Danielle Jackson, Online Outreach Associate

Danielle Jackson, Online Outreach Associate

Danielle Jackson is the Online Outreach Associate for the National Women's Law Center. She is responsible for maintaining the NWLC's social media and blog presence. Prior to joining the NWLC, she served as the New Media Assistant at EMILY's List, after graduating from Syracuse University with a B.A. in Political Science. While not at work, Ms. Jackson enjoys rooting on her favorite Syracuse Orange and Philadelphia sports teams, listening to music and concert going, and trying to get her friends as riled up about politics as she is.

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My Take

NWLC’s Weekly Roundup: August 27 – 31

Posted by Danielle Jackson, Online Outreach Associate | Posted on: August 31, 2012 at 03:30 pm

This week in our roundup: the story of an awesome crusader in Detroit, and the latest and, um, not quite greatest, product from Bic.

So let’s get started with Detroit prosecutor Kym Worthy. She’s been making a splash this week for her dogged determination to clear the city’s backlog of untested rape kits. It took years for Worthy to get public attention on this issue but she and her team have just received a $1 million federal grant to start testing and logging some of these kits.

There are more than 11,000 untested rape kits dating back to 2009 in Detroit alone. The kits “contain evidence of rape such as semen and saliva,” and clearing them involves logging, testing, and entering each kit into a national DNA database. Already, Worthy’s team is making progress. They’ve identified 20 serial rapists, and those came from just the first 153 kits tested.

In part, the rape kit backlog is so staggering--not just in Detroit but nationwide--because the cost of testing a single kit ranges between $1,200 and $1,500. That means that Kym Worthy and her team have funds for only about 1,600 of the 11,000+ rape kits. And according to The Daily Beast, testing rape kits is often a low-priority for police departments.

But despite this, Worthy is determined to make a difference. When she was a law student about 30 years ago, she was attacked and raped while jogging outside her apartment at night. Like many women, Worthy didn’t report her attack. Today she says her assault has made her more resolute than ever to see justice for other rape survivors.

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NWLC in the News: August 22 – 28

Posted by Danielle Jackson, Online Outreach Associate | Posted on: August 29, 2012 at 10:42 am

Check out these mentions of NWLC in the news over the past week!

August 22

August 23

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NWLC’s Weekly Roundup: August 20 –24

Posted by Danielle Jackson, Online Outreach Associate | Posted on: August 24, 2012 at 05:02 pm

Since we’re smack dab in the middle of back-to-school season, I thought I’d talk about a couple of STEM-related things this week. In case you’re wondering what STEM is, it stands for science, technology engineering and math, and it’s no secret that women are under-represented in those fields. I want to start with a story I caught on Monday – it’s a blog post from Jezebel on Danica McKellar, also known as Winnie Cooper from the TV show The Wonder Years. After The Wonder Years went off the air, McKellar studied mathematics at UCLA and published four math books aimed specifically at girls.

With titles like Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who's Boss and Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail, the books can initially come off as a little too ditzy for some. I’ve read some blog comments about people wondering whether this is the way we want to try to get girls involved in mathematics and STEM fields, by taking the conversation to a very stereotypically girly place. In McKellar’s latest book, Girls Get Curves, which tackles geometry, she describes some real-world uses of geometry as such:

“Geometry is responsible for the shape of the house you live in, the cars on the road, the shoes on your feet, and even the book in your hands. Diamond rings wouldn't be nearly so sparkly without the study of angles, and your favorite dress wouldn't fit nearly as well without the science of curves.”

When I was studying geometry, I couldn’t have cared less about diamond rings. But, I also had terrible math anxiety and always fell behind most of my classmates in every math class I took.

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Tags: Education and Schools, STEM, Education & Title IX | 1 comment

NWLC in the News: August 15 – 21

Posted by Danielle Jackson, Online Outreach Associate | Posted on: August 22, 2012 at 11:08 am

Check out these mentions of NWLC in the news over the past week!

August 17

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NWLC’s Weekly Roundup: August 13 – 17

Posted by Danielle Jackson, Online Outreach Associate | Posted on: August 17, 2012 at 05:17 pm

Happy Friday! Can you believe we’re already halfway through August? Today I have two quick hits for you, the first on voter ID laws – both passed and potential – and what they could mean in the upcoming election, and a new satire video.

So let’s talk voter ID first. I just found this new infographic from Craig Newmark at craigconnects. It breaks down some of the latest voter ID laws, both passed and pending, and explains the impact these laws could have this November.

Of course, there are many important issues for women in this upcoming election. If you’re looking for some background information – or even need to register to vote or update your registration – check out our recently updated voter education materials.

Oh – and speaking of those important issues, I’m sure you know that women’s health will be among them. We’ve seen tons of attacks the past few years, including the slashing of funding to Planned Parenthood. I was really excited to find this new Funny or Die video with Connie Britton yesterday that mocks these funding cuts and suggests – with satire – what could happen to Planned Parenthood if the cuts keep coming.

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