+
upworthy
More

10 reasons to love the new Mrs. Universe, Ashley Burnham

"People think pageant girls are just tall, beautiful, and have nothing to say. I have a lot to say."

Ashley Burnham, a native of the great country of Canada, recently won the Mrs. Universe Pageant.

Mrs. Universe is a beauty pageant for married women. But now it's more than that. It's a beauty pageant for beautiful women who aren't afraid to speak their minds and make me want to do a cartwheel of joy.

Tomorrow night a new @mrsuniverse2015 will be crowned. I worked so hard to get to this day in hopes of becoming the next Mrs Universe. Whatever the outcome may be I know I've done my best and I will continue to do the charitable work I love to do. Stay tuned... 😊❤️🇨🇦👑
A photo posted by Ashley Burnham (Callingbull) (@ash_burnham) on

OK, so she's got the beauty part down. Wait for the rest ...


She is also the first aboriginal winner of Mrs. Universe.

Know this: Beauty queens, for all the stigma around pageants and all that, work hard. It ain't easy. Even after all that, Ashley Burnham — also known as Ashley Callingbull — is a cut above. Why?

Well, I've got 10 reasons she is SO much more than the average beauty queen.

1. She's a part of the Enoch Cree Nation of Alberta, Canada.


Powwow selfie
A photo posted by Ashley Burnham (Callingbull) (@ash_burnham) on

First Nation realness.

2. She's getting political, and she doesn't care if you don't like it.

As she told CBC news, "There's just so many problems with it for First Nations people. We're always put on the back burner. With the bills that have been passed, we are being treated like terrorists if we're fighting for our land and our water. It's our right to, and now we're being treated like terrorists if we do anything about it. ... It's ridiculous."

On her first day as Mrs. Universe, she basically urged all First Nations people to vote out the current Canadian prime minister.

BOOM!

3. She reps her heritage.


Excited to dance this weekend 🙋🏾 A photo posted by Ashley Burnham (Callingbull) (@ash_burnham) on


4. She responded to critics on a Facebook post that got over 12,000 reposts and counting.

After tweeting about political issues affecting the First Nations and encouraging people to vote (shocking, I know), some folks on the Internet were calling her "too political."

Well ... she had something to say to them.

Look out is right!

5. She also said this: "We need to all come together and protest what we deserve as human beings. We can't be silenced by our governments."


Me either, RuPaul. Me either.

Feeling glamorous and ready for @mrsuniverse2015 👑
A photo posted by Ashley Burnham (Callingbull) (@ash_burnham) on

What's she thinking? Something awesome, I bet.

6. She won the pageant. That ain't easy, folks!


Hometown paper 💕 A photo posted by Ashley Burnham (Callingbull) (@ash_burnham) on

And she celebrated by sharing a gram from her hometown paper. <3

7. She's a big supporter of No More Stolen Sisters, an organization that is trying to raise awareness about the BIG problem with violence against indigenous women.

She also started Who Is She, a campaign a campaign that fights the disproportional violence against indigenous women.

According to a report that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police shared with The Guardian, indigenous women are 3 to 4 times more likely to be murdered than other women. Additionally, "while aboriginal women represent just 4.3% of Canada's female population, they represent 16% of female homicide victims and 11% of missing persons cases involving women."

This chart from a report done by the Canadian government on the topic of murdered and missing indigenous women backs it up.


And as the new Mrs. Universe, Ashley is *so* not here for that.

I'm going to keep speaking up for our stolen sisters ❤️ #mmiw #whoisshe
A video posted by Ashley Burnham (Callingbull) (@ash_burnham) on


8. As a vocal survivor of childhood abuse, she's serious about breaking the stigma and silence.

And she's vocal about finding healthy ways to heal.

GIFS via " Canada AM."

9. She's sorry she's not sorry. ;)


Sorry NOT sorry 🙌🏾
A photo posted by Ashley Burnham (Callingbull) (@ash_burnham) on

Ooooooh, snap!

10. Basically she's fierce af.


Official Mrs Universe Canada swimsuit shot. I'm all settled into Minsk, Belarus and my roommate is Mrs Belarus! 5 days till @mrsuniverse2015 finals! ❤️🇨🇦❤️
A photo posted by Ashley Burnham (Callingbull) (@ash_burnham) on

And she also does a fab Throwback Thursday #tbt moment.

Me and @xxvii.vii.mmii have been cruising together since we were babies. She's my passenger in life. ❤️
A photo posted by Ashley Burnham (Callingbull) (@ash_burnham) on


Calling all beauty queens: Get on her level.

Yes. She's got a pretty face, and beauty standards can be oppressive, but amen to what she's using it to say.

Her fierce beliefs, strong character and fearlessness in the face of people who would silence her make her a TRUE beauty to me. Reign on, my queen!

"I'm not your typical beauty queen. I have a voice for change and I'm going to use it!" — Ashley Burnham, Mrs. Universe 2015
Community

How to end hunger, according to the people who face it daily

Here’s what people facing food insecurity want you to know about solving the hunger problem in America

True

Even though America is the world’s wealthiest nation, about 1 in 6 of our neighbors turned to food banks and community programs in order to feed themselves and their families last year. Think about it: More than 9 million children faced hunger in 2021 (1 in 8 children).

In order to solve a problem, we must first understand it. Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, released its second annual Elevating Voices: Insights Report and turned to the experts—people experiencing hunger—to find out how this issue can be solved once and for all.

Here are the four most important things people facing hunger want you to know.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pets

Family brings home the wrong dog from daycare until their cats saved the day

A quick trip to the vet confirmed the cats' and family's suspicions.

Family accidentally brings wrong dog home but their cats knew

It's not a secret that nearly all golden retrievers are identical. Honestly, magic has to be involved for owners to know which one belongs to them when more than one golden retriever is around. Seriously, how do they all seem have the same face? It's like someone fell asleep on the copy machine when they were being created.

Outside of collars, harnesses and bandanas, immediately identifying the dog that belongs to you has to be a secret skill because at first glance, their personalities are also super similar. That's why it's not surprising when one family dropped off their sweet golden pooch at daycare and to be groomed, they didn't notice the daycare sent out the wrong dog.

See, not even their human parents can tell them apart because when the swapped dog got home, nothing seemed odd to the owners at first. She was freshly groomed so any small differences were quickly brushed off. But this accidental doppelgänger wasn't fooling her feline siblings.

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

15 best colostrum supplements

Invigorate your journey to optimal health with these wellness-enhancing colostrum supplements.

Editor's Note: Upworthy earns a percentage of revenue from items purchased on this list.


Embarking on a journey toward enhanced well-being is a rewarding endeavor, and when it comes to unlocking nature's potential, colostrum supplements stand as remarkable allies. Did you know that the global colostrum market is projected to experience a growth of over 3.5% in the coming years, a testament to the increasing recognition of its incredible benefits? Moreover, scientific interest in colostrum's immune-boosting properties has led to a surge in research publications, with a remarkable 37% rise observed in the last five years alone. As we delve into the realm of wellness-enhancing supplements, this article unveils an illuminating guide to the 15 best colostrum supplements, offering a chance to embrace vitality and invigorate the journey to optimal health.

15 best colostrum supplements

  1. Elm & Rye Colostrum Supplements
  2. Swanson Ultra High Immunoglobulin Colostrum Supplement
  3. California Gold Nutrition, Colostrum
  4. ARMRA Colostrum Immune Revival Unflavored
  5. Mt. Capra Goat Milk Colostrum
  6. PipingRock Ultra Colostrum Quick Release Capsules
  7. NOW Foods, Colostrum Powder
  8. Nature’s Sunshine Colostrum Capsules
  9. Ancestral Supplements Grass Fed Beef Colostrum Supplement
  10. WONDERCOW Colostrum Powder Supplement
  11. Symbiotics Colostrum Chewables
  12. Brain Basics Ultra-Pure Colostrum
  13. Surthrival: Colostrum Powder Capsules
  14. Double Wood Supplements Colostrum Supplement Capsules
  15. Pure Velvet Colostrum Powder
Keep ReadingShow less
Sandra Maria/Youtube, Official Lives & Music Videos/Youtube

You can't not sing this song.

The music of Queen has a profound visceral effect on everyone. Few pieces of art can cause complete strangers to put aside their differences and come together in song, but by golly, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is one of them. It would be cheesy if it weren’t so absolutely beautiful.

This pertains even to non-English-speaking countries, it appears. Recently, thousands of Harry Styles concertgoers in Warsaw, Poland, began cheering as those iconic beginning piano notes penetrated the air.
Keep ReadingShow less
Photo by Long Truong on Unsplash
woman in white sleeveless dress kissing man in blue dress shirt


"It may be the most important thing we do in life; learn how to love and be loved."

At least, that's according to Harvard psychologist and researcher Rick Weissbourd.

He's been collecting data on the sex and love habits of young people for years through surveys, interviews, and even informal conversation — with teens and the important people in their lives.

Through it all, one thing has been abundantly clear:

"We spend enormous amount of attention helping parents prepare their kids for work and school," Weissbourd says. "We do almost nothing to prepare them for the tender, tough, subtle, generous, focused work of developing mature healthy relationships. I'm troubled by that."

Keep ReadingShow less

Mom shares PSA on about being a sports mom while also working

Being a mom can be challenging enough, but when you add in working full time and kids activities, it feels like you need a few clones to help you out. Recently we signed our youngest up for soccer, he's 5-years-old and happens to be ten years younger than his closest sibling, so I've done the sports stuff.

At one point I was working full-time while my daughter took tap, ballet and jazz while also on a soccer team and my two older boys played soccer, baseball and football. We rarely saw the inside of our home unless it was to sleep, I'm not even sure I knew how my stove worked during those years. Now here we are starting all over again.

So when Mo, a mom running the TikTok page Rex & Mo posted a video ranting about how impossible it feels to add organized activities for kids into the mix, parents everywhere related, myself included.

Keep ReadingShow less
@mychal3ts/TikTok

This is "the power of the library"

Editor's Note: This story discusses suicide. If you are having thoughts about taking your own life, or know of anyone who is in need of help, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a United States-based suicide prevention network of over 200+ crisis centers that provides 24/7 service via a toll-free hotline with the number 9-8-8. It is available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.


Libraries aren’t just a place to score free books. For many, they provide safe refuge.

This secondary offering has lately been overshadowed by political controversy, as there has been a laser focus from conservatives on the types of literature libraries provide, especially titles that pertain to LGBTQ and racial topics.

But one librarian’s retelling of a life saving encounter reminds us of how essential these community spaces really are—and it has nothing to do with books at all.

Keep ReadingShow less