Hey News-Changers! Yesterday, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced that Kamala Harris will be his running mate. Harris is the first Black woman and first Asian American woman to run for vice president as a part of a major party. It’s a historic decision, and it’s indicative of the increasing diversity of political candidates at all levels of government.

Whoever you’re casting your ballot for this November, remember to take 2 minutes to register to vote!

Let’s Do This!

Jackie

The Saga of That Crowded Georgia High School Hallway Photo: Here’s How School Reopenings are Going

You may have seen this photo floating around of a hallway packed with students on the first day of class at a Georgia high school. It caused a lot of buzz online and some developments at North Paulding High School.

A 15-year-old student took and tweeted the photo, expressing concern over how the school wasn’t properly following physical distancing guidelines or enforcing a mask policy. After the post went viral and garnered a lot of negative attention online, the school gave her a 5-day suspension for allegedly violating the student code of conduct. Audio leaked of a school administrator warning students that there would be consequences for “anything that’s going out on social media that’s negative or alike.”

Of course, that led to its own backlash and calls for freedom of speech. Whether related to the outcry or not, the student eventually announced that her suspension was reversed and wouldn’t appear on her record.

As for North Paulding High School, nine people have already tested positive for COVID-19 after just a week of in-person class resuming. The district’s superintendent announced that the school would temporarily switch to online learning while the building is disinfected, and administrators will consider whether or not to continue with in-person instruction.

While it’s too soon to determine whether it’s representative of the country as a whole, what’s happened at North Paulding has served as a super visible case study of reopening schools in the US. The research is still developing, but there’s real concern over how children and teens may drastically increase the spread of the virus -- especially in high density areas like schools.

Most haven’t started their academic years yet, but schools in Indiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Georgia have already experienced emergency quarantines from new cases popping up. We’ll have to wait and see how the rest of the fall semester plays out.

Help students stay healthy and perform their best this back-to-school season. Donate five health and hygiene products to those in need.

Beautuber Jackie Aina is Showcasing the Impact of Black Beauty Influencers in Her Upcoming Documentary

Beauty influencer Jackie Aina’s latest project is Social Beauty, a documentary about the way social media influencers are changing the beauty industry. Aina is executive producing the film and plans to center Black content creators who are “changing [beauty] standards, one tutorial at a time.”

The documentary will feature other prominent beauty influencers like Cydnee Black, Alissa Ashley, Whitney White, Shalom Blac, and Nyma Tang.

Aina is a long-time advocate for issues of social justice, and she’s explored topics like microaggressions, colorism, and representation in her YouTube videos, earning her a community of over 3.5 million subscribers.

"I’m so excited to be a part of something that shows our impact as Black women in beauty," Aina told The Hollywood Reporter. "It is an honor being a part of a community that encourages so many of us to believe in ourselves and to look and feel beautiful even when often times the media encourages otherwise."

Philadelphia is Providing Free High-Speed Internet Access for 35,000 Students

With Philadelphia schools opting for online instruction this fall, the city is making sure that students can stay connected during the pandemic. Through the PHLConnectED program, 35,000 students will receive two years of free broadband internet access.

The program prioritizes low-income and housing-insecure families, providing them with either wired internet connection or mobile hotspots depending on their needs. In addition, over 128,000 devices (laptops and tablets) have been distributed to Philadelphia students who lacked technology needed for classes.

This is the first stage in the city’s efforts to promote digital equity and digital literacy for all residents. Programs like PHLConnectED are crucial to lessening the digital divide that makes remote learning difficult (or even impossible) for some families.

''When you go through something that traumatic, it's hard to find a balance. The only thing you want is justice...I'm very grateful to be here and memorialize Breonna Taylor.” - Michael Brown Sr., speaking at a memorial for Breonna Taylor on the 6-year anniversary of his son’s death.

Why aren’t more people talking about… how the Trump administration cut DACA renewals from every two years to just one, meaning Dreamers now must justify their status annually.

Meanwhile, in Lebanon… following public pressure over their failure to prevent the Beirut explosion, the entire Lebanese cabinet has resigned, including the prime minister.

My hero today is… 14-year-old Meena Kumar, who was inspired by her own adoption story to raise $15,000 to help senior dogs find loving homes.

This week is in Black joy… filmmaker Nia DaCosta becomes the first ever Black female director for a Marvel film, Captain Marvel 2.

Today in viral cuteness… Caesar the “No Drama Llama” is marching at Black Lives Matter protests to provide emotional support.

I’m obsessed with… the fact that pretty much every Twitch streamer is playing Fall Guys right now.