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John Legend nailed why calling MS-13 gang members 'animals' is a problem.

President Trump referred to people as "animals" — and then doubled down, saying that he was only referring to certain people.

Trump's comment came during a roundtable discussion about sanctuary cities in California, after Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims described what she sees as a problem with current law enforcement and immigration policy.

Trump replied, "We have people coming into the country, or trying to come in — and we're stopping a lot of them — but we're taking people out of the country. You wouldn't believe how bad these people are. These aren't people. These are animals."

Many honed in on the president's words, accusing him of dehumanizing all undocumented immigrants from south of the border. The president clarified that he was specifically referring to those in MS-13 — gang members mostly from Central America, notorious for particularly brutal, violent crimes.

I.C.E. agents detain a suspected MS-13 gang member and Honduran immigrant. Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.

John Legend beautifully explained why it doesn't matter if the president was only dehumanizing violent gang members.

When Trump made these remarks, Legend and his wife, Chrissy Teigen, were in the hospital welcoming their new baby. Yet the singer still took a moment to explain why dehumanizing any group — even violent gang members — is problematic.  

"I'm in the hospital with our new son," he wrote on Twitter. "Any of these babies here could end up committing terrible crimes in the future. It's easy, once they've done so, to distance ourselves from their humanity."

[rebelmouse-image 19534645 dam="1" original_size="667x190" caption="Image via John Legend/Twitter." expand=1]Image via John Legend/Twitter.

‌‌The perspective one gets gazing at a brand-new human being, still unmarked by the world, is as about as pure as it gets.

Legend challenged us all to examine the root causes of violence and look for collective solutions.

"But it's much more honest and challenging to realize they were all babies once and think about what in society, their home life, etc. took them from baby to violent gang member," he continued, "and then to think about collective action we could take to mitigate these conditions."

He also noted our duty to examine the role U.S. policy may have played in the formation of MS-13 in the first place.

[rebelmouse-image 19534646 dam="1" original_size="676x323" caption="Image via John Legend/Twitter." expand=1]Image via John Legend/Twitter.

It's easy to create black-and-white, us-versus-them, good-versus-evil narratives.

It's harder to dig deep into what leads people to violence and contemplate how we could play a role in preventing it.

Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images.

Without devolving into personal bashing, Legend pointed out a universal truth: As history has proven time and again, dehumanization of any group of people is a dangerous path.

[rebelmouse-image 19534649 dam="1" original_size="667x164" caption="Image via John Legend/Twitter." expand=1]Image via John Legend/Twitter.

What makes his comments so compelling is that he put forth his arguments and challenges ideas with a thoughtful nod to the complexity of the issue — and without disparaging anyone's ideology, political affiliation, or appearance.

Thank you, John Legend, for a refreshing example of how to engage in thoughtful and reasonable discourse, even within an undeniably divisive topic.

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Prudential
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Meet the 18-year-old advocating for teen mental health, one inspiring podcast at a time

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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The Gen X 'stay at home mom' crisis is real, but what's the solution?

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40-something moms who stayed home to be with their kids are finding themselves in uncharted waters.

A few generations ago, parents had pretty clearly defined roles, with the dad generally being the breadwinner and the mom being the homemaker/stay-at-home mother. Then women's rights movement came along, empowering women in the workplace, ushering in the era of two working parents and producing an entire generation of "latchkey kids."

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Single dad receives letter from late wife and immediately gets a DNA test

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Ten months after a man’s wife passed away, he finally got the courage to read a letter she left him, which contained a devastating admission. The 4-year-old son they had together may not be his.

“My ‘darling’ wife passed away 10 months ago,” the man wrote on Reddit’s Off My Chest forum. “She wrote a letter for me before she died, but I couldn’t bring myself to read it until now. She told me how sorry she was that she didn’t have the guts to tell me this to my face when she was alive.”

In the letter, the wife revealed that there was a “good chance” that the son he thought was his wasn’t his biological child. A few weeks before their wedding day, the wife got drunk at her bachelorette party and had a one-night stand with another man. Soon after that night, she became pregnant but was unsure who the father was.

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Mother of 7 stunned to learn the ‘Alphabet Song’ has been changed to get with the times

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Jessica Skube can't believe that they changed the 'Alphabet Song.'

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One delivery driver has gone viral for the way she delivered a little bit of safety education, along with some lighthearted advice. The TikTok video of the encounter, which now has more than 4 million views, was shared by Jessica Huseman, who had only recently moved into her new house.

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