New and Noteworthy: ‘Girls State,’ U.S. Food Policy, and More

When Girls Govern

The documentary Girls State follows a group of dedicated high school girls as they participate in an immersive mock-government program. At a time when civic norms are being eroded, the film is a fascinating, hopeful, and human portrait of American democracy’s future. Apple TV+

Food as a Weapon

In Ruin Their Crops on the Ground, law professor Andrea Freeman offers a necessary history of how U.S. food policy has been used as a tool of oppression and coercion, from the desecration of Indigenous food systems to the corrupting influence of Big Ag. Macmillan

Adaptable Toolkit

“There is no such thing as generic, ready-made reconciliation,” writes preacher and professor Brenda Salter McNeil in her book Empowered to Repair. Drawing on the biblical story of Nehemiah and rebuilding after exile, McNeil provides a versatile framework for mending our broken social fabric. Brazos Press