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A major newspaper ran an ad by genocide deniers. Kim Kardashian isn’t having it.

Kim Kardashian is in the news again — but wait!

It's not something about the latest Kimoji cry faces or a celebrity feud. I promise, even if you don't keep up with the Kardashians, you'll want to read this.

Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images.


In April 2016, The Wall Street Journal ran an ad by a group that denies the Armenian genocide ever happened.

This is a problem because the genocide, well ... definitely happened. This is a fact.

Much like there are Holocaust deniers and 9/11 conspiracists, the Armenian genocide has been questioned and dismissed by people who, for whatever reason, prefer to believe fiction.

The group responsible for the Wall Street Journal ad fuels the fires of these outrageous, harmful lies.

Kardashian, who is of Armenian descent, responded with a full-page ad in The New York Times, penning a blistering attack of The Wall Street Journal's decision to run the ad.

The letter — which Kardashian originally shared on her website in April — was published over the weekend, courtesy of the Armenian Educational Foundation.

"It’s one thing when a crappy tabloid profits from a made-up scandal," Kardashian wrote. "But for a trusted publication like WSJ to profit from genocide — it’s shameful and unacceptable."

For what it's worth, The Wall Street Journal defended itself when criticism began pouring in, explaining that it accepts "a wide range of advertisements, including those with provocative viewpoints."

As you can imagine, this explanation didn't extinguish the fire when The Wall Street Journal first issued it months ago, and it likely won't please too many people now that Kardashian's rehashing the controversy.

This wasn't a one-off move by Kardashian. She's used her platform to speak out on the issue before.

Kardashian, whose ancestors escaped to America just before the genocide began, most notably used her fame to shine a light on the overlooked atrocity when "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" filmed an episode at the genocide memorial in Yerevan, Armenia, last year.

Photo by Karen Minasyan/AFP/Getty Images.

Because many parts of the world have forgotten about the horrors of the Armenian genocide, here are some important facts about the tragedy to remember:

1. The Armenian genocide lasted from 1915 to 1918 and killed about three-fourths of the Ottoman Empire's Armenian population.

That's about 1.5 million people who died at the hands of a state trying to exterminate an entire people within its borders, according to the Armenian National Institute.

Photo by Joshua Roberts/Getty Images.

How could something like this even happen?

2. The empire's crumbling government became suspicious of Armenians leading up to and during World War I. It made them the perfect scapegoats.

As History.com notes, the relatively wealthy and educated Christian Armenians, a minority in the empire, stood out amongst their Muslim Turkish neighbors. This led to widespread resentment. And that resentment eventually led to state-sanctioned suspicion.

Mourners hold photos of famous Armenians killed in the genocide at the memorial in Yerevan. Photo by Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images.

As the Ottoman Empire destabilized during the first world war, the ruling political party, which was fighting alongside Germany, believed Armenians would sympathize with the enemy. So officials began arresting and executing Armenians, many of whom were sent on "death marches" through the desert, where they'd eventually die from exposure and dehydration, The New York Times reported.

3. The genocide was part of a broader plan by officials in power to "Turkify" the region back to the way it was — the good ole days, so to speak.

At the turn of the century, a new ruling government, the "Young Turks," came to power with very strong nationalistic views. People who weren't Turkish and especially those who were Christian were seen as a threat to these new "Turkification" efforts.

In other words, their plan was to Make the Ottoman Empire Great Again.

A map of what used to be the Ottoman Empire and surrounding region. Photo by Juan Mabromata/AFP/Getty Images.

These new ideas of strength and nationalism left Armenians particularly vulnerable and helped justify the eventual extermination of 1.5 million people.

4. Sadly, some countries still do not officially recognize the mass killings as a genocide, including the U.S.

Although several individual U.S. states do, the federal government is hesitant to deem the Armenian genocide an actual genocide, the Los Angeles Times reported, worried that doing so would complicate our relationship with Turkey, an important NATO ally.

Turkey, of course, doesn't want to confirm the horrors it unleashed back in 1915. So it has spent millions of dollars lobbying U.S. officials to keep up the status quo of denial.

Which makes Kardashian's emphasis on simply telling the truth so much more compelling.

"It’s totally morally irresponsible, and, most of all, it’s dangerous," Kardashian wrote of The Wall Street Journal's decision to publish the ad. "If this had been an ad denying the Holocaust, or pushing some 9/11 conspiracy theory, would it have made it to print?"

Kim Kardashian at the genocide memorial in Yerevan, Armenia, in 2015. Photo by Karen Minasyan/AFP/Getty Images.

Isn't it time we make this issue about the factsand not about politics?

"We have to be responsible for the message we pass on to our children," Kardashian wrote. "We have to honor the truth in our history so that we protect their future. We have to do better than this."

All images provided by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

Collins after being selected by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

True

A changemaker is anyone who takes creative action to solve an ongoing problem—be it in one’s own community or throughout the world.

And when it comes to creating positive change, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective can hold just as much power as years of experience. That’s why, every year, Prudential Emerging Visionaries celebrates young people for their innovative solutions to financial and societal challenges in their communities.

This national program awards 25 young leaders (ages 14-18) up to $15,000 to devote to their passion projects. Additionally, winners receive a trip to Prudential’s headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, where they receive coaching, skills development, and networking opportunities with mentors to help take their innovative solutions to the next level.

For 18-year-old Sydnie Collins, one of the 2023 winners, this meant being able to take her podcast, “Perfect Timing,” to the next level.

Since 2020, the Maryland-based teen has provided a safe platform that promotes youth positivity by giving young people the space to celebrate their achievements and combat mental health stigmas. The idea came during the height of Covid-19, when Collins recalled social media “becoming a dark space flooded with news,” which greatly affected her own anxiety and depression.

Knowing that she couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, “Perfect Timing” seemed like a valuable way to give back to her community. Over the course of 109 episodes, Collins has interviewed a wide range of guests—from other young influencers to celebrities, from innovators to nonprofit leaders—all to remind Gen Z that “their dreams are tangible.”

That mission statement has since evolved beyond creating inspiring content and has expanded to hosting events and speaking publicly at summits and workshops. One of Collins’ favorite moments so far has been raising $7,000 to take 200 underserved girls to see “The Little Mermaid” on its opening weekend, to “let them know they are enough” and that there’s an “older sister” in their corner.

Of course, as with most new projects, funding for “Perfect Timing” has come entirely out of Collins’ pocket. Thankfully, the funding she earned from being selected as a Prudential Emerging Visionary is going toward upgraded recording equipment, the support of expert producers, and skill-building classes to help her become a better host and public speaker. She’ll even be able to lease an office space that allows for a live audience.

Plus, after meeting with the 24 other Prudential Emerging Visionaries and her Prudential employee coach, who is helping her develop specific action steps to connect with her target audience, Collins has more confidence in a “grander path” for her work.

“I learned that my network could extend to multiple spaces beyond my realm of podcasting and journalism when industry leaders are willing to share their expertise, time, and financial support,” she told Upworthy. “It only takes one person to change, and two people to expand that change.”

Prudential Emerging Visionaries is currently seeking applicants for 2024. Winners may receive up to $15,000 in awards and an all-expenses-paid trip to Prudential’s headquarters with a parent or guardian, as well as ongoing coaching and skills development to grow their projects.

If you or someone you know between the ages of 14 -18 not only displays a bold vision for the future but is taking action to bring that vision to life, click here to learn more. Applications are due by Nov. 2, 2023.
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