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Here's What Morgan Freeman Had To Say About Racism, And Here's A Guy Explaining What He Got Wrong

I've encountered far too many people who think the solution to racism is to just ignore it. Which ... makes no sense! Ignoring a problem won't make it go away. Sadly, actor Morgan Freeman co-signed this idea in an interview a few years ago, which has only helped keep the myth alive. Here's the thing. Morgan Freeman is totally entitled to his opinion, even though I don't agree with him. Every black person is going to have a different opinion/experience/perspective when it comes to racism. With that being said, it's important to be careful when it comes to using "my black friend said" or, in this case, "this black celebrity said" to dismiss someone else's experience/beliefs. Thankfully, this guy isn't ignoring the problem. So he put together this quick video to explain why it's important to keep the conversation going.

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Culture

Young female artist has sold $7 million worth of paintings before she was even 14-years-old

You can see her talent in her very first painting.

Autumn de Forest

Autumn de Forest stands before a sign with her name on it

When Autumn de Forest was 5, she picked up a paintbrush for the first time. It wasn't long before she was ready to show the world what she could do.

After a year of practice, the then-6-year-old asked her father if he could get her a booth at a local art-in-the-park program. "People would come up to the booth, and they would talk to my father, and they'd say, 'This is great!'" she said. "Apparently they thought it was Take Your Daughter to Work Day."

Almost everyone thought the artwork was her father's. And when they found out that tiny Autumn was the artist, people couldn't believe their eyes.


art, kids, art genius, kid genius Autumn created this piece when she was just 5 years old. Autumn de Forest

Soon, Autumn rose to national fame.

When Autumn was 8, she was featured on the Discovery Health Channel. There was a slew of media attention in the years that followed. There was Disney. There was The Today Show. There was Wendy Williams. She was called a child genius, a prodigy, and an expert painter.


autumn deforest, art, kids, paintingSoon, Autumn rose to national fame.Autumn Deforest


Suddenly, Autumn de Forest was everywhere.

But not everyone was so accepting of the young artist and her work. Some people in the art world had ... questions. Sure, she was good for a kid. But was her art actually good? Others wondered if the whole thing might be an elaborate hoax.

Autumn decided not to listen.

By 14 she developed a startlingly organized daily routine that went far beyond a 9 to 5.

Somehow, as the focus on her age begins to wear off, Autumn's work ethic and art only grow stronger. She said that most days, she'd wake up in her parents' Las Vegas home at 7:30 a.m. After breakfast, she'd break out her supplies for a one- or two-hour painting session. From there, she dove into her school work. Most brick-and-mortar schools can't accommodate her travel schedule, so she did the majority of her schooling online.

Before dinner, it's back into the studio.

"That session can last much longer, that can be three or four hours when I really get into it," she said. "Then I probably have dinner and go to bed."

kids, painting, artistic genius, paintings, kid artists Autumn de Forest paints Autumn de Forest


The results? They speak for themselves.

Autumn de Forest, painting, art, kids, prodigy An Autumn de Forest painting Autumn de Forest

Her work has been displayed in galleries and exhibitions all over the world.

Autumn held a public demonstration before a showing at The Butler Institute of American Art.

Autumn de Forest, painting, kids, artAn Autumn de Forest painting Autumn de Forest

In 2015, Autumn received the International Giuseppe Sciacca Award in Painting and Art.

The award took her to the Vatican for a private showing of her artwork with the pope.


She's also worked with the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, headed up by former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Autumn de Forest, the Pope, Pope Francis, painting, artAutumn de Forest stands with the Pope who looks at one of her paintings Autumn de Forest

As part of the program, de Forest traveled to underprivileged schools around the country and led painting workshops. Oh, and if you're looking for some hard numbers to attach to Autumn's talent, she's got those, too.

Her paintings raked in over $7 million at auctions by the time she was a teenager — fetching as much as $25,000 each — much of which has gone directly to charities and disaster relief funds.


At 23-years-old now, what's Autumn de Forest up to lately?

Autumn de Forest, painting, art, kidsAutumn de Forest works with other young painters Autumn de Forest

A lot!

The transition from child prodigy to respected artist has kept her busy.

In 2017, the Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center in Hendersonville, Tennessee hosted a major solo exhibition for de Forest titled "Her White Room: The Art of Autumn de Forest."

That same year, de Forest was listed as one of Teen Vogue's "21 Under 21." In her profile she was praised for her talent as well as her commitment to art education.

"In dis­advantaged schools, they consider the arts an extracur­ricular activity," she told Teen Vogue. "It's devastating, as there could be child prodigies in these schools, but they don't know that they have this God-­given gift because they're not given the opportunity because there's nearly no art programs in schools."

In 2018, de Forest was featured in the music video for the song "Youth" by best-selling recording artists Shawn Mendes and Khalid. The video highlights exceptional young people working to change the world, including de Forest, Emma González, and Elias and Zion Phoenix.

The video has over 17 million plays on YouTube.

And of course, Autumn continues to share her absolutely incredible artwork on Instagram and in shows and exhibitions around the globe.

The Autumn de Forest Foundation, helps her keep track of the kids she's met throughout the years and to continue to help them with their art careers.

A portion of the foundation's money goes to a 529 account set up for the students while 10% goes to them directly.

"A lot of these kids that I work with, they're not very old, they're in second grade, third grade, fourth grade. Maybe in 10 years, they may only have four or five thousand dollars but that could be the difference between them going to college or not," Autumn told Teen Vogue.

Autumn's incredible rise in the art world is an astonishing feat for someone who's still in her teens. But that accomplishment is easily matched by her generosity and commitment to helping develop tomorrow's prodigies as well.

For more information, visit the Autumn de Forest Foundation.


This article originally appeared nine years ago.

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Love Stories

Husband documents his 35-year-old wife's recovery from strokes in emotional video

"This is my story of how I sacrificed and lost everything to get my soulmate back."

thededicatedcaregiver/Instagram

Husband helps his wife on the road to recovery.

Life can change in an instant, and for Matt Cauli (@thededicatedcaregiver) and his wife Kanlaya, their world was flipped upside down on May 15, 2020. On that day, Kanlaya suddenly suffered a massive stroke caused by undiagnosed ovarian cancer that subsequently led to a second stroke, resulting in part of her skull being removed and paralysis on her left side. Since then, Matt has documented her journey towards healing and his role as her 'dedicated caregiver.'

In an emotional video shared on Instagram explaining more of their story, Matt and Kanlaya are seen celebrating their son Ty's birthday together before their lives changed forever. "Imagine everything in your life is perfect, and then, your wife at age 35 suffers two massive strokes paralyzing her left side, all from ovarian cancer we did not know about," the video caption reads.

The next clip is of Kanlaya lying in a hospital bed, followed by an emotional Matt letting out his rage and sadness alone in his car. ""This is my story of how I sacrificed and lost everything to get my soulmate back," he writes in the video.


From there, Kanlaya's recovery begins with a number of emotional scenes. Matt is seen helping her stand up while still in the hospital, her head wrapped from her brain surgery. Their son Ty visits her before they are back home and working on adjusting to their new normal.

"After 3 months in the hospital, in and out of surgery’s and rehab, she was finally able to come home. She had to wear a helmet most of the time to protect her head as she did not have a skull. She was in a wheelchair, needed help with everything, shower, cut up food, cleaning wounds, exercising, so much more, things that I never thought I would have to do to someone, let alone my wife," he writes on the family's website. "It was incredibly hard to balance suddenly being a caregiver, working a crazy job and being a parent. I needed an outlet and a way to express myself and that outlet was social media."

The video continues, and Matt is by Kanlaya's side during more hospital visits, making the most of them by dancing and finding joy in the small moments. At home, he helps her shower and her bed set-up is shown. She continues to gain physical strength, and the video shows him assisting her with her leg braces and physical therapy exercises.

Matt's content offers a realistic look into the world of caregiving, which he notes is not always rainbows and sunshine. "But my content is not always happy. There were times where I needed to share my struggles. I even had some very emotional videos where you can see me screaming in my car," he added.

Despite the challenges, he uses the platform to encourage others who are also caregivers or supporting loved ones through cancer or stroke recovery (Kanlaya also went through chemotherapy). Matt is now her full-time caregiver.

If you would like to donate to the Cauli family to help with expenses such as medical bills, rehab equipment, home adjustments, and more, you can do so here.

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Motherhood

People are in disbelief learning how many moms literally daydream about being hospitalized

It's a real phenomenon.

Canva, @emilykmay/X

woman lying in a hospital bed looking out the window

It's hard to explain the relentless intensity of having young children if you haven't done it. It's wonderful, beautiful, magical and all of that—it truly is—but it's a lot. Like, a lot. It's a bit like running an ultramarathon through the most beautiful landscape you can imagine. There's no question that it's amazing, but it's really, really hard. And sometimes there are storms or big hills or obstacles or twisted ankles or some other thing that makes it even more challenging for a while.

Unfortunately, a lot of moms feel like they're running that marathon alone. Some actually are. Some have partners who don't pull their weight. But even with an equal partner, the early years tend to be mom-heavy, and it takes a toll. In fact, that toll is so great that it's not unusual for moms to fantasize about being hospitalized—not with anything serious, just something that requires a short stay—simply to get a genuine break.

moms, motherhood, exhaustion, parenting, parentingAn exhausted mom looks at her laptop while kids play in the backgroundImage via Canva

In a thread on X (formerly Twitter), a mom named Emily shared this truth: "[I don't know] if the lack of community care in our culture is more evident than when moms casually say they daydream about being hospitalized for something only moderately serious so that they are forced to not have any responsibilities for like 3 days."

In a follow-up tweet, she added, "And other moms are like 'yeah totally' while childfree Gen Z girls’ mouths hang open in horror."

Other moms corroborated, not only with the fantasy but the reality of getting a hospital break:

"And can confirm: I have the fondest memories of my appendicitis that almost burst 3 weeks after my third was born bc I emergency had to go get it taken out and I mean I let my neighbor take my toddlers and I let my husband give the baby formula, and I slept until I was actually rested. Under the knife, but still. It was really nice," wrote one mom.

"I got mastitis when my first was 4 months old. I had to have surgery, but my hospital room had a nice view, my mom came to see me, the baby was with me but other people mostly took care of her, bliss," shared another.


motherhood, moms, babies, exhaustion, mental healthAn exhausted mom holds her newborn babyImage via Canva

Some people tried to blame lackadaisical husbands and fathers for moms feeling overwhelmed, but as Emily pointed out, it's not always enough to have a supportive spouse. That's why she pointed to "lack of community care" in her original post.


They say it takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village to raise a mother. Without the proverbial village, we end up bearing too much of the weight of childrearing ourselves. We're not just running the ultramarathon—we're also carrying the water, bandaging the blisters, moving fallen trees out of the way, washing the sweat out of our clothes—and we're doing it all without any rest.

Why don't moms just take a vacation instead of daydreaming about hospitalization? It's not that simple. Many people don't have the means for a getaway, but even if they do, there's a certain level of "mom guilt" that comes with purposefully leaving your young children. Vacations usually require planning and decision-making as well, and decision fatigue is one of the most exhausting parts of parenting.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Strange as it may seem, the reason hospitalization is attractive is that it's forced—if you're in the hospital, you have to be there, so there's no guilt about choosing to leave. It involves no decision-making—someone else is calling the all shots. You literally have no responsibilities in the hospital except resting—no one needs anything from you. And unlike when you're on vacation, most people who are caring for your kids when you're in the hospital aren't going to constantly contact you to ask you questions. They'll leave you to let you rest.

Paula Fitzgibbons shares that had three kids under the age of 3 in 11 months (two by adoption and one by birth). Her husband, despite being very involved and supportive, had a 1.5 hour commute for work, so the lion's share of childcare—"delightful utter chaos" as she refers to it—fell on her shoulders. At one point, she ended up in the ER with atrial fibrillation, and due to family medical history was kept in the hospital for a few days for tests and monitoring.

"When people came to visit me or called to see how I was, I responded that I was enjoying my time at 'the spa,' and though I missed my family, I was soaking it all in," she tells Upworthy. "My husband understood. Other mothers understood. The medical staff did not know what to make of my cheerful demeanor, but there I was, lying in bed reading and sleeping for four straight days with zero guilt. What a gift for a new mom."

moms, motherhood, mental health, exhaustion, relaxing, relaxation A mom relaxing in a chairImage via Canva

When you have young children, your concept of what's relaxing shifts. I recall almost falling asleep during one of my first dental cleanings after having kids. That chair was so comfy and no one needed anything from me—I didn't even care what they were doing to my teeth. It felt like heaven to lie down and rest without any demands being made of me other than "Open a little wider, please."

Obviously, being hospitalized isn't ideal for a whole host of reasons, but the desire is real. There aren't a lot of simple solutions to the issue of moms needing a real break—not just an hour or two, but a few days—but maybe if society were structured in such a way that we had smaller, more frequent respites and spread the work of parenting across the community, we wouldn't feel as much of a desire to be hospitalized simply to be able to be able to rejuvenate.

This article originally appeared three years ago.

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Joy

Man with terminal cancer throws himself a 'going away party' in lieu of a memorial service

He wanted to attend his own "celebration of life," so he just…did.

Photo credit: Canva

Gathering with loved ones to say good-bye can be empowering.

When you know your life will be coming to an end soon, what do you do? How do you spend your final weeks? Do you get your affairs in order? Spend time with your family as you await the inevitable?

If you're someone like Bibi Brzozka's father, you throw yourself a goodbye party as if you're only getting ready to leave town. Brzozka shared a video about her father, who is dying of terminal cancer, organizing a "Goodbye Party" for 50 of his friends and family so they could celebrate his life while he was still alive and able to enjoy it.

"My dad is a legend," Brzozka wrote in an Instagram post. "I’m not sure how it is in your country, ⁣but in Poland, admitting you are dying is often seen as giving up—a big no-go because it's believed to bring bad luck. ⁣It makes people deeply uncomfortable.⁣ Here, we have a tradition of honoring people after their funeral. ⁣It’s called STYPA. ⁣But my dad? ⁣He wasn’t interested in a gathering where he wouldn’t be present—so he decided to have ⁣a PRE-STYPA instead.⁣
⁣
"This was completely new for people here—bold, unconventional, and courageous. ⁣But that’s just who my dad is. ⁣
And that’s exactly what I’ve inherited ⁣from him.⁣ We're not "normal"…We do things differently.

"What truly amazed me was how many people left inspired, saying they’d love to celebrate their life while they’re still here.⁣"

"While it was shocking for some, it was also deeply inspiring for others," Brzozka shared. The idea of saying goodbye properly, at a dedicated event with that specific focus, is a beautiful way to embrace the end of life and to celebrate the person who will be passing on, even if it's not what we normally see.

Others in the comments shared stories of their loved ones throwing similar parties and how much it meant to everyone who came.

"My great aunt did this back in the 1990s. She paid for all her siblings and their kids to join her in Florida when she was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. I accompanied my grandma, the oldest sibling, and one other from my generation was invited. I was always close to Aunt Florence. It made sense to me when she said, why would I want you all to throw a party after I’m gone? Let’s do it now."

"I got to perform for a similar goodbye party for someone passing away from cancer, last year. Very small and intimate gathering with family and friends, got to sing their special requests, everyone was singing along crying, and dancing. It was so hard holding back tears watching everyone emotional and embracing each other 🥺🥹 this is indeed a lovely idea more ppl should do, celebrate each other in life while we have the chance."

family celebrating, family, gathering, celebration, life, deathCelebrations of life don't have to wait until death.Photo credit: Canva

"My friend did this about 25 years ago she had breast cancer - We sang and danced and a young man came to sing for her he bought her a birthday present-she said oh no darling it's not my birthday it's my going away party 💔❤️🩹she was so brave❤️I still talk about it with friends."

"One of my close friends did this before she passed of breast cancer. It's was an amazing event and when I miss her, I watch the video of her farewell party."

"I went to a celebration of life party for a friend who was terminally ill. At first I found the concept odd but he enjoyed it very much and we all laughed and cried tears of joy together. Our culture needs to change its views on dying It is not something to hide but rather to celebrate a life well lived."

dinner party, gathering, loved ones, life, celebration, partyGood food and good company make a goodbye party a celebration.Photo credit: Canva

Many people said that they loved the idea and appreciate how it celebrates life while life is still happening.

"What a blessing to be able to do that, many of us don’t have the privilege of knowing when our time will come. And while it doesn’t necessarily make it easier, I think this is a beautiful way to honor life and walk along side him on his journey home. ❤️ much love to your sweet dad and the family/community he created."

"I love this!! I’m all about why do we only rest in peace, let’s live in peace too! I think this is a perfect example of that perspective. Don’t come and honor me once I’ve passed, come celebrate my life while I’m alive! Thank you, for sharing! This is a beautiful idea and a way I’d love to say goodbye to the most important people in my life."

"What a beautiful idea. I would definitely do that. And I might one day."

Looking death in the eye and saying, "Hey, let's have a big final bash and celebrate this life of mine!" is an incredibly empowering way to not only accept death, which eventually comes to us all, but to embrace life with radiant joy.

celebration of life
Joy

Weatherman discovers his map has a touchscreen and is overcome with contagious joy

"This wasn't in the training manual!"

assets.rebelmouse.io

Meteorologist Greg Dutra had no idea he was using a touchscreen.

For many, if not most of us, our day jobs are filled with familiar routines. But every so often, a something whimsical and new might pop up to break us from mundane patterns and uncover some joy and wonder. A customer that makes us laugh, a coworker who makes up a weird game, and wholesome zoom snafu…all these things can make the mundane a little more magical.

For Greg Dutra, a meteorologist for ABC7 Chicago, that joy was found during a live weather report, which turned into a delightful viral sensation.

The weather report started off in its usual way, with Dutra pointing out potential rain patterns on a digital map. But once this weatherman realized his map was actually a touchscreen, his excitement simply could not be contained. Childlike glee ensued.

weather report, touchscreen, greg dutra, abc chicago, funny weather reportsJust when you think you know everything about your job…Photo credit: Canva

“I can do that? No way!” he exclaimed, with all the enthusiasm of a kid on Christmas morning. “Are you serious? Did you just discover that?” his morning co-host Val Warner asked off camera. Then Terrell Brown, another co-host, popped into frame to join in on the fun. He showed the awestruck reporter that yes, one can move the map simply by touching it. Evidently no one had made Dutra privy to those marvels of modern technology.

“Oh man, It’s a great day!” Dutra cheered, his smile going from ear to ear. Poor guy tried his best to continue with his weather report, but it was too late. The joy had taken over, and giggling ensued.The entire clip is less than a minute, but it took the internet by storm (weather pun not intended, but you’re welcome).

The video quickly amassed nearly 2 millions views on Twitter. Let’s just say that hearts were won over by Dutra’s wholehearted pleasure and hilarious sense of wonder.

We’re sorry this wasn’t in your training manual, Dutra. But thank you for giving us a reason to smile today. Your forecast might have been rainy, but your attitude is a ray of sunshine.

By the way, Dutra has more funny takes where that cam from. Like this hilarious flub:

Or this one, where he let a kid take over for a weather report (and honestly did a bang up job)

In other words, Dutra might be the most entertaining meteorologist on the internet, and you should give him a follow.

This article originally appeared three years ago.

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