5 Amazing Things That Happened in August

Tired of bad news, fake news, and pretty much everything else you’re used to seeing in the news? We get it. That’s why we’ve rounded up five positive, inspiring, and otherwise amazing things that happened last month. Enjoy this -- you deserve it!

1. Celebs Go Above and Beyond for Young Fans in Need

This past week, some A-list celebrities have done amazing things for young people. At a P!nk concert, 14-year-old Leah held up a sign trying to get the singer’s attention. With the crowd’s help, P!nk saw the sign, walked into the crowd, and comforted this grieving fan who had just lost her mother.

11-year-old Sofia Sanchez was awaiting a heart transplant in Chicago, not able to attend the Drake concert, when Drake surprised her before the surgery. She had sent a video to him of herself doing the “Shiggy” challenge to try and convince him. It worked!

15-year-old Josh, an Australian teen and Marvel super-fan, was diagnosed with cancer, given only months to live. Across Twitter, Marvel stars like Ryan Reynolds, Chris Evans, and Hugh Jackman sent videos of encouragement and hope.

2. Youth Voter Registration Surges Around the Country

Since the Parkland shooting, youth voter registration has reached record rates, with young people making up 6 in 10 new registrations across the country. These numbers are historic -- they represent what we at DoSomething call the “Youth Wave” because this fall, young people are going to change the face of our country through voting. With 69 million young people eligible to vote and 55% of young people having said that they plan on voting this fall, we’re poised to literally decide this election. Take 2 minutes and register to vote. Then tell everyone to watch out...the Youth Wave is coming.

3. Crazy Rich Asians Breaks Barriers and Dominates the Box Office

Crazy Rich Asians, which features an all-Asian cast, came out this month and was met with praise, while dominated the box office since its release. Much like Black Panther, this film demonstrates the necessity for proper representation in Hollywood. The movie’s success is in part due to the fact that its characters are nuanced. Instead of leaning on usual tropes and stereotypes like being quiet or knowing karate, the Asian characters are presented as round and complex. While Crazy Rich Asians has received some backlash for only portraying a narrow slice of Asian experience, its widespread popular and critical success paves the way for more films where underrepresented groups can see themselves on screen.

4. Sephora Launches Classes for the Transgender Community

During Pride month, June, Sephora launched The Bold Beauty for the Transgender Community class, a safe space to discover skincare, makeup, and application techniques for the transgender community, which was offered in 180+ U.S. Sephora locations. While it launched in June, the class has been getting increased attention and attendance across social media this month, with Sephora employees commenting on how rewarding it is to be able to provide these classes and the transgender community praising the company for its inclusivity.

5. Tess Holliday Graces the Cover of Cosmopolitan UK

Tess Holliday, a plus-size model based in the United States, shared an image of her upcoming Cosmopolitan UK magazine cover with her fans on Twitter. People responded saying how inspiring and important it was to see a body like theirs represented in the media and praised Holliday for her incredible bravery for putting herself out there in a society that shames people for their bodies’ imperfections.

DoSomething.org is the largest not-for-profit exclusively for young people and social change. Our digital platform is activating 6 million young people (and counting!) to create offline impact in every US area code and in 131 countries.