2017 has been a terrible year, from the Las Vegas mass shooting and the lack of response after to the hurricanes that devastated places like Puerto Rico. The GOP has canceled CHIP and made countless other actions that just prove some really are void of empathy. But this doesn't mean 2017 has not had bouts of good deeds either.
1. #METOO
This goes without saying, but I truly believe the MeToo movement has created a safe space where women feel more comfortable coming out about their sexual assault experiences and people are finally being held accountable for their actions.
2. John Legend and Chrissy Teigen
Every time I see them trending on Twitter, I momentarily get a heart attack.
3. India’s Supreme Court decision on child brides
India currently has one of the highest rates of child brides in the world with over 47% of girls getting married off before the age of 18. Previously, underage sex was illegal unless it was your wife. This nuance in the law allowed men to have sex with child brides.
This year, however, India’s Supreme Court has made it illegal for any intercourse with a child under the age of 18 regardless of marital status. So here’s hoping that in 2018 the practice of child brides is entirely eliminated.
4. 80 bystanders created a human chain to save a drowning family
On a Florida beach, a family was struggling and drowning but were luckily saved by a group of kind and heroic bystanders. In order to rescue the family, eighty strangers created a human chain to pull the drowning family back to shore. Incidents like this prove humanity is still capable of compassion and empathy.
5. Fenty’s beauty line
Rihanna has blessed us all by creating her own makeup line that prides itself on its inclusivity and its diversity. With more than forty shades of liquid foundation, anyone can find something here. This marks the beginning of industries like fashion and makeup finally taking people of color as serious consumers.
6. First reversal of brain damage
For the first time ever doctors have reversed a two-year-old girl’s brain damage that was acquired after drowning in a pool. The lack of oxygen resulted in serious injuries to the grey matter which caused the toddler to not be able to speak, walk, or respond to noises. But due to an innovative set of oxygen treatments, doctors were able to reverse most of the brain damage.
7. Getting closer to treating autism symptoms
A clinical trial in the US used a drug called suramin to test whether autistic children benefited from it. This small trial has shown that suramin relieved symptoms from the ASD spectrum.
For a lot of us, this year has been terrible politically. Hopefully, this list shows that even in the darkness there are small pockets of goodness in the world. Let’s hope 2018 is filled with happiness, good health, and Trump’s impeachment.