Innehållsförteckning för The 2024 Courage Edition från The Goodnewspaper

HELLO HELLO! Like many, I have taken to heart plenty of life lessons dispensed by Brené Brown — the poster professor of courage, shame, and vulnerability. Whether through her famous TED Talks, book excerpts, or podcast episodes, the acclaimed social worker has redefined how we navigate life’s Big, Scary Challenges. When approaching this issue of the Goodnewspaper, our team was transparently very torn between the words “Bravery” and “Courage” as the name of this edition. You may think that this would be an innocuous decision between two synonyms — and you might be right — but Brown’s scholarship was a big factor in how we came to this conclusion. Bravery — the ability to confront pain or danger without fear — is a noble and valuable characteristic. But courage —…

While most of us know Paris Hilton as a fashionable media personality, to survivors of the “Troubled Teen Industry,” she is a beacon of hope. When Hilton was just 17, she was sent to Provo Canyon School, a psychiatric youth residential treatment program in Utah, where she experienced life-altering trauma. Despite her cultural icon status, she dealt with this pain for years, suffering through nightmares of abuse that were detailed in her 2020 documentary, “This Is Paris.” She also spoke in front of Congress earlier this year, sharing her experiences with child welfare groups. “I will not stop until America’s youth is safe,” Hilton said in her testimony. “If you are a child in the system, hear my words: I see you. I believe you. I know what you’re going…

Often, being courageous doesn’t come very naturally to us — or so it seems. Choosing to confront something head-on often manifests as physical sensations such as anxiety, racing thoughts, shaky hands, or even heart palpitations and trouble breathing. But just because those sensations are uncomfortable doesn’t mean that they are unnatural. In fact, all of those feelings are often indications that your brain is hard at work protecting you, learning from the world around you, and giving you what you need to survive. While there is much to still understand about our brains, we do know that cultivating courage involves several areas of the brain that all work together to assess risks, regulate emotions, and make decisions in times of heightened fear. Here’s a crash course to help introduce you…

WE HAVE GOOD NEWS Silas Jim was just nine years old when he was bullied by his classmates into cutting his hair. As a young Washoe boy (derived from Wa-she-shu), his hair was important to his culture and his heritage — but harsh words can hang heavy on a third grader’s shoulders. “It made me really mad and sad, and I just had enough,” Silas told the Record Courier in December 2023. When Silas opened up to his family about what was happening at school, everyone in his immediate family rose to the occasion. They came into school with him and addressed his classmates — including Silas’ bullies. “The hair is a part of our culture,” Silas’ Uncle Art told the class. “It contains memories, and it makes us strong.”…

GOOD Read “Beyond Bullying: Breaking the Cycle of Shame, Bullying, and Violence” by Jonathan Fast to more deeply understand how cycles of abuse are perpetuated — and how they can be ended. BETTER Support the work of organizations that aim to eliminate bullying — espeically among those most marginalized. Explore GLSEN (glsen.org) or Stomp Out Bullying (stompoutbullying.org) to get started. BEST While you can always be a trusted source of safety with the young people in your life, take it a step further by volunteering as a HelpChat Line advocate with Stomp Out Bullying. stompoutbullying.org…

GOOD Listen without judgment. Providing a space to listen and validate survivor stories means more than you know. While you can always take steps to further assist, start by just being there — no strings attached. BETTER Donate to groups doing the hard work. You can easily Google local abuse prevention orgs or support national nonprofits like NO MORE (nomore.org) or End Workplace Abuse (endworkplaceabuse.com). BEST End cycles of abuse. Even if it’s scary report concerning behavior at work or school. And offer a colleague or friend your presence as a bystander. Loudly and visibly show that you are a safe person.…

WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE PARADE On March 3, 1913, 5, 000 women (including women of color) poured into D.C. to demand the right to vote. About 100 women were injured by counter-protestors, but they continued on and finished the parade. GREENSBORO SIT-INS From February to July 1960, Black activists sat at “Whites Only” lunch counters at Woolworth’s in Greensboro, NC, refusing to move. After months of organized protests, the store desegregated its counters. THE STONEWALL RIOTS On June 28,1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York and began arresting patrons for “crossdressing.” Marsha P. Johnson, Stormé DeLarverie, and more fought back, calling for gay rights.…

THE MAY DAY PROTEST On May 3, 1971, Americans brought Capitol Hill to a halt to protest the Vietnam War. It was followed by the largest mass arrest in U.S. History, with 12,000 protestors jailed across four days. THE MARCH FOR OUR LIVES On March 24, 2018, high school students in Parkland, Florida inspired a nationwide protest against gun violence — a month after a mass shooting at their school sparked newfound urgency on gun reform. THE GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS When George Floyd was killed during a negligent arrest on May 25, 2020, the video rocked the nation. From 2020 to 2023, over 25 million people protested police brutality in the wake of his death.…

From Prison Cells to Art Exhibits Yalda Moaiery is fearless. From Afghanistan to Iraq, Pakistan to Somalia, the 42-year-old journalist has made a career as a photojournalist for Time and Newsweek, traveling to some of the most dangerous zones of conflict in the world as a veteran reporter. But when Moaiery was beaten and thrown in a police car in 2022, it wasn’t abroad. It was in the very country she was raised: Iran. The arrest came in Tehran, while Moaiery was documenting riots that erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died in jail under “unknown” circumstances after she was imprisoned for not wearing a hijab. Despite being sentenced to seven years in prison, Moaiery was incarcerated for three months and released with amnesty. However, an…

Terry McCarty was just six years old when he suffered third-degree burns to 70% of his body in a childhood accident. After the accident, he was in a coma for two months, was hospitalized for a full year, and underwent 58 surgeries — along with endless bullying during his adolescence. “After the accident I lived in a constant state of fear and uncertainty. I struggled to find work as an adult as people always told me I was a liability, and I had started to believe it,” McCarty told the Daily Mail. “Becoming a fireman was a spur of the moment decision. I thought, if I could do this, people would realize I could do anything.” Located in Bellingham, Washington, McCarty joined the local fire department and survived 12 weeks…

In Istanbul, Turkey, Pride festivities have been banned since 2015. In 2024, Governor Davut Gül released a statement maintaining this ban, sharing that “various illegal groups” would not be allowed to hold a march or parade for Pride. But LGBTQ+ organizers had different plans. Over 100 people gathered in the city’s Suadiye neighborhood, circumventing Istiklal Avenue, where police had fenced off the area. The marchers knew they might face consequences, and at least 15 protesters were detained, per reports from Reuters. Still, the show went on, with photos and videos of joyful community members waving flags and holding signs flooding social media. “Today, you closed down Istiklal, blocked all roads and squares leading to it. You halted life in a whole city,” Istanbul Pride shared in a post on X…

Stay informed! Follow individuals, news agencies, and nonprofits that post regular updates directly from impacted areas. Not sure who to follow? Start with trusted NGOs like Doctors Without Borders or World Central Kitchen, which post regular updates from their missions, Give your money to the people on the frontlines! Your donations to vetted NGOs, mutual aid funds, and refugee organizations truly make a difference. We recommend looking into @aneraorg, @insaan.ngo, and @operationolivebranch to help fill immediate, on-the-ground needs. If you don’t have the means to donate, you can amplify financial asks simply by interacting with them on social media or sharing with friends and loved ones. Create intentional and thoughtful community spaces within your own neighborhood or city. While you may feel far away or removed from what’s happening on…