Many of us rediscovered the last several weeks and months that taking a break from scrolling headlines and self-important pundits about our imminent demise and Hitting.The.Doors. to help get out the vote is the best recipe for democracy and for mental health. The same can be said for joining workers on a picket line — supporting fellow humans who are bravely taking action to improve their working conditions and our economy.

Worker Organizing Fueling Hope for 2022

First — huge HT to The Marginalian for Woody Guthrie’s “Keep your hope machine running” which hit my inbox just as I started this list. None other than the American bard (This Land is Your Land, I’m Sticking to the Union, Union Maid) had this on his New Year’s Resolution list (somewhere in between eating more fruits and vegetables and brushing his teeth…!)

Nearly 100 years ago (1925) A.Philip Randolph began organizing the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first all Black union. Pullman porters worked exhausting hours on long stretches away from home, and suffered incredible indignities (literally having to answer to “George” not their own names). The starvation wages were, in the context of extreme racial inequity and limited economic opportunity for African Americans, coveted jobs. (Hmm — kind of like $15 an hour for hard dangerous work in a warehouse in an economy where the minimum wage has so eroded that this is better pay than you can get for miles around…)

As a nation, we have failed to confront systemic racism. This won't change without white people really engaging. Developing this ability requires regular workouts as well as a heavy dose of humility.

Excerpts from remarks delivered at the Human Rights Campaign Chicago gala dinner on Saturday, November 12, 2016, following the election of Donald Trump.

Just a few short days ago, we all believed we were on the verge of ushering in a new era of equality. We had all poured our hearts and souls into the election, because we all knew how devastating it would be for the hatred and division of Donald Trump and Mike Pence to prevail. Despite our best efforts and the historic mobilization of LGBTQ and equality voters, here we are.

HRC's Mary Beth Maxwell on why her organization is standing in solidarity with unions.

The Supreme Court of the United States will hear oral arguments Monday for the most consequential legal case for labor rights in a generation — Janus v. AFSCME. At the heart of the debate is whether public employees truly have the ability to come together to raise their voices in a strong union. Along with coalition partners in the LGBTQ movement, the Human Rights Campaign has filed a friend of the court, or amicus, brief in support of these workers and their right to organize. We know that collective bargaining has been a powerful force for civil rights including for LGBTQ equality.

Shining a Light on Essential Workers

The wind whips outside on another beautiful dark morning, candles lit and Christmas tree lights now up. I light the fourth candle on my wreath and reflect again on my deep love of Advent

On this last Sunday of Advent,
we quietly reflect on the mystery.
We rest in awe, in wonder,

Despite reckless assertions to the contrary, building bridges — not walls — strengthens both our communities and our businesses. What happened yesterday in Chile is proof. At today’s Santiago launch of the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, dozens of major Chilean employers will join HRC and our partner Fundanción Iguales to celebrate the strength of a diverse workforce and to launch a groundbreaking initiative that will advance countless protections for LGBTQ workers.

I reflected earlier on my love of Advent; how it brings me back to cherished lessons from my Catholic family, connects me to centuries of my people yearning for meaning, and provides necessary moments of stillness to ponder the darkness and treasure the flickers of light that will sustain hope through the winter.

Opposing the Trump-Pence assault on 800,000 immigrants

The shared work of the LGBTQ community and the labor movement dates back to the days of Harvey Milk, writes Mary Beth Maxwell of the Human Rights

20 years after FMLA, let’s take next step in supporting workers

The Human Rights Campaign's Global Innovative Advocacy Summit is bringing together world leaders to strategize a global response to hate.

Recent attacks on LGBT centers, mosques, and Jewish cemeteries highlight how different communities must stand together against hatred, writes HRC's Mary Beth Maxwell.

More than 50,000 young people told the Human Rights Campaign how they felt after the election of Donald Trump. Their responses were sad and frightening.

Today marks National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day, an opportunity to focus the nation’s attention on the impact of HIV and AIDS on Latinx communities. And focus our attention, we must. With HIV transmission rates on the rise among Latinx LGBTQ people, it is imperative that we recognize HIV as the intersectional issue that is it.

There is a false perception of what life is like today for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer high schoolers in America. Yes, it is certainly better than it was for me 35 years ago in Nebraska, but every high school isn't a great, or even safe, place for every student. Not every kid is alright.

As we find ourselves in a very public battle today in places like North Carolina, our opponents would have you believe they're acting for the sake of the children. They're not. For the sake of all children, let's put fear aside, close the book on hate and open the door to understanding.

During a year marked by both progress and heartbreaking setbacks, the absence of U.S. leadership on global LGBTQ equality is being felt the world over

As we commemorate Human Rights Day this week, supporters of LGBTQ equality will reflect on the past twelve months with conflicted emotions.

Many of us are still reeling from the results of the November election as people across the country are uncertain about what the future holds. Calls from LGBTQ community members -- about hate crimes, increased bullying in schools, fears about the security of our families and marriages, about our loved ones who are immigrants or Muslim -- have been rolling in. What does this new Cabinet Secretary nomination mean? Will my transgender child be safe at school? What about my gay brother who serves in the military? Will all our gains be rolled back?

Marybeth Maxwell and Dorian Warren discuss Social Inequality in America at The Carolina Forum on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, moderated by Professor Rebecca Kreitzer

The two of us were reminded this month how nothing beats getting far away from the office and meeting a room full of smart, engaged students to see that Americans care deeply about inequality. It matters to all of us, all around the country.

Pence uses his faith as a tool to deny equality. Kaine embraces equality precisely because of his faith.

Last night, Mike Pence and Tim Kaine faced off in the vice presidential debate, tackling issues ranging from foreign policy to reproductive rights. While the two candidates have many contrasting views, one of the starkest is how each views LGBTQ equality. As the two candidates went head-to-head, LGBTQ rights remained the elephant in the room.

Today is International Women's Day, and all over the world people are celebrating women -- their economic and civic empowerment, their courage in the face of inequality, their role in everything from ensuring peace and security to fighting poverty and hunger.

At the U.S. Department of Labor, we have always fought for women's economic rights. The department's Wage and Hour Division and its Women's Bureau lead our efforts to ensure hardworking women receive a fair wage for the work they do. President Obama has proposed raising the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour and indexing it to the cost of living by 2015, because people who work full time should not live in poverty. Sixty percent of the 15 million workers who would benefit from this proposal are women, and many of them are the primary breadwinners for their families. For them, this is a matter of economic urgency.

This week, American Rights at Work launched a substantial nationwide television ad campaign. It emphasizes the fact that far too often, CEOs won't willingly pay their employees a decent salary and provide health care - and through the Employee Free Choice Act, workers will more easily form unions and bargain for better pay and benefits.

In the wake of an unprecedented attempt by anti-union corporate special interests to mislead the American public on unions, and particularly on the Employee Free Choice Act, it's time to set the record straight. The ad is part of a broad, coordinated effort to champion the legislation and facilitate its passage in Congress.

Throughout this historic campaign season, the economy has without a doubt been the most dominant issue on the minds of American voters. Once the turbulent markets have subsided, we must continue to support policies that will return purchasing power to those hit hardest by our current crisis: America's middle class workers.

While bailouts, regulation and taxes have dominated much of the national discussion, there is also an intense battle being waged over a critical piece of legislation that will revitalize our struggling middle class and get our economy back on track. This battle over the Employee Free Choice Act is one that began well before our current crises, but which has gained new intensity as voters look beyond the political rhetoric and more closely examine the candidates' positions on issues affecting the middle class.

Recent headlines reveal what many of us already know -- Americans are witnessing the highest inflation rates seen in over 20 years. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food prices climbed nearly five percent in 2007, and as housing and energy costs skyrocket out of control, working families are getting squeezed. In these difficult times, we should also be reminded that women face even greater financial struggles when weathering this economic storm.

In a recent six-part series, the Charlotte Observer exposes the horrendous working conditions of Carolina poultry workers, suffering among other things from unreported injuries, exploitation and medical neglect.

Looking at the latest Labor Department blunder involving its failure to protect poultry workers, it is clear that OSHA, the federal agency in charge of enforcing safety and health protections, has abandoned its job. The blame for these failures falls at the feet of our Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao.

Bill Belichick knows the cost of breaking the rules.

The coach of the New England Patriots was forced to cough up $500,000--about 12% of his annual salary--for spying on his opponents during the NFL's season opener. The league's punishment didn't stop there - the Patriots also had to pay a quarter-million dollar fine and give up at least one draft pick.

Discipline was swift and severe. All in all, the punishment was the NFL's biggest ever, and it surely sent a message to every team in the league.