80 Great Twitter Feeds for Tracking Human Rights

February 22nd, 2011


College seems to particularly pique the students' inner activist, likely due to the comparatively worldlier atmosphere. For those hoping to genuinely crusade against the injustices perpetuated every second of every day, social networking makes for an excellent place to start learning more about current events. As the latest events in Egypt have proven, all it takes is one little tweet to start a revolution. Get on track, raise a voice and learn all about donation and volunteer opportunities through the following Twitter feeds. And be sure to check out who they're following and listing for even more ways to fight the good fight.


Education

1. US Department of Education: Americans wanting to keep track of social justice in the public education system would do well to follow this feed.
   
2. Teach For America: The Teach for America program sends educators to schools in desperate need of reform and attention, providing a window into the myriad issues demanding addressing.
   
3. Education Week: Official Twitter for the eponymous periodical, which supplements its material with even more news and insights.
   
4. Jose Vilson: A middle school math teacher tirelessly crusades for education reform, particularly as it relates to the needs of often marginalized inner city students.
   
5. Ramel: This Shorty Award winner holds a PhD in educational leadership and knows a thing or two about establishing effective classrooms.
   
6. Education Update: Follow Education Update for a consistent, active resource turning its attention towards making permanent, valuable changes to the public school system.
   
7. edutopia: Get inspired to work towards instilling the best solutions for education reform through this essential feed.
   
8. TeachHUB: Teachers from grades K through 12 network and share ideas about what works, what doesn't and what needs changing in the world of education.
   
9. ACSD Whole Child: Join the movement pushing towards serious education reform ensuring every child in America receives the best possible schooling.
   
10. getschooled: Education completely transcends the classroom, and anyone wanting to fight for social justice should stay on top of what's going on with America's kids — and what needs doing to keep them motivated and learning.
    

LGBTQIA Rights

11. GLAAD: Media and cultural critique dissecting various depictions of the LGBTQIA community and its members form the bulk of this organization's Twitter content.
    
12. Genderfork: Human sexuality does not exist in a series of binaries, and Genderfork celebrates the wide world of identity and presentation without judgment.
    
13. Gay Civil Rights: The LGBTQIA movement fights for equality and social justice using many of the same nonviolent tactics as the earlier Civil Rights campaign.
    
14. David Badash: Editor of The New Civil Rights Movement David Badash continues his passionate crusade to ensure equal rights for LGBTQIA individuals and organizations.
    
15. Human Rights Campaign: Right now, HRC exists as the largest American group fully dedicated to promoting LGBTQIA equality in a society frequently ignoring their needs.
    
16. Pam's House Blend: Both the Pam's House Blend blog and Twitter deliver straightforward, strong and unapologetic commentary on LGBTQIA rights.
    
17. CourageCampaign: Although based in California and often tweeting about state and local issues, this progressive organization still concerns itself with LGBTQIA social and political change on a national level as well.
    
18. Queerty: Queerty's tweets revolve around the news and views shaping today's LGBTQIA community and its never-ending fight for equal treatment in society.
    
19. SLDN: Don't Ask, Don't Tell may have been overturned, but that doesn't completely end the struggle of the LGBTQIA enlisted in the American military.
    
20. DLP_Gamma: Delta Lambda Phi defies prevailing fraternity stereotypes by offering up a welcoming, progressive community for gay and bisexual men.
    

Medical Research and Care

21. Be The Match: Join the Be the Match Registry and help save thousands of lives by donating bone marrow whenever the need arises.
    
22. AIDS.gov: Keep track of what the American government (and, of course, other organizations) are doing to promote AIDS awareness and prevention, dispel myths and find a cure for the devastating disease.
    
23. St. Jude: This pediatric hospital focuses on treating (hopefully someday curing) cancer and providing healthcare for families unable to afford it.
    
24. Komen for the Cure: Follow the Susan B. Komen Foundation's official Twitter for the latest news and opinions on breast cancer research.
    
25. Texas Children's: As part of the world's most advanced medical complex, Texas Children's Hospital offers up some of the best research and advice on keeping kids as healthy and safe as possible.
    
26. RHMC Global: The Ronald McDonald House has a presence in 52 regions and nations, and all of them deliver amazing services to sick children in need of medical care — and, of course, their families.
    
27. American Heart Assoc: For individuals and families wanting to keep their hearts healthy and prevent potentially deadly diseases and conditions, this Twitter is an essential follow.
    
28. American Lung Association: Stop by the American Lung Association's official feed for excellent advice on preventing, treating and someday hopefully curing respiratory disease.
    
29. CDC_ehealth: Stay on top of the latest stories regarding public health and safety and what can be done to stop outbreaks before they start, courtesy of the Center for Disease Control.
    
30. Amer. Diabetes Assn.: Regardless of whether or not one is — or know someone who is — afflicted with diabetes, this Twitter warrants reading and promotion.
    

Mental Health

31. Take5toSaveLives: It may not update much, but Take5toSaveLives and World Suicide Prevention Day are still handy names to know.
    
32. Joe Pantoliano: As the founder of No Kidding, Me Too, actor and activist Joe Pantoliano hopes to destigmatize mental illness and see patients treated as social equals.
    
33. Eating Disorder Hope: Rather than shaming women and men with eating disorders, this organization treats them with dignity and respect when promoting awareness and encouraging psychological help.
    
34. Mario Rocco: Ask for permission to follow this feed and receive updates on news and strategies from the mental health community, especially as they pertain to destigmatization.
    
35. BringChange2Mind.org: This organization's strategy for lifting the stigma off mental illness is as straightforward as it is admirable — provide accurate research on the subjects at hand and destroy the surrounding myths.
    
36. Mental Health NIMH: Visit the National Institute of Mental Health for detailed (but accessible) research on a wide variety of psychological topics.
    
37. StampOutStigma.co.uk: Check out what this organization does to educate the United Kingdom about mental illnesses, ensuring the safest and healthiest life possible for patients.
    
38. End The Stigma: End the Stigma wants to…well…end the stigma of mental illness. It isn't terribly active, but it does offer up some good advice and links.
    
39. Hope4MentalHealth: Follow this Twitter feed for some highly informative — if not outright inspiring — new from the front line of mental health destigmatization and treatment.
    
40. APAHealthyMinds: The American Psychological Association consistently posts updates enlightening the world about myriad mental health issues.
    

Poverty, Hunger and Homelessness

41. Habitat for Humanity: Not everyone will agree with the Christian bent of Habitat for Humanity, but it's still an amazing organization devoted to building and repairing houses for the impoverished and homeless.
    
42. Architecture for Humanity: Much like Habitat, Architecture for Humanity also brings together design, construction and development professionals together to keep poverty-stricken families in safe, healthy homes.
    
43. Goodwill Intl: Goodwill International's Twitter serves as the central hub for local satellites worldwide, keeping visitors informed about its myriad charitable offerings.
    
44. Spotlight on Poverty: Follow this Twitter feed for the latest news on poverty statistics and what individuals, businesses and nonprofits are doing to reduce its influence.
    
45. We Can End Poverty: One of the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals revolves around ending extreme poverty on a global level, using physical and virtual resources alike.
    
46. Picture the Homeless: Homeless people band together with the ultimate goal of addressing their conditions, the similar conditions of others and poverty.
    
47. Homeless World Cup: This annual event brings together homeless individuals worldwide for sport and opportunities to improve their lives and the lives of others.
    
48. Poverty in America: In spite of its paused update schedule, the Poverty in America Twitter is essential reading for anyone hoping to combat the issue right at home.
    
49. Share Our Strength: Just because America enjoys First World nation status doesn't mean people don–t starve here. Share Our Strength seeks to end hunger right here, right now.
    
50. Kim Doyle Willie: FeedTheUS.com and the US Hunger Summit/National Discussion both call this oft-delayed, but still provocative, Twitter feed home.
    

Racial and Ethnic Equality

51. Minority Thought: Minority Thought dissects journalism and makes statements about race relations and stereotypes in today's world.
    
52. The NAACP: One of the oldest Civil Rights organizations in the United States continues its work establishing racial equality.
    
53. Racialicious: Look at pop culture through a racial and ethnic lens, learning about how the media still perpetuates many stereotypes and misconceptions.
    
54. Muslimah Media Watch: The MMW focuses on dissecting media depictions of women both of the Muslim faith and those from predominantly Islamic nations, questioning many of the misrepresentations along the way.
    
55. DREAMActivist: Race and undocumented work are not interchangeable concepts, though there remains many overlaps. This impassioned activist hopes to see the tenets of the DREAM Act someday come to pass.
    
56. ColorOfChange.org: Created as a reaction to the government's infamous Hurricane Katrina relief, ColorOfChange.org hopes to better engage the African-American community in the political sphere.
    
57. DOJ Civil Rights: While not exclusively about racist issues, the Department of Justice still concerns itself with ensuring equal rights for all who feel marginalized by the mainstream.
    
58. RaceProject.org: The Project on Race in Political Communication hopes to bring together the academic, media and political communities and facilitate discussions about the role of race and ethnicity in society. And, of course, what can be done to close any gaps.
    
59. Du Bois Review: For the academically-inclined, this journal offers up some incredibly in-depth, provocative articles on race and society.
    
60. ADL: Anti-Defamation League's goals revolve around fighting Anti-Semitism worldwide and preventing and addressing issues of discrimination against and stereotyping the Jewish peoples.
    

Third World Aid and Fair Trade

61. Fair Trade Federation: For consumers and businesses hoping to keep ethical products on the market, this Twitter is an essential follow.
    
62. World Fair Trade Org: Over 350 businesses band together in order to promote fair trade initiatives worldwide and end the exploitation of Third World labor.
    
63. Awava: Check out Awava for beautiful handmade goods from Uganda, created to stimulate and end their economy without exploiting its workers.
    
64. OperationOF: Obstetric fistula kills 1 in 26 African women, and OperationOF hopes to decrease its impact one childbirth at a time.
    
65. Peace Corps: Keep track of what American volunteers are doing to improve the lives of impoverished communities around the world.
    
66. Enough Project: Ending genocide and other crimes against humanity is the Enough Project's top priority. While not an issue exclusive to the Third World, it still horrifically impacts many of the planet's most impoverished and volatile regions.
    
67. Living Water Int'l: Obviously, not everyone will agree with this organization's Christian message. But that does not detract from their incredible devotion to delivering quality water to regions of the world without it.
    
68. charity: water: charity: water dedicates its resources towards providing clear, sanitary water to communities in the Third World.
    
69. Doctors w/o Borders: Participants in the Doctors Without Borders programs head to developing nations and deliver advanced medical care for those who have none.
    
70. UNICEF: The United Nations Childrens Fund keeps a Twitter feed updating visitors on its efforts to ensure the rights of every kid on the planet — most especially those in poorer corners of the globe.
    

Women's Rights

71. THE LINE Campaign: A website and a film, THE LINE encourages women to decide for themselves when, how far and with whom they chose to engage in sexual activity.
    
72. Hollaback!: Victims of street harassment and assault band together to fight for their right to leave their homes and offices without fear.
    
73. Take Back the Night: Regardless of victim's gender or gender identity — and the gender and gender identity of the perpetrator — Take Back the Night offers up a safe, supportive community for sexual assault and rape survivors.
    
74. Planned Parenthood: Planned Parenthood stands at the forefront of reproductive rights in the United States, teaching women how to care for their own sexual health and providing them with options when an unwanted pregnancy occurs.
    
75. PBS' To The Contrary: This fearless, all-female news team delves into myriad cultural topics, including women's rights, race, families and more.
    
76. Feministing: Follow this feed for the latest news and views on feminism and women's rights from around the world, with plenty of attention paid to issues of race, sexuality, gender and gender identity.
    
77. IWHC: Anyone wanting to learn more about women's, sexual and reproductive health should check out the painstaking work by this global initiative.
    
78. Name It. Change It.: No matter a female candidate's leaning, Name It. Change It. stands up for her right to have the media analyze her with the same language and standards as her male counterparts.
    
79. WeAreTheRealDeals: This amazing group stands firmly against society's unfairly narrow perception of attractiveness and strives to promote positive body image.
    
80. Men Can Stop Rape: Women aren't the only ones standing up for their rights. Males involved with Men Can Stop Rape earnestly hope to change the cultural memes allowing such atrocities to occur
    
    
    (source:bachelordegrees.org)
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