Representation matters. Especially for children.


When children see people in media and positions of power that look like them, it broadens their horizons and teaches them they can be whatever they like.

The presidency of Barack Obama showed people of color — across the globe — that a black man could hold the most powerful position in the world. And the Obama family was a powerful example of grace and dignity as they stood strong when faced with unrelenting racist attacks.

“When they go low, we go high,” Michelle Obama famously said.

An recent example of the power of representation comes from Ella-Lorraine Brown, an eight year old living in the Los Angeles area. For her school’s Cultural Heroes Day, she dressed as Michelle Obama.

However, she didn’t dress up like the Michelle Obama from her days as first lady, but as a Princeton University student. “I loved it because by choosing to portray her hero as a college student, the focus was on Michelle’s accomplishments as an individual, not just as an attachment,” Ella-Lorraine’s mom, Karlyn Johnson Brown, who is also a Princeton alum, told Makers.

While Michelle Obama is best known for being first lady, don’t sleep on her previous accomplishments. Obama is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. She then moved on to work for the prestigious law firm Sidley & Austin.

Later, Obama became the Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago and then, the Vice President for Community and External Affairs of the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Here’s Ella-Lorraine dressed as Michelle Robinson.

Previously, on Cultural Heroes Day, Ella-Lorraine has dressed up like Ruby Bridges, the first African-American child to desegregate an elementary school in the South, and pioneer pilot Bessie Coleman.

Ella-Loraine’s parents have made representation a central part of her development as a child. “We try to surround Ella-Lorraine with women who are go-getters like Michelle, women who are independent and smart, level-headed and loving,” her father, Eugene Brown, told Makers. “Plus, he says, “We make sure she knows about those who have gone before and have passed on.”

While today she is a role model, representation played a big role in Michelle Obama’s path to success. She applied to Princeton University because she saw someone who looked like her get accepted to the prestigious university.

“The truth is that if Princeton hadn’t found my brother as a basketball recruit, and if I hadn’t seen that he could succeed on a campus like that, it never would have occurred to me to apply to that school — never,” Obama said according to NJ.com. “And I know that there are so many kids out there just like me.”

Here’s how Twitter reacted to Ella-Lorraine’s photos:

  • Man’s dog suddenly becomes protective of his wife, Internet clocks the reason right away
    Dogs have impressive observational powers.Photo credit: Canva

    Reddit user Girlfriendhatesmefor’s three-year-old pitbull, Otis, had recently become overprotective of his wife. So he asked the online community if they knew what might be wrong with the dog.

    “A week or two ago, my wife got some sort of stomach bug,” the Reddit user wrote under the subreddit /r/dogs. “She was really nauseous and ill for about a week. Otis is very in tune with her emotions (we once got in a fight and she was upset, I swear he was staring daggers at me lol) and during this time didn’t even want to leave her to go on walks. We thought it was adorable!”

    His wife soon felt better, butthe dog’s behavior didn’t change.

    pregnancy signs, dogs and pregnancy, pitbull behavior, pet intuition, dog overprotection, Reddit stories, viral Reddit, dog instincts, canine emotions, dog owner tips
    Otis knew before they did. Canva

    Girlfriendhatesmefor began to fear that Otis’ behavior may be an early sign of an aggression issue or an indication that the dog was hurt or sick.

    So he threw a question out to fellow Reddit users: “Has anyone else’s dog suddenly developed attachment/aggression issues? Any and all advice appreciated, even if it’s that we’re being paranoid!”

    The most popular response to his thread was by ZZBC.

    Any chance your wife is pregnant?

    ZZBC | Reddit

    The potential news hit Girlfriendhatesmefor like a ton of bricks. A few days later, Girlfriendhatesmefor posted an update and ZZBC was right!

    “The wifey is pregnant!” the father-to-be wrote. “Otis is still being overprotective but it all makes sense now! Thanks for all the advice and kind words! Sorry for the delayed reply, I didn’t check back until just now!”

    Redditors responded with similar experiences.

    Anecdotal I know but I swear my dog knew I was pregnant before I was. He was super clingy (more than normal) and was always resting his head on my belly.

    realityisworse | Reddit

    So why do dogs get overprotective when someone is pregnant?

    Jeff Werber, PhD, president and chief veterinarian of the Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, told Health.com that “dogs can also smell the hormonal changes going on in a woman’s body at that time.” He added the dog may “not understand that this new scent of your skin and breath is caused by a developing baby, but they will know that something is different with you—which might cause them to be more curious or attentive.”

    The big lesson here is to listen to your pets and to ask questions when their behavior abruptly changes. They may be trying to tell you something, and the news may be life-changing.

    This article originally appeared last year.

  • Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.

  • ,

    Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories

    Mass shootings and conspiracy theories have a long history.

    While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.

    When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.

    Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.


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