The Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy has been working on Volume 29 in a time of immense change. In the last few months, we have seen progress that gives us hope for the future: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will be the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court,^[1] the Department of Education is extending the student loan pause for what currently amounts to a more than two year forbearance,^[2] and we look forward to confronting our new post-pandemic normal, as FDA vaccine approval for children under the age of five looms heavy for many.^[3] While we celebrate these and many other important steps toward a more fair and equitable society, we also recognize the continued strife that plagues our world.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine marked the first major war in Europe in decades.^[4] In the United States, ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bills are being adopted,^[5] restrictions on abortion access are increasing,^[6] and we continue to confront instances of racism at both the institutional and national level. In addition to these violations of fundamental and human rights, we are continuing to see the dormant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on those most vulnerable in our society.

In light of these issues, our Journal continues our steadfast commitment to confront the disparate conditions directly impacting those who live in poverty in our country. Issue II addresses barriers to the access of justice, food insecurity and health disparities, education in the teaching revolution of today, health justice in America, and the treatment of vulnerable patients. Each piece in this Issue offers a unique analysis of a problem and provides proposed solutions. We hope that the pieces in this Issue inspire our readers to seek creative solutions to the complex problems plaguing those in poverty.

As we near the end of Volume 29, we look forward to seeing what the newly elected Executive Board will accomplish through the advancement of scholarship and direct engagement in our community.

Sincerely,

Zachary Krause, Editor-in-Chief, Vol. 29

Rose Hayden, Managing Editor, Vol. 29

 

[1] . Eric McDaniel, The Senate confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, NPR (Apr. 7, 2022, 3:39 PM), https://www.npr.org/2022/04/07/1090973786/ketanji-brown-jackson-first-black-woman- supreme-court.

[2] . Press Release, U.S. Dep’t of Educ., Biden-Harris Administration Extends Student Loan Pause Through August 31 https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-extends-student- loan-pause-through-august-31 (last visited Apr. 8, 2022) (extending the student loan pause through August 21, 2022).

[3] . See Ayana Archie, Moderna wants the FDA to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 6, NPR (Mar. 23, 2022, 8:00 AM ET), https://www.npr.org/2022/03/23/1088167753/moderna-covid-19- vaccine-children-fda.

[4] . Jen Kirby and Jonathan Guyer, Russia’s war in Ukraine, explained, VOX (Mar. 6, 2022, 10:20 AM ET), https://www.vox.com/2022/2/23/22948534/russia-ukraine-war-putin-explosions-invasion- explained.

[5] . See Jaclyn Diaz, Florida’s governor signs controversial law opponents dubbed ‘Don’t Say Gay’, NPR (Mar. 28, 2022, 2:33 PM ET), https://www.npr.org/2022/03/28/1089221657/dont-say-gay-florida- desantis. See also Dustin Jones & Jonathan Franklin, Not just Florida. More than a dozen states propose so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bills, NPR (Apr. 10, 2022, 7:01 AM ET), https://www.npr.org/2022/04/10/ 1091543359/15-states-dont-say-gay-anti-transgender-bills.

[6] . See Lindsay Whitehurst, Camille Fassett & Jasen Lo, Social programs weak in many states with tough abortion laws, AP NEWS (Apr. 7, 2022), https://apnews.com/article/abortion-laws-raising-children- e620ca2a871bfd9ce5b6d6c76e092c31.