Harris makes history, 10-min confidence meditation, Interns at Danish Institute for Human Rights

Kamala Harris makes history: Harris becomes the first woman, the first Asian American, and the first Black American to be elected vice president. Shortly after the race was called, Harris tweeted a statement and video. “This election is about so much more than Joe Biden or me,” she said. “It’s about the soul of America and our willingness to fight for it. We have a lot of work ahead of us. Let’s get started." >> Full Story

Unpacking women's impact in the US election: Cecile Richards, former president of Planned Parenthood, and Amanda Lierman, founder of Supermajority–an organization focused on mobilizing women in politics–discuss the political influence of women and girls leading up to the election. Notable among these women was Stacey Abrams, former gubernatorial candidate for Georgia, who spent the past 2 years promoting voter registration and turnout and protecting democracy from voter suppression. Her organization, Fair Fight, was responsible for registering an astounding 800,000 new voters in Georgia: “45% of those new voters are under the age of 30. 49% are people of color.” >> Full Story

Noteworthy developments in the political representation of marginalised communities around the world: LGBTQ+ individuals made significant strides in the US election. To name just a few: Cori Bush, a vocal Black Lives Matter activist, is Missouri’s first Black Congresswoman, and Sarah McBride is the highest-ranking transgender official in US history. Elections in New Zealand were equally momentous, with the most diverse cabinet in the country's history; 40% are women, 25% are Māori, 15% are Pasifika, and 15% are LGBTQ+. >> Full Story

And the best (100% painfully accurate) summary of the US election goes to....... this *hilarious* video taken from a Disney movie. 

Toni Morrison's personal library is now available to purchase (along with her whole apartment). Many of the books were inscribed to her by famous authors and celebrities, among them Elie Wiesel and Denzel Washington. OK so... we seriously thought of investing some funds to buy her apartment and transform it into The Bloom's HQ...thoughts?!! 

How women used dating apps to sway undecided voters in the US election.

A fun new ad features women (shoutout to Lucina Di Meco, one of The Bloom's many incredible readers!!)  speaking directly to Sheryl Sandberg about abuse on Facebook and demand she "Lean In" to fix it. 

Playgirl is an American magazine from 1973 featuring male nudes alongside hard-hitting features by and for women. Playgirl shut down in 2016 but they're back! The first new issue of the magazine, which will now come out once every year, is helmed by a mostly female editorial team, and includes stories that cover everything from mental health, female activists, the patriarchy and parenting to female friendship and BDSM.

We love her. We know you love her. And now you can learn even more about Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in this "Everything AOC does in a day" video: spoiler alert, she's a night owl. 

Brittany Packnett Cunningham is an activist, educator, and a trusted voice for millions of people interested in social justice. She's just launched Undistracted, a podcast to focus on the most pressing issues of our time through the lens of intersectional feminism. From the latest headlines to deep-dives with today’s most fascinating changemakers, Undistracted is a great weekly resource – we highly recommend listening to an episode after reading The Bloom every Sunday ;) 

~This week’s reflection is brought to you by Kuhlekonke on The Bloom team~

It certainly does put a smile on my face to know that there are plenty of African women rising above the expectations set for them by a society that initially was not built for them to succeed. A South African novelist, a medical doctor, activist and a Rhodes Scholar, Dr. Matlwa Mabaso is an incredible role model and trailblazer. Mabaso leverages her success to advocate for pregnant women in rural areas. She often speaks to the experiences of young women in post-1994 South Africa; readers can look forward to this and more in her debut novel Coconut.

Coconut tells the story of two extraordinary young women who have grown up black in white suburbs and must now struggle to find their identities. The stories artfully come together to illustrate the weight of history upon a new generation in South Africa.

Mabaso published Coconut when she was only 21 and still in medical school, to cope with the demands of school and the tragedy of what she was seeing all around her. “It was such a tough time,” she explains. “Writing was debriefing for myself, trying to make sense of all the crazy things I would see.” Her own story adds a truly special tone to her writing, and you can learn more about it through her TED talk!