CONFUSED ITS OKAY TO BE
VOL.1.2019
HOW TO HELP IMMIGRANT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES RED VELVET’S
SEULGI KANG
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH
LAVERNE COX
THE STORY OF
MALA YOUSAFZAI AND
MORE
SHE IS
MALA
YOUSAFZAI
BY: JENNY MEDEIROS Malala Yousafzai has become a global icon for her fearless efforts advocating for every child’s right to education, even while living under increasingly dangerous circumstances. As a girl born and raised in a country where only boys were allowed an education and the Taliban dominated the law, Malala had very few people on her side as she raised her voice in protest against the extremist force oppressing her people. After the Taliban attempted to silence her with violence, Malala rose up and chose to fight back with words. This is the awe-inspiring story of a school pupil with a relentless belief in her power to change the world. Growing up with a love of words On July 12, 1997, Malala Yousafzai was born in Mingora, a city in the Swat District of Pakistan. Her first breath was drawn at home, since her family couldn’t afford a hospital birth. She
was named “Malala” after Malala of Maiwand, a national folk hero who led local fighters to victory in Afghanistan. Little did her parents know that their daughter would also become a hero for her people in the years to come. Malala grew up in awe of her father, an activist who believed the lack of education was the root of all of Pakistan’s problems. She attended a public school founded by her father and developed a thirst for knowledge from an early age. She adored books and decided she wanted to become a doctor. But her father sensed early on that his daughter had a gift for something beyond medicine. He encouraged her to think openly and express her political opinions freely. After he had sent her two younger brothers to bed, he and Malala would stay up discussing politics late into the night. In 2007, when Malala was only ten years old, her beloved hometown
began to change as Taliban militants inched closer. Violence soon spread across the Swat Valley and threats rained down on girl-only schools. On October 9, 2012, Malala was riding home from school on a bus with her friends when a masked gunman jumped aboard. He brandished a gun at the children and demanded to know which girl was Malala. As her friends turned to look at her, he fired three shots. One bullet hit Malala on the left side of her head, traveling down her neck and embedding itself in her shoulder. Panic ensued as she collapsed and the gunman made his escape. An ambulance was called and 15-year-old Malala was airlifted to a military hospital in critical conition. was removed, but she was far from stable. Her organs were failing, an infection had developed, and she was in an induced coma. In January 2013, Malala Yousafzai was finally released from the hospital after having her skull recon-
“Extremists have shown what frightens them most. A girl with a book.”
structed and receiving a cochlear implant to restore her hearing. Her life after the shooting was very different. Malala saw herself faced with a choice: retreat to safety, or continue her fight for human rights. She told herself, “Malala, you have already faced death. This is your second life. Don’t be afraid — if you are afraid, you can’t move forward.” The murder attempt spurred worldwide outrage and protests across Pakistan. A right-to-education bill was passed in her country for the first time, and she now receives global support when promoting her cause. On July 12, 2013, her 16th birthday, Malala was flown to New York to give a passionate speech at the United Nations, where she urged the world to challenge extremism with education. Later that year, she published her first book, I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban.
Since then, Malala has continued her activism with renewed courage. She has spoken at Harvard University and met with world leaders, including Queen Elizabeth and Barack Obama. In October 2014, at age 17, Malala became the youngest person and only Pakistani to receive a Nobel Peace Prize. In her speech, she dedicated the award to “all the voiceless children who want change.” The following year, on her 18th birthday, she opened a school for Syrian refugee girls in Lebanon. At the opening, her first words as an adult were a call-to-action for world leaders to invest in “books, not bullets.” With over 40 honorary awards to her name, Malala Yousafzai has become a messenger of peace and a leading spokesperson for girls’ right to education. Through her own non-profit Malala Fund, the devoted activist has funded education projects in six countries and keeps raising her voice to empower girls to become agents of change
in their communities. Today, Malala resides in Birmingham, UK, where she has been proudly accepted to Oxford University. There she will study Philosophy, Politics, and Economics to strengthen her influence and further her advocacy for education. Throughout her youth, Malala has shown exceptional strength and courage in the face of terrorism. The attempt on her life only served to embolden her belief in a better, more equal world. Her voice has brought education to thousands of children and has inspired millions more. Malala Yousafzai is proof that age has no bearing in the fight for what is right, that anyone can and should raise their voice to improve the world around them.
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KANG, SEULGI Seulgi (Korean name: Kang Seul-gi; born on February 10, 1994) is a South-Korean singer, dancer and rapper. She is the lead vocalist, main dancer and sub rapper of South-Korean girl group Red Velvet. Red Velvet is a South-Korean girl group formed by S.M. Entertainment which debuted on August 1, 2014. The group consists of Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, Joy and Yeri. Red Velvet is unique for having two different themes for it songs and music videos, the red, which represents the group’s bright, bold and abstract side and the velvet, which represents the toned down, elegant
and mature side of the group. Red Velvet has received a total of six main music awards, including two awards for choreography; Best Dance – Female and Best Dance Performance – Female Group, as well as three new artist awards. Seulgi, was born in Ansan, Gyeonggi, South Korea. Her family consists of her parents and older brother. At the age of 13, Seulgi made a successful audition to SM Entertainment, and trained for seven years learning singing, dancing and playing various musical instruments, before becoming a K-pop idol. She is a graduate of School
of Performing Arts Seoul. was part of S.M. Entertainment’s pre-debut group, S.M. Rookies, along with groupmates Irene, Wendy and Yeri.
Various clips of Seulgi were released in S.M. Entertainment’s official Youtube channel before debut such as her singing a Christmas carol. She has also appeared with Irene on a video dancing to Be Natural, a song released by S.M. Entertainment’s former group S.E.S., showcasing their dancing. Seulgi has also made an appearance in labelmate Henry’s “Fantastic” music video and featured in one of the tracks of his album, Butterfly, though she was still credited as S.M. Rookies’ Seulgi then. On August 1 2014, she finally debuted with Red Velvet. In January 2015, she starred in a musical arranged by the company entitled School Oz, playing the lead role of Dorothy. In July 2016, she released
the song “Don’t Push Me” with Wendy as part of the soundtrack of the KBS2 drama, Uncontrollably Fond. Seulgi, Wendy and other SM artists released a digital single titled “Sound of Your Heart” for SM Station on December 30. In January 2017, she released the song “You’re the Only One I See” with Wendy as part of the soundtrack of the KBS2 drama, Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth. She also released a duet titled “Darling U” with Super Junior’s Yesung on January 22, as part of SM Station
Laverne Cox Is there a moment or time you remember first feeling like you might be transgender? I tell this story about third grade. My third grade teacher called my mom and said ‘Your son is going to end up in New Orleans wearing a dress.’ Up until that point I just thought that I was a girl and that there was no difference between girls and boys. I think in my imagination I thought that I would hit puberty and I would start turning into a girl. How did your thinking change after that moment in third grade? Going to a therapist and the fear of God being placed in me about ending up in New Orleans wearing a dress, that was a profoundly shaming moment for me. I associated it with being some sort of de-
generate, with not being successful. My mother was a teacher. She was grooming my brother and me to be successful, accomplished people. I didn’t associate being trans, or wearing a dress, with that, or wanting to be a girl with being successful. So it’s something I just started to push down. I wanted to be famous, I wanted to perform. Those things I really, really wanted more than anything else. Another part of your story you’ve talked about is your grandmother passing away, how you felt like she was looking down on you and disapproving. What happened in that moment? I was in sixth grade and I was going through puberty. During puberty, the attraction for other boys got really strong. And I learned in church that was a sin. I imagined that my grandmother was looking down on me and that she knew what I was thinking, because she’s in heaven. I just imagined that I was disappointing her and it just was devastating for me. So I went to the medicine cabinet and got a bottle of pills. And took them. And swallowed them. And went to sleep, hoping not to wake up. And I did wake up, with a really bad stomachache. I don’t remember what the pills were. Whatever it was, I thought that they would kill me but they didn’t.
figure out how to put food on the table and clothes on our backs … What was the saving grace for me is that I had this great imagination and I was a good student and I loved to perform. The imagination that I used for that creative work was very life-sustaining for me and it continues to be. The people out there in America who have no idea what being transgender means, what do they need to understand? There’s not just one trans story. There’s not just one trans experience. And I think what they need to understand is that not everybody who is born feels that their gender identity is in alignment with what they’re assigned at birth, based on their genitalia. If someone needs to express their gender in a way that is different,
Did you talk to anybody else that night? Nope. I was very isolated. I didn’t have anyone that I felt close to or that I could talk to. My brother and I were close-ish. But he was dealing with his own stuff. I didn’t really have friends until my junior year of high school. And my mother just had an inability to fully emotionally connect. I think a lot of it was just the stress of trying to take care of two kids by herself. My mom, a lot of her memories of those times, is just that she was really stressed out, trying to that is okay, and they should not be denied healthcare. They should not be bullied. They don’t deserve to be victims of violence. … That’s what people need to understand, that it’s okay and that if you are uncomfortable with it, then you need to look at yourself. Would you say you are a happy person now? I’m happy that I am myself and I couldn’t imagine my life if I were still in denial or lying, pretending to be a boy. That seems ridiculous to me. That seems crazy at this point. It’s nice to be done with transitioning.
How to Help Migrant Children and Families
Right Now.
By: Madison Feller, Rose Minutaglio
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Donate Directly to the Families Most charities say the best way to help is through financial donations, not product donations. Wellvetted groups that provide humanitarian aid to migrants include Pueblo Sin Fronteras, an organization with two shelters along the border of the Sonoran Desert, and Border Angels, a volunteer coalition that provides water, free legal help, and emergency services. You can also donate to Immigrant Families Together, a group started by women in New York, working to raise bond money for parents who were separated from their children at the border. They also work to arrange longterm housing and pro bono attorneys for immigrants while they await trial. (In one instance, Kristen Bell helped the organization reach the $30,000 bond goal for a mother named Delmi.) Go to the organization’s website to find a number of crowdfunding pages for women who are still in need of funds. Organizations United We Dream, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Mijente are also helping coordinate advocacy and services for families.
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Support the Lawyers Fighting for Them By donating to RAICES, yousupport every aspect of legal aid for immigrant families. The group aims to provide legal services to every released unaccompanied child in the state, which could be around 13,000 kids. They also aim to pay off immigration bonds to free asylum seekers from ICE custody, letting them reunite with their children. You can also donate directly through their website. If you want to donate your time, help interview migrants at the border. If you live in a border area, have legal or paralegal experience, and speak Spanish, Mam, Q’eqchi’ or K’iche’, sign up to volunteer with the Texas Civil Rights Project. The American Immigration Lawyers Association and the American Immigration Council have also started an initiative called the Immigration Justice Campaign in order to increase legal representation for detained immigrants. They currently need volunteers in Georgia, Colorado, Texas, New Jersey, Ohio, and Washington, as well as remotely.
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Call or Email Your Elected Officials and Say This Exactly It’s as important as ever to let elected officials know how you feel about the administration’s treatment of immigrant families. RAICES has also drafted a sample complaint to call your representatives to complain about the migrant facility conditions and the planned ICE raids, which Trump announced, and then delayed. You can check out their website, here. This is what they recommend you say: Dear [Representative/Senator], I am deeply concerned and saddened by the announcement of ICE raids coming to my community this weekend. The raids are inappropriately named “Family Op” and they couldn’t be more detrimental to all American families. My friends and neighbors are scared and many of them feel they are under attack. This amounts to domestic terrorism. ICE plans to target 2,000 families but even one raid in my neighborhood will spread fear across my entire community. We DO NOT want this to happen in our community. Will you join with me, my friends and neighbors to defund ICE, put pressure on local ICE offices, and stop the immigration raids? We need to stop this. Mass indiscriminate raids are NOT the answer. Please help our neighbors. #ProtectEachOther
WHAT IS
TRENDING TODAY?
SILVER
Chains have become the must-have accessory of 2019. Celebrities and influencers have been spotted in the linked item in a variety of ways. The ’90s goth jewelry is now for everyone to enjoy and we’ve seen some interesting interpretations of the steely piece. Those who are looking to build their jewelry arsenal should definitely consider chains as an option. It can be styled to give off a badass edge, or can expertly complete a grungy look.
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SILVER CHAINS