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This smart toddler understands Planned Parenthood way better than those trying to defund it.

This week, thousands of people wore pink to stand with Planned Parenthood. As the organization continued to come under attack from legislators who want to defund it, supporters from all walks of life took to their social media feeds to show their appreciation for the invaluable women's health care provider.

And little Zuri wasn't about to be left out.

The toddler daughter of poet and activist Staceyann Chin was determined to show her support for Planned Parenthood too. She joined her mama in a four-minute video titled "Why We Stand with Planned Parenthood" and what ensued is one the most adorable — and brilliantly simple — statements of support ever.

Zuri starts off strong.

Why does she stand with Planned Parenthood?

Pretty simple. Every part of her body from her shoulders to her "little boobies," she confidently claims are hers and hers alone.

She was really happy when her mom mentioned that she has the right to doctors who support her choices.

Ultimately, she supports Planned Parenthood because she believes that we need to do one thing:

So she makes a desperate plea:


And then, OK, yes, sure, Zuri got a bit carried away and couldn't contain her joy over the weather outside her window.

But her mother got her back on track:

And with that, Zuri came back with a serious call to action:

Zuri's words were so powerful that Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood, quoted them directly in a tweet to the little girl and her mother:


Zuri's words weren't just cute. They were important.

They boiled down the debate over the value of women's health care and reproductive rights to a pretty simple affirmation of women's bodily autonomy: the right to own ourselves, take care of ourselves, and love ourselves.

Now if only we could get Congress to believe us.

Go ahead and take a few minutes to hear more from Zuri — including an epic song about why she's loves being beautiful. It's pretty good stuff.

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Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo
Education

Four small business owners faced big challenges during the pandemic. Here's how they’re doing now.

Spoiler alert: They've gone from "surviving" to "thriving."

via Wells Fargo

Julius Lofton, Rahel TafarI, Ellen Bryant-Brown and Wells Fargo volunteers, and Jose Beteta and Martín D. Vargas.

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Ninety-nine percent of America’s businesses are small, and they account for 50% of the country’s jobs. Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities, they keep them vibrant and give them character. In early 2020, the economy was strong, and these businesses were thriving.

Nobody could have predicted their fortunes would change overnight when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived at America’s doorstep in March of 2020. Business owners had to scramble as they faced lockdowns, employees who were afraid to return to work, and customers who were cautious about leaving the house.

It finally feels like the pandemic is turning a corner, and so are four small businesses that endured nearly two years of uncertainty and came out even stronger. These comeback stories show the heart of small business owners nationwide.

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covid-19
Joy

TikTok star's fans raise $144,000 for 'guardian angel' Uber driver who stood by her after robbery

Raul Torres is a guardian angel.

via Becca Moore/TikTok

Becca Moore and Raul Torres having margaritas.

Becca Moore is a popular TikToker with over 800,000 followers who's known for her funny, laid-back takes on dating. Like any influencer-type she was at the Coachella music and arts festival in Indio, California recently. While she was at Coachella, she was robbed of her phone, rental car keys and wallet.

“I went to Coachella this weekend and I thought this guy was kinda hitting on me but then he just robbed me,” Becca says at the beginning of her three-minute TikTok video with over 3 million views. After the festival, she was left with no ride, money, or means to get in contact with friends and family. She was stranded in the desert.

Becca’s friend’s hotel called her an Uber so she could get to a local store to buy a new phone. The driver she was incredibly lucky to be connected with was a lot more than a guy with a car in a time of need, he was a guardian angel named Raul Torres from Fresno, California, six hours north of Indio.

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Ad Council
Ad Council x Autism Speaks
Identity

How an early autism diagnosis 'made all the difference' for one boy

via Tony Hernandez

Tony Hernandez as a child in Puerto Rico and today as an advocate for people with autism.

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When Tony Hernandez Pumarejo was a young child growing up in Puerto Rico in the early ‘90s, his family felt there was something “different” about him. At the age of three, when most children are uttering full sentences, Tony did not speak.

Tony’s family sought out more information regarding their son, but they received conflicting opinions about his condition. Teachers asserted that there wasn’t much hope for Tony’s future, with one telling his mother that he was “never going to do anything in life.”

“There was a lack of education, there is still to this day, especially in the Hispanic community, about autism,” Tony told Upworthy. “Stereotypes and other misconceptions are obstacles many families face in seeking answers, making it difficult to get the help and resources we need.”

Finally, Tony’s family found a doctor who diagnosed him with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The diagnosis was a huge relief for them because it meant he could finally get the correct therapies and enroll in special education classes.

According to Psychology Research and Behavior Management, early diagnosis and treatment with evidence-based interventions “can significantly improve the quality of life of individuals with ASD as well as of their caregivers and families,” as it lays a strong foundation for better outcomes and will help a child improve mentally, emotionally, physically, and socially.

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Pop Culture

In historic role, an autistic actress will play an autistic character on new TV series

"I felt that nothing on television represented me," says Geffen Kaminer, star of the upcoming series.

screenshot/Israeli TV

Reason #302 why representation is important

Actress Geffen Kaminer is making history for Israeli television: being the first autistic performer to play a character with autism.

The Times of Israel reported that the eighteen year old will appear in the upcoming series “East Side,” starring alongside Israeli actor and model Yehuda Levi as his beloved daughter Maya.

Other Israeli shows have featured autistic characters, such as the acclaimed comedy series “On The Spectrum,” which centers around three roommates on the spectrum (hence the title) trying to navigate life and love. However, until Kaminer, these characters have always been portrayed by neurotypical actors.

For Kaminer, winning the role was a fairly standard actor story. She saw an online casting call, signed up, and went through several auditions before getting the offer. The role was simply a perfect fit.

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Identity

57-year-old former model Paulina Porizkova had the perfect response to ageist comment online

Photo by Malin K. on Unsplash

Paulina Porizkova took on a commenter who said she was in "pain" being "old and ugly."

Aging is a weird thing. From one perspective, it's something we should be grateful for. Few people would wish for the kind of short, uneventful life that would remove aging from the equation completely. The longer we live, the more we grow and learn and experience life, and "aging" is simply the mathematical sum of those experiences. All good, right?

On the other hand, our society does everything in its power to hide the fact that aging happens. Especially when it comes to women. According to Statista, the global anti-aging beauty market is estimated to be worth $58.8 billion. People will try all manner of creams, serums, masks, acids, lights, technologies and surgeries to try to prevent wrinkles, lines, sagginess, spots and other signs that our bodies are changing with time.

Most of us live our daily lives somewhere in the middle of these two realities, wanting to embrace our aging selves but also hoping to stave off some of the more obvious signs that we're getting older. It's natural to resist it in some ways, since the older we get, the closer we get to the end of our lives, which we certainly don't want to hasten—especially if we actually love living.

It can be helpful to see people who are embracing their age, which is why it can be inspiring to see someone like former supermodel Paulina Porizkova confidently sharing photos of her 57-year-old self.

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