The Goodnewspaper The 2024 Courage Edition

HELLO HELLO! Like many, I have taken to heart plenty of life lessons dispensed by Brené Brown — the poster professor of courage, shame, and vulnerability. Whether through her famous TED Talks, book excerpts, or podcast episodes, the acclaimed social worker has redefined how we navigate life’s Big, Scary Challenges. When approaching this issue of the Goodnewspaper, our team was transparently very torn between the words “Bravery” and “Courage” as the name of this edition. You may think that this would be an innocuous decision between two synonyms — and you might be right — but Brown’s scholarship was a big factor in how we came to this conclusion. Bravery — the ability to confront pain or danger without fear — is a noble and valuable characteristic. But courage —…

WE HAVE GOOD NEWS Silas Jim was just nine years old when he was bullied by his classmates into cutting his hair. As a young Washoe boy (derived from Wa-she-shu), his hair was important to his culture and his heritage — but harsh words can hang heavy on a third grader’s shoulders. “It made me really mad and sad, and I just had enough,” Silas told the Record Courier in December 2023. When Silas opened up to his family about what was happening at school, everyone in his immediate family rose to the occasion. They came into school with him and addressed his classmates — including Silas’ bullies. “The hair is a part of our culture,” Silas’ Uncle Art told the class. “It contains memories, and it makes us strong.”…

Terry McCarty was just six years old when he suffered third-degree burns to 70% of his body in a childhood accident. After the accident, he was in a coma for two months, was hospitalized for a full year, and underwent 58 surgeries — along with endless bullying during his adolescence. “After the accident I lived in a constant state of fear and uncertainty. I struggled to find work as an adult as people always told me I was a liability, and I had started to believe it,” McCarty told the Daily Mail. “Becoming a fireman was a spur of the moment decision. I thought, if I could do this, people would realize I could do anything.” Located in Bellingham, Washington, McCarty joined the local fire department and survived 12 weeks…

In 2014, Michelle Poler moved to New York City for graduate school and found herself more anxious than ever. Instead of trying to gain control of every situation in her life, she decided to surrender to the fear and let it lead her. So she started a blog and project called 100 Days Without Fear. For 100 days, she confronted her biggest fears head on. They ranged from small ventures like reading negative comments on her blog or going camping, to big adrenaline-surges like skydiving or giving a TEDx Talk. That Talk — which started as one of her most looming anxieties — led her to a creative, successful career in public speaking. “From that day on I decided to dedicate my life to encourage as many people as possible…

GOOD Read “Beyond Bullying: Breaking the Cycle of Shame, Bullying, and Violence” by Jonathan Fast to more deeply understand how cycles of abuse are perpetuated — and how they can be ended. BETTER Support the work of organizations that aim to eliminate bullying — espeically among those most marginalized. Explore GLSEN (glsen.org) or Stomp Out Bullying (stompoutbullying.org) to get started. BEST While you can always be a trusted source of safety with the young people in your life, take it a step further by volunteering as a HelpChat Line advocate with Stomp Out Bullying. stompoutbullying.org…

WE HAVE GOOD NEWS According to the documentary series “Quiet on Set,” Nickelodeon is dealing with a reckoning: one that runs the gamut of workplace harassment, racism, sexism, and even child abuse. In the series, Christy Stratton and Jenny Kilgen came forward to finally share their story after they were strongarmed into silence for over two decades — and blacklisted from Hollywood almost entirely. Stratton and Kilgen were the only women in the writers’ room for “The Amanda Show,” a show that launched Amanda Bynes into stardom in 1999. Forced to split a salary while their male counterparts were paid in full, Stratton and Kilgen contended with verbal abuse, sexual harassment, and inappropriate touches from ex-Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider. “You always felt like disagreeing with Dan or standing up for…