15 photos of people protesting at the White House and what they accomplished (or didn't).

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Sure, a lot has happened inside. But here's a look at what's happened outside.

On Oct. 13, 1792, workers laid the cornerstone of what was to become the White House.

Over the next eight years, the two-story house at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington, D.C., took shape. On Nov. 1, 1800, President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved into what was then known as the Presidential Mansion.

Over the next 223 years, the building underwent major renovations — it was famously nearly destroyed by fire in 1814 — and has been the setting for countless historic moments in American history. But outside the dining halls with their lavish furnishings, conference rooms, and Oval Office lies another setting for democracy: the White House outer gates.

Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

Few places serve as natural gathering points for U.S. citizens who wish to partake in their First Amendment right to peaceably assemble quite like the White House.

And through the years, citizens have used that right to assemble and protest for and against issues like the environment, foreign policy, the military, the economy, and human rights.

Here's what 15 of those protests looked like.

1. March 4, 1917: Suffragettes take part in a silent protest for the right to vote.

Though the 19th Amendment itself wouldn't be passed and ratified for three more years, women were making their voices heard — or, in this case, not heard.

Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images.

2. Sept. 9, 1992: Tennis star Arthur Ashe protests the American treatment of Haitian immigrants.

Ashe, along with 94 others, was arrested at the protest. The question was why Haitians seeking asylum in the U.S. were being treated differently than those from other countries. While relations between the countries have improved over time, asylum seekers continue to run into many of the same problems.

Photo by RENAUD GIROUX/AFP/Getty Images.

3. June 4, 1998: an AIDS protest featuring the open casket of Steve Michael, the founder of ACT UP Washington, D.C.

On May 25, 1998, ACT UP Washington, D.C., founder Steve Michael died as the result of AIDS. On June 4, activists protested outside the White House, calling on President Bill Clinton to make good on his campaign promise of addressing AIDS. Michael's open casket was on display for the world to see. President Clinton was not able to live up to the promise of finding a cure for AIDS.

Photo by Jamal A. Wilson/AFP/Getty Images.

4. Feb. 14, 2005: a call on President George W. Bush to sign the Kyoto Protocol.

Seven years after the creation of the Kyoto Protocol, the U.S. remained one of the only countries not to agree to its standards for greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental markers. It's been over 10 years since that protest, and the U.S. never agreed to those guidelines.

Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

5. Sept. 8, 2005: Protesters push back on the White House's response to Hurricane Katrina.

The protest, organized by MoveOn PAC, criticized the Bush administration's handling of the rescue and cleanup efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. 10 years later, New Orleans is still recovering from the historic storm.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

6. Nov. 3, 2006: Children of undocumented immigrants ask President Bush not to deport their parents.

Many of these children were split from their parents when their parents were deported. Though Bush made an effort to pass comprehensive immigration reform, it stalled. Efforts since then have not gone very well either.

Photo by Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images.

7. Oct. 5, 2009: Protesters demand President Barack Obama pull troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Protesters called on Obama to make good on campaign promises to end the wars. In December 2011, President Obama announced that the war in Iraq was officially over. And in Afghanistan, combat operations officially ended in December 2014. However, the regions remain extremely unstable, and U.S. presence remains.

Photo by Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images.

8. Jan. 11, 2010: Protesters mark the eighth anniversary of the opening of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

Nearly a year after President Obama ordered Guantanamo Bay closed, it remained very much in use. And it is still open.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.

9. May 11, 2010: Environmental activists respond to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

22 days after the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, protesters stood outside the White House gates, calling on the president to end offshore drilling. On May 27, the Department of the Interior enacted a six-month moratorium on drilling in the area. It has since resumed.

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images.

10. Nov. 15, 2010: Protesters chain themselves to the fence to end the military's ban on gay and lesbian service members.

On Sept. 20, 2011, the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy barring gay, lesbian, and bisexual people from serving in the military came to an end with the backing of President Obama. However, transgender individuals are still barred from open service.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.

11. Aug. 22, 2011: Protesters urge the president to say no to the Keystone XL pipeline.

On Feb. 24, 2015, President Obama vetoed a bill to authorize the construction of the pipeline, citing "consideration of issues that could bear on our national interest — including our security, safety, and environment."

The Senate was unable to override his veto.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

12. Oct. 29, 2011: The Occupy movement makes its way to D.C., calling for higher taxes on top earners.

President Obama agreed to a one-year extension of the Bush-era tax cuts. At the beginning of 2013, however, many of those cuts expired, resulting in a tax increase for many. Still, it wasn't the "Robin Hood"-type tax Occupy protesters hoped for.

Photo by Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images.

13. Aug. 29, 2013: Anti-war protesters protest military intervention in Syria.

Days later, President Obama announced that he had asked Congress to approve airstrikes against the Assad regime. A year later, the president launched strikes against ISIS.

Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images.

14. Nov. 24, 2014: Protesters react to the grand jury decision regarding Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

A St. Louis County grand jury opted against indicting Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. In August, Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown. This is just one of the several events that sparked the Black Lives Matter movement.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

By its very nature, protest is disruptive. It's our right as Americans to exercise that option.

Protests aren't necessarily clean, convenient, or quiet. All that has changed is the many ways people are able to get their messages out to the world. In decades past, protesters relied on the media alone to make their message heard beyond those in attendance. With the rise of social media over the past half decade or so, it has become easier to connect, share stories, and spread political messages all over the world.

Some will take to the White House gates; others may do their part in the digital realm. What matters is that people still care, and people are still passionate.

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Now's your chance to help someone doing good in your community win $1000 towards the charity of their choice

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Three winners will be selected to receive $1000 donated to the charity of their choice.

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Doing good is its own reward, but sometimes recognizing these acts of kindness helps bring even more good into the world. That’s why we’re excited to partner with P&G again on the #ActsOfGood Awards.

The #ActsOfGood Awards recognize individuals who actively support their communities. It could be a rockstar volunteer, an amazing community leader, or someone who shows up for others in special ways.

Do you know someone in your community doing #ActsOfGood? Nominate them between April 24^th-June 3^rdhere.Three winners will receive $1,000 dedicated to the charity of their choice, plus their story will be highlighted on Upworthy’s social channels. And yes, it’s totally fine to nominate yourself!

We want to see the good work you’re doing and most of all, we want to help you make a difference.

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The #ActsOfGood Awards are just one part of P&G’s larger mission to help communities around the world to grow. For generations, P&G has been a force for growth—making everyday products that people love and trust—while also being a force for good by giving back to the communities where we live, work, and serve consumers. This includes serving over 90,000 people affected by emergencies and disasters through the Tide Loads of Hope mobile laundry program and helping some of the millions of girls who miss school due to a lack of access to period products through the Always #EndPeriodPoverty initiative.

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Education

Expert says there's only one laundry cycle you ever need, no matter what's being washed

Straight from Patric Richardson, the "Laundry Guy" himself.

Representative image from Canva

Because who can keep up with which laundry settings is for which item, anyway?

Once upon a time, our only option for getting clothes clean was to get out a bucket of soapy water and start scrubbing. Nowadays, we use fancy machines that not only do the labor for us, but give us free reign to choose between endless water temperature, wash duration, and spin speed combinations.

Of course, here’s where the paradox of choice comes in. Suddenly you’re second guessing whether that lace item needs to use the “delicates” cycle, or the “hand wash” one, or what exactly merits a “permanent press” cycle. And now, you’re wishing for that bygone bucket just to take away the mental rigamarole.

Well, you’re in luck. Turns out there’s only one setting you actually need. At least according to one laundry expert.

While appearing on HuffPost’s “Am I Doing It Wrong?” podcast, Patric Richardson, aka The Laundry Evangelist, said he swears by the “express” cycle, as “it’s long enough to get your clothes clean but it’s short enough not to cause any damage.”

Richardson’s reasoning is founded in research done while writing his book, “Laundry Love,” which showed that even the dirtiest items would be cleaned in the “express” cycle, aka the “quick wash” or “30 minute setting.”

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Furthermore the laundry expert, who’s also the host of HGTV’s “Laundry Guy,” warned that longer wash settings only cause more wear and tear, plus use up more water and power, making express wash a much more sustainable choice.

Really, the multiple settings washing machines have more to do with people being creatures of habit, and less to do with efficiency, Richardson explained.

“All of those cycles [on the washing machine] exist because they used to exist,” he told co-hosts Raj Punjabi and Noah Michelson. “We didn’t have the technology in the fabric, in the machine, in the detergent [that we do now], and we needed those cycles. In the ’70s, you needed the ‘bulky bedding’ cycle and the ‘sanitary’ cycle ... it was a legit thing. You don’t need them anymore, but too many people want to buy a machine and they’re like, ‘My mom’s machine has “whitest whites.”’ If I could build a washing machine, it would just have one button — you’d just push it, and it’d be warm water and ‘express’ cycle and that’s it.”

When was the last time you washed you washing machine? "Never" is a valid answer.

Canva

According to Good Housekeeping, there are some things to keep in mind if you plan to go strictly express from now on.

For one thing, the outlet recommends only filling the machine halfway and using a half dose of liquid, not powder detergent, since express cycles use less water. Second, using the setting regularly can develop a “musty” smell, due to the constant low-temperature water causing a buildup of mold or bacteria. To prevent this, running an empty wash on a hot setting, sans the detergent, is recommended every few weeks, along with regularly scrubbing the detergent drawer and door seal.

Still, even with those additional caveats, it might be worth it just to knock out multiple washes in one day. Cause let’s be honest—a day of laundry and television binging sounds pretty great, doesn’t it?

To catch even more of Richardson’s tips, find the full podcast episode here.

This article originally appeared on 2.4.24

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Family

Supportive husband writes a fantastic 'love list' to his depressed wife

“He knows I struggle to see good in the world, and especially the good in myself. But here it is."

Image from Imgur.

Husband shares a list of love with his wife.

Imgur user "mollywho" felt her life was falling apart. Not only was she battling clinical depression, but she had her hands full.

"I've been juggling a LOT lately," she wrote on Imgur. "Trying to do well at work. Just got married. Couldn't afford a wedding. Family is sparse. Falling out with friends, yaddadyadda.”

She was also upset about how she treated her new husband.

"I've not been the easiest person to deal with. In fact, sometimes I've lost all hope and even taken my anger out on my husband."

When she returned home from a business trip in San Francisco, mentally exhausted, she collapsed on her bed and cried. Then she noticed some writing on the bedroom mirror. It was a list that read:

Reasons I love my wife

1. She is my best friend
2. She never quits on herself or me
3. She gives me time to work on my crazy projects
4. She makes me laugh, every day
5. She is gorgeous
6. She accepts the crazy person i am
7. She's the kindest person i know
8. She's got a beautiful singing voice

9. She's gone to a strip club with me
10. She has experienced severe tragedy yet is the most optimistic person about humanity i know
11. She has been fully supportive about my career choices and followed me each time
12. Without realizing it, she makes me want to do more for her than i have ever wanted to do for anyone
13. She's done an amazing job at advancing her career path
14. Small animals make her cry
15. She snorts when she laughs

love letters, support, marriage, mental illness

The list of love.

Image from Imgur.

This amazing show of support from her husband was exactly what she needed. "I think he wanted me to remember how much he loves me," she wrote. "Because he knows how quickly I forget. He knows I struggle to see good in the world, and especially the good in myself. But here it is. A testament and gesture of his love. Damn, I needed it today…"

She ended her post with some powerful words about mental illness.

"I'm not saying mental illness is cured by nice words on a mirror. In fact, it takes professional care, love, empathy, sometimes even medication just to cope. Many people struggle with it mental illness - more than we probably even realize. And instead of showing them hate or anger when they act out. Show them kindness and remind them things can and WILL get better. Everyone needs a little help sometimes. If that person can't be you - see if you have any resources for therapy."

This article originally appeared on 12.10.15

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Pop Culture

Nicole Kidman shares the unconventional marriage rule she has with husband Keith Urban

They've had this communication rule since the very beginning of their 18 year relationship.

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Keith Urban (left) Nicole Kidman (right)

Long before Nicole Kidman began her long-term relationship with AMC theaters, she was committed to husband and country singer Keith Urban. The two have happily been together since 2006—which is a good run for any modern day marriage, but most certainly a Hollywood one.

And perhaps their nearly decades-long success can be partially attributed to one surprising communication rule: no texting.

While appearing on the Something To Talk About podcast in 2023, Kidman shared that she was the one who initiated the unconventional agreement.

"We never text each other, can you believe that? We started out that way – I was like, 'If you want to get a hold of me, call me…"I wasn't really a texter.,” the “Moulin Rouge” actress shared.

She added that while Urban did attempt texting her a few items early on, he eventually switched when Kidman wasn’t very responsive. And now, 18 years later, they only call each other.

“We just do voice to voice or skin to skin, as we always say. We talk all the time and we FaceTime but we just don’t text because I feel like texting can be misrepresentative at times…I don’t want that between my lover and I,” she told Parade

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There are, of course, some pros and cons to calling over texting. Research has shown that people who call feelmore connected to one another vs. texting, with the voice being an integral component of bonding. As our society becomes increasingly more distant and lonely, finding those moments might be more important than ever.

At the same time, calling can invoke a lot more anxiety compared to texting, which could lead someone to not communicating at all. Also, I don’t know about you, but the thought of having to call my partner for mundane things like “don’t forget the eggs” would drive me crazy.

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But regardless of whether or not you adopt Kidman and Urban’s no-texting rule, perhaps the bigger takeaway is that relationship longevity depends on being able to establish your own rules. One that feels good and that each partner is able to stick to. Especially when it comes to communication.

As Urban himself told E! News at the CMT Music Awards, "I have no advice for anybody,You guys figure out whatever works for you…We're figuring it out. You figure it out. Everybody's different. There's no one size fits all."

Luckily, there are many ways to have good text hygiene, without having to do away with it completely. Very Well Mind suggests to avoid texting too many questions, and to be respectful of your partner's schedule (probably best to not text them while they’re sleeping just to say “hey,” for example). Nor should texting be used to argue or deal with conflict. Lastly, probably save the lengthy, in-depth conversations for a phone call. Fifteen heart emojis are totally fine though.

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Family

Most pregnant women know what they need to bring to the hospital. Doris' list had something extra.

For Doris, the list was very different.

via GQ/YouTube

Doris Alikado talks about her personal experience of maternal health in Tanzania.

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Bathrobe. Socks. Insurance card. Snacks.

Sound at all familiar? Maybe, maybe not.

These items would commonly be found on a checklist of things that expecting parents should bring to the hospital with them — in the U.S., anyway.

Doing the checklist.

Image created from Pixabay.

But what is that list like in other parts of the world?

For Doris, that list included water.

Doris, who lives Morogoro, Tanzania, had to bring her own water to the health center where she was giving birth in 2014. The water she brought was used to clean the nurse's hands, clean the delivery area, and wash the babies (she had twins!). Unfortunately, the water Doris brought ran out before she was able to wash herself or her clothes, so she had to wait 24 hours before cleaning herself.

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Doris and family lives in Morogoro, Tanzania.

via GQ/YouTube

I'll let Doris tell the story herself:

Lack of access to clean water in Tanzania is a very big deal.

Everything turned out alright for Doris and her babies, but thousands of other women aren't as lucky. But there are ways to help: Organizations and individuals are pitching in to help build water taps, rainwater tanks, and latrines in Tanzanian hospitals, and they're making a huge difference.

"I want to express my gratitude to the health workers ... because they have a great sense of humor with the patients. But the problem is the availability of enough water." — Doris Alikado

This article originally appeared on 03.26.15

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9 astounding photos this mom took to keep herself calm while giving birth.

Birth is intense. It's also beautiful.

Lisa Robinson/Lisa Robinson Photography.

New baby and a happy dad.

When San Francisco photographer Lisa Robinson was about to have her second child, she was both excited and nervous.

Sure, those are the feelings most moms-to-be experience before giving birth, but Lisa's nerves were tied to something different.

She and her husband already had a 9-year-old son but desperately wanted another baby. They spent years trying to get pregnant again, but after countless failed attempts and two miscarriages, they decided to stop trying.

Of course, that's when Lisa ended up becoming pregnant with her daughter, Anora. Since it was such a miraculous pregnancy, Lisa wanted to do something special to commemorate her daughter's birth.

So she turned to her craft — photography — as a way to both commemorate the special day, and keep herself calm and focused throughout the birthing process.

Normally, Lisa takes portraits and does wedding photography, so she knew the logistics of being her own birth photographer would be a somewhat precarious new adventure — to say the least.

She initially suggested the idea to her husband Alec as a joke.

Photo by Lisa Robinson/Lisa Robinson Photography.

"After some thought," she says, "I figured I would try it out and that it could capture some amazing memories for us and our daughter."

In the end, she says, Alec was supportive and thought it would be great if she could pull it off. Her doctors and nurses were all for Lisa taking pictures, too, especially because it really seemed to help her manage the pain and stress.

In the hospital, she realized it was a lot harder to hold her camera steady than she initially thought it would be.

She had labor shakes but would periodically take pictures between contractions.

Photo by Lisa Robinson/Lisa Robinson Photography.

"Eventually when it was time to push and I was able to take the photos as I was pushing, I focused on my daughter and my husband and not so much the camera," she says.

"I didn't know if I was in focus or capturing everything but it was amazing to do.”

The shots she ended up getting speak for themselves:

husbands and wives, intimacy, hospital rooms,

Lisa's husband Alec.

Lisa Robinson/Lisa Robinson Photography.

Hello Doc.

Photo by Lisa Robinson/Lisa Robinson Photography.

Warm and encouraging smiles from the nurse.

Photo by Lisa Robinson/Lisa Robinson Photography.

Hello, baby Anora!

Lisa Robinson/Lisa Robinson Photography.

An overcome father.

Lisa Robinson/Lisa Robinson Photography.

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Newborn Anora's first experience with breastfeeding.

Photo by Lisa Robinson/Lisa Robinson Photography.

"Everybody was supportive and kind of surprised that I was able to capture things throughout. I even remember laughing along with them at one point as I was pushing," Lisa recalled.

In the end, Lisa was so glad she went through with her experiment. She got incredible pictures — and it actually did make her labor easier.

Would she recommend every mom-to-be document their birth in this way? Absolutely not. What works for one person may not work at all for another.

However, if you do have a hobby that relaxes you, figuring out how to incorporate it into one of the most stressful moments in your life is a pretty good way to keep yourself calm and focused.

Expecting and love the idea of documenting your own birthing process?

Take some advice from Lisa: "Don't put pressure on yourself to get 'the shot'" she says, "and enjoy the moment as much as you can.”

Lisa's mom took this last one.

Mom and daughter earned the rest.

Photo via Lisa Robinson/Lisa Robinson Photography.

This article originally appeared on 06.30.16

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