Another look at the political week that was…
● First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a passionate speech about gun violence in Chicago this week, invoking the name of Hadiya Pendleton, the 15-year-old Chicago girl who was murdered just a week after performing at President Obama’s inauguration in January.
Meanwhile, a gun control bill moved past a crucial procedural hurdle in the Senate and may now be sent to the floor to be voted on. However, with many Republican senators vowing to block the bill from getting a yes-or-no vote, America still has a long way to go before Congress passes meaningful gun control legislation.
● On the other side of Congress, House Democrats are hard at work trying to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to decrease the wage gap between men and women in the workplace. In 2013, with Black women, on average, still making only 69 cents for every dollar that a man makes, it’s past time for Congress to pass this law.
● Speaking of racial discrepancies, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) went to Howard University this week to “Whitesplain” to the students about Black history and why they should be Republicans too. It didn’t turn out well for him.
● While many celebrated Reebok for dropping rapper Rick Ross as a spokesman for his egregious lyrics condoning rape in the song, “U.O.E.N.O.,” rape culture claimed another young life this week when a 17-year-old Canadian girl committed suicide after a photo of her rape circulated on the web.
● Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) brainstormed a sexist strategy against potential opponent Ashley Judd and it’s all caught on tape.
● Another scandal-ridden (former) member of Congress, Anthony Weiner, is back in the news this week for considering a run for mayor of New York City. But can he ever live down the infamous Weinergate?
● Britain’s first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher passed away this week. But while many are lauding the Iron Lady a feminist hero, Thatcher was actually anti-feminist.
● Beyoncé and Jay-Z were attacked by Republicans for traveling to Cuba for their fifth wedding anniversary and Jay-Z responded by releasing the track, “Open Letter,” in which he suggested that he and President Obama had discussed the controversial trip prior to the couple’s departure. The White House denied that the President had anything to do with their trip, saying it is just a song.
