools to survey people in countries around the world about who they most admire.

In the men's category, Bill Gates took the top spot, followed by Barack Obama and Jackie Chan.

In the women's category, Michelle Obama came first, followed by Oprah Winfrey and Angelina Jolie. Obama pushed Jolie out of the number one spot she claimed last year.

Unsurprising, really, because what's not to love about Michelle Obama? She is smart, kind, funny, accomplished, a great dancer, a devoted wife and mother, and an all-around, genuinely good person.

She has remained dignified and strong in the face of rabid masses of so-called Americans who spent eight years and beyond insisting that she's a man disguised as a woman. She's endured non-stop racist memes and terrifying threats to her family. She has received far more than her fair share of cruelty, and always takes the high road. She's the one who coined, "When they go low, we go high," after all.

She came from humble beginnings and remains down to earth despite becoming a familiar face around the world. She's not much older than me, but I still want to be like Michelle Obama when I grow up.

Her memoir, Becoming, may end up being the best-selling memoir of all time, having already sold 10 million copies—a clear sign that people can't get enough Michelle, because there's no such thing as too much Michelle.

Don't like Michelle Obama? Don't care. Those of us who love her will fly our MO flags high and without apology, paying no mind to folks with cold, dead hearts who don't know a gem of a human being when they see one. There is nothing any hater can say or do to make us admire this undeniably admirable woman any less.

When it seems like the world has lost its mind—which is how it feels most days these days—I'm just going to keep coming back to this study as evidence that hope for humanity is not lost.

Here. Enjoy some real-life Michelle on Jimmy Kimmel. (GAH. WHY IS SHE SO CUTE AND AWESOME. I can't even handle it.)

Michelle & Barack Obama are Boring Now www.youtube.com

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France has started forcing supermarkets to donate food instead of throwing it away.

via EarthFix / Flickr

What will future generations never believe that we tolerated in 2019?

Dolphin and orca captivity, for sure. They'll probably shake their heads at how people died because they couldn't afford healthcare. And, they'll be completely mystified at the amount of food some people waste while others go starving.

According to Biological Diversity, "An estimated 40 percent of the food produced in the United States is wasted every year, costing households, businesses and farms about $218 billion annually."

There are so many things wrong with this.

First of all it's a waste of money for the households who throw out good food. Second, it's a waste of all of the resources that went into growing the food, including the animals who gave their lives for the meal. Third, there's something very wrong with throwing out food when one in eight Americans struggle with hunger.

Supermarkets are just as guilty of this unnecessary waste as consumers. About 10% of all food waste are supermarket products thrown out before they've reached their expiration date.

Three years ago, France took big steps to combat food waste by making a law that bans grocery stores from throwing away edible food.According to the new ordinance, stores can be fined for up to $4,500 for each infraction.

Previously, the French threw out 7.1 million tons of food. Sixty-seven percent of which was tossed by consumers, 15% by restaurants, and 11% by grocery stores.

This has created a network of over 5,000 charities that accept the food from supermarkets and donate them to charity. The law also struck down agreements between supermarkets and manufacturers that prohibited the stores from donating food to charities.

"There was one food manufacturer that was not authorized to donate the sandwiches it made for a particular supermarket brand. But now, we get 30,000 sandwiches a month from them — sandwiches that used to be thrown away," Jacques Bailet, head of the French network of food banks known as Banques Alimentaires, told NPR.

It's expected that similar laws may spread through Europe, but people are a lot less confident at it happening in the United States. The USDA believes that the biggest barrier to such a program would be cost to the charities and or supermarkets.

"The logistics of getting safe, wholesome, edible food from anywhere to people that can use it is really difficult," the organization said according to Gizmodo. "If you're having to set up a really expensive system to recover marginal amounts of food, that's not good for anybody."

Plus, the idea may seem a little too "socialist" for the average American's appetite.

"The French version is quite socialist, but I would say in a great way because you're providing a way where they [supermarkets] have to do the beneficial things not only for the environment, but from an ethical standpoint of getting healthy food to those who need it and minimizing some of the harmful greenhouse gas emissions that come when food ends up in a landfill," Jonathan Bloom, the author of American Wasteland, told NPR.

However, just because something may be socialist doesn't mean it's wrong. The greater wrong is the insane waste of money, damage to the environment, and devastation caused by hunger that can easily be avoided.

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Single dad asks his daughters for fashion advice before a date and strangers on social media responded with some helpful suggestions.

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After seeing these heartwarming pics, people on Twitter started suggesting this adorable man date their moms. It was essentially a mom and date matchmaking frenzy.

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