Thurgood Marshall is one of the most overlooked and underappreciated freedom fighters of the twentieth century. For more than two decades he was the preeminent lawyer for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); it was Marshall who founded and directed the organization’s Legal and Educational Defense Fund.
   The subject matter in which he dealt was broad: segregated schools, the rights of the accused, voting discrimination, questions on federal jurisdiction. (Not all of his legal acumen was directed at such weighty matters. A series of stern letters from Marshall to the Whitman candy company convinced them to cease selling a candy they called Chocolate Covered Pickaninny Peppermints that came in a box festooned with racist caricatures of black children.)

Imagine the Syrian war from the point of view of ordinary Syrians from a variety of backgrounds. They are most likely to offer a different perspective and to hold entirely different expectations than most other parties involved.  

A resident of Idlib, a villager from Deraa, a housewife, a teacher, a nurse or an unemployed ex-prisoner from anywhere else in Syria would distinguish their relationship to the war in terminology and overall understanding that is partially, or entirely, opposed to the narrative communicated by CNN, Al-Jazeera, Russia Today, the BBC, Press TV, and every available media platform that is concerned with the outcomes of the war.  

These media tailor their coverage and, when necessary - as is often the case - slant their focus in ways that would communicate their designated editorial agendas, which, unsurprisingly, is often linked to the larger political agenda of their respective governments. They may purport to speak in accordance with some imaginary moral line, but, frankly, none of them do.  

When Malala Yousafzai took a bullet after standing up for the cause of girls’ education, she became a feminist hero. It seems a little odd, then, that a new documentary about the Pakistani teen is titled He Named Me Malala.

Just who is this “he,” and why is he sharing top billing?

Turns out he’s her father, and the meaning of the title soon becomes clear. In the first of several animated segments sprinkled throughout the film, we learn that Ziauddin Yousafzai named his daughter after a legendary Afghan woman who was killed in battle while encouraging her country’s troops to repel a foreign invader.

This raises a question that director Davis Guggenheim and his subjects address: Did Malala’s name predestine her to suffer for a heroic cause?

In case you’ve forgotten the details of Malala’s rise to international fame, she was shot by a Taliban gunman in 2012 because she’d spoken up against the group’s attempt to prevent girls from being educated. Though she miraculously survived, the wound left permanent damage to her face and hearing.

“People should not have to work three jobs just to make ends meet,” said Columbus resident Jasmine Ayres at the “Our City, Our Stories, Our Future” public meeting and candidates’ night on October 1. “People who work 40 hours a week should be able to feed their families. They should be able to pay their bills. There are people who are really struggling in this city. They would really benefit from raising the minimum wage.”

“Minimum wage should cover at least the minimum cost of living,” said former OSU football defensive back Anthony Gwinn. “Can you imagine working 40 to 60 hours a week as a single parent and raising children with a minimum wage of $8.10?”

The moderator posed this question to ten candidates for Columbus City Council: “If elected to City Council, will you raise the Columbus minimum wage to $15 by 2020?”

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