There’s no question that the news we’re consuming on a daily basis is overwhelmingly negative. And while it’s incredibly important to be informed about the important things going on in the world, it’s also important, in my view, to take a moment once in a while to remind ourselves that there are still good things happening out there in this country and in this world. Below, you will find ten stories I’ve happened across recently which, together, fill me with hope. Sources for the stories can be found by clicking on the pictures.
1. Harvard University changed the name of its’ residential college to honor Grace Murray Hopper.
The college was formerly named Calhoun College, after John C. Calhoun, who was an avid supporter of slavery, treating it as a good thing as opposed to a “necessary evil”. Hopper, whom the college is being named after, is being honored for her achievements in math and science, in addition to her service in WWII.
2. Jess Herbst made history as the first transgender mayor, finding support among her community in New Hope, Texas.
New Hope is a historically conservative town, but Herbst found after coming out that the reactions she received were mostly positive.
3. Morgan Freeman has turned his ranch in Mississippi into a bee haven.
Freeman has been keeping bees since 2014, in a direct response to his own concerns about the rapid dying off of bees everywhere. He started off with 26 hives, and has said that he doesn’t have to wear protective gear when dealing with them because he and the bees get along that well. Honestly, is anyone surprised?
4. Muslim groups in St. Louis, Missouri have raised thousands in response to the recent grave vandalism.
In addition to raising over $40,000 for repairs, the groups also offered a $5,000 reward for information on who might’ve committed the crimes.
5. Samsung commercial shows a community in Turkey learning sign language in support of a hearing impaired member of said community.
I don’t have an image for this one either, but here's the ad. If you decide to watch it, you won’t be disappointed.
6. Police in Georgia put up a homeless college student in a hotel, then $184,000 was raised for him.
The money was raised after Fred Barley was discovered living in a tent on campus a month before classes were set to start. After the cops put him up in the hotel, a local woman, Casey Blaney, caught wind of the story and decided to start a GoFundMe page for him, which resulted in the raising of the money, along with a job opportunity at a local pizzeria. Barely posted two videos online to express his gratitude for the kind strangers who rallied around him, mentioning how important it is to him that he makes them proud.
Pictured here is Fred, along with Casey.
7. Best friends Jia Haixia and Jia Wenqi have planted over 10,000 trees together in China.
This is an incredible feat on its own, made more so by the fact that Haxia is blind, and Wenqi is a double amputee. They’ve been friends for ten years.
8. A Canadian art studio for people who have mental health issues regained the funding it lost through a fundraising group.
“Art Saves Lives” sprung into action after Artbeat lost $100,000 in funding, and ended up raising $150,000. The funding will keep them up and running through the end of 2017, according to Nigel Bart.
9. The mayor of Chicago has announced plans to run the city entirely on renewable energy by 2025.
