The First EMTs Were Black

https://youtube.com/shorts/QWBryw7hvCg?si=h32ycxrgmBYLUEyP 

Life-Changing Books

An excerpt from Upworthy - 

We asked people to share books that changed their life. Here are 12 top reads.

The power of a good book is unmatched.

By Annie Reneau

Out of all human inventions, books might just be the greatest. That's a bold statement in the face of computers, the Internet, and the International Space Station, but none of those things would be possible without books. The written record of human knowledge has allowed our learning advancements to be passed down through generations, not to mention how incredible it is that we're able to capture human creativity through longform storytelling.

Books have the power to change our lives on a fundamental level, shift our thinking, influence our beliefs, put us in touch with our feelings, and help us understand ourselves and one another better. That's why, in January 2024, we asked Upworthy's audience to share a book that changed their life. Thousands of responses later, we have a list of inspiring reads that rose to the top.

Unsurprisingly, the most common responses were religious scriptures—the Bible, the Quran, the Book of Mormon, etc. Beyond those, here are the most common books, both fiction and non-fiction, that people considered life-changing.

1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

"From the very first page, Coelho's storytelling prowess weaves a tapestry of adventure, wisdom, and self-discovery that is unparalleled. The protagonist's quest for his personal legend resonated deeply with me, prompting introspection into my own aspirations and purpose. The narrative, while seemingly a simple tale, unravels layers of universal truths and timeless wisdom that are applicable to every reader's journey." – Matt Brown

"Such greatness. Coelho tells the story with simplicity and elegance, and it is beautiful. The Alchemist is rhetorical kind of book that stays with you, and demands some time to unfold in your mind. Loved it!" – J. Green

2. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

"This book literally changed my outlook on so many things. I’ve read it at least three times completely through. It helps deal with anxiety and helps you reframe and analyze your thoughts which may be troubling you. The writing style is great and I’ve already read other books by the same author. Would highly recommend purchasing this if you want to rethink your assumptions about yourself or other people." – Freddy

"By far the best book I’ve read. The simplicity in composition and detail is amazing. Would recommend everyone have a read. This book is truly a masterpiece." – Joshua

3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

"I remember reading the book many years ago and being moved by it especially being from the North and not as familiar with racism. I wondered why some schools were banning it so decided to revisit. I had forgotten the details but it is still an important book and reminds us that the fight against all prejudice is never finished and its current resurgence is cause for concern. This book should be required reading at a pretty young age. We can’t change what we don’t understand. If you have children read it with them and teach them well." – Maria

"I can’t imagine, for the life of me, why this book has been banned. It is the most moral and righteous book I’ve ever read. It represents a time in our history when racism was endemic to the white population except for one compassionate lawyer. Told from his children’s point of view with an unforgettable narrator, the story of a small southern town comes alive." – Peggy

https://www.upworthy.com/12-life-changing-books-according-to-readers-ex1

Kesha Speaks on Marriage

 

@keshaspeaks

The data has been clear for years. The conditioning just hoped you wouldn’t notice. 😏 Sign up for the SpeakEasy newsletter at the link in my bio to unpack conversations just like this.

♬ original sound - Kesha Speaks

Therapy Lesson

 

@wauvetalks Healing what they broke #fyp ♬ original sound - wauvetalks

Finally Getting Her Flowers!

An excerpt from Atlanta Black Star - 

‘No One Else Could Do It’: Ice Skater Surya Bonaly Hits Back as Ilia Malinin Gets Olympic Glory — and the Medal — for What Derailed Her Career

By Angelina

Figure skating fans will not allow history to be rewritten during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. Headlines are buzzing over the acrobatic ice skating stunt that helped to push U.S. athlete Ilia “Quad God” Malinin into uncharted gold medal success.

The 21-year-old became the first person to victoriously complete an in-competition backflip and land on one foot during his free skate routine on Feb. 8. But in the last few days, viral clips of his history-making accomplishment sparked fanfare and debates.

Olympian Surya Bonaly speaks after another ice skater was given a medal for a flip that she was punished for over 20 years ago. (Photos by Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images; suryabonaly1/Instagram; Andy Cheung/Getty Images)

One viewer gushed, “I know his performance today had a slight misstep, but this dude did a backflip and landed on ONE skate!! He’s 21 years old so we will get to see him for a ling time. Ilia Malinin is amazing.”

That reaction and others like it, though, were greeted with reminders of the legend who made the flip iconic. The high-stakes maneuver was banned 30 years ago and only became a legal move in 2024.

The formerly forbidden stunt, known as “the Bonaly flip,” was named after Surya Bonaly, a skater who competed for France in the 1998 Nagano Games.

The performance was a final fête marking her retirement from competition and years of being penalized and overlooked for her transformative and athletic approach to the sport.

Judges docked points from Bonaly for deploying the incredible trick in her professional finale, dropping her from sixth place to tenth. She told reporters that her goal was to “show the judges — who don’t appreciate what I do — just what I can do.”

https://atlantablackstar.com/2026/02/13/fans-are-outraged-over-olympic-move-that-earned-ilia-malinin-gold-in-2026-and-cost-surya-bonaly-everything/

Charma La'Donna - Making Magic

Charm La’Donna Is The Black Woman Behind The Super Bowl’s Biggest Moments

By BIN

https://www.binnews.com/content/2026-02-13-charm-ladonna-is-the-black-woman-behind-the-super-bowls-biggest-moments/

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A post shared by Charm La’Donna (@charmladonna)

Advice I Wish I Had Years Ago

 

@keshaspeaks

You didn’t fail the relationship. You outgrew the version of yourself who carried it. 😌

♬ original sound - Kesha Speaks

https://www.tiktok.com/@keshaspeaks/video/7578657595402063134?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc 

Give Thanks

 

@ddp8792 #relatable #christiantiktok #god #jesus #faith ♬ original sound - Davi

https://www.tiktok.com/@ddp8792/video/7586366103194995982?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc 

This Young Man is Working To Solve Our Problems

 

@commonground___ #politics #debate #conservative #liberal ♬ original sound - commonground

https://www.tiktok.com/@commonground___/video/7578421252793044254?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc 

White Woman Passing

 

@toureshow

I love this story. Alice was a boss.

♬ Be Real Black for Me - Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway

https://www.tiktok.com/@toureshow/video/7579073496400071966?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc 

Well?

 

@dallas_observer ICYMI: Last week, we invited Cure for Paranoia’s frontman, Cameron McCloud, into the office to film one of his viral daily verses ahead of his concert at Trees, which Dallas Observer is sponsoring. We then learned that the band will have a noteworthy speaker introducing them: Rep. Jasmine Crockett. To announce her run for Senate, @Jasmine Crockett asked @Cure For Paranoia ♬ original sound - Dallas Observer

https://www.tiktok.com/@dallas_observer/video/7584559512435051831?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc 

Ethiopia!

 

@surgentv Cradle of Humankind #fyp #foryoupage #ethiopia #ethiopian_tik_tok ♬ original sound - Surgen

https://www.tiktok.com/@surgentv/video/7575644881410870550?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

(I had the pleasure of visiting this amazing country when I lived in the UAE. It was a joy to behold. - Faye)

Passing @ Vassar

 

@toureshow

I love this story

♬ original sound - Toure YT: ToureTube

https://www.tiktok.com/@toureshow/video/7579093857959218463?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc 

A Fabulous In-Home Daycare

 

@the_whitneyc They did a phenomenal job getting this together! She will be helping me revamp this Summer #childcare #inhomedaycare #charlottenc #daycare #daycareprovider ♬ MINI VLOG. - ALOHI STYLE

https://www.tiktok.com/@the_whitneyc/video/7591740419986279735?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc 

The Real Hidden Figures

An excerpt from People - 

The Inspiring True Story of Hidden Figures: Meet the Real NASA Mathematicians Who Got Man on the Moon

The movie based on Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson was the top-grossing Oscar-nominated film of 2017

By Nicole Briese 

Taraji P. Henson in Hidden Figures (2016) ; NASA space scientist, and mathematician Katherine Johnson at NASA Langley Research Center in 1966 in Hampton, Virginia.

Credit : Hopper Stone/Twentieth Century Fox ; NASA/Donaldson Collection/Getty

Hidden Figures may have been a box office sensation thanks to its leading ladies Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe, but it was the story of the real NASA women behind the film that captivated the world.

The behind-the-scenes calculations done by mathematicians Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson became instrumental to the space race missions headed by astronauts such as John Glenn (the first American to orbit the Earth), Alan Shepard (the first American in space) and Neil Armstrong (the first person to walk on the moon).

"These [women] are our true American heroes," Monáe, who portrayed Jackson in the three-time Oscar-nominated movie told CNN. "It's because of them that we can have that as America. We can feel proud that we achieved something so extraordinary."

More than nailing their numbers, the real-life women behind the characters, known as “calculators” in the NASA Langley Research Center where they worked, were pioneers of the workforce, overcoming gender and race discrimination to break glass ceilings in their field.

Johnson gave Henson and co. her stamp of approval, telling the Los Angeles Times of the film, “It was well-done. The three leading ladies did an excellent job portraying us.”

Keep reading to find out the inspired true story of Hidden Figures, from its historically accurate events to its inspiring real-life trailblazers.

Who was Katherine Johnson?

            Katherine Johnson.

NASA/Donaldson Collection/Getty

Creola Katherine Johnson, known as the “human computer,” was a mathematician who worked for NASA from 1953 to 1986.

Having entered high school at the age of 10, she graduated summa cum laude from college at age 18 per the organization. “I counted everything. I counted the steps to the road, the steps up to church, the number of dishes and silverware I washed ... anything that could be counted, I did,” she later recalled to NASA.

The Virginia school teacher went on to become the first Black woman to integrate into West Virginia University’s graduate school in 1939, though she left prematurely to focus on her family with husband James Goble. Johnson later married James A. Johnson following Goble’s death in 1956.

After joining NASA in 1953, Johnson continued to make history. In 1960, she co-authored a report with a NASA engineer, marking the first time a woman in her flight research division had ever been credited on a research report. “The movie and book were pretty accurate. Women did not have their names included as authors on technical [papers] in the early days,” Johnson later told the Los Angeles Times.

According to the institution, Johnson’s calculations were instrumental in supporting some of the biggest milestones in aeronautic history. She contributed a trajectory analysis for Freedom 7, the first American spacecraft to carry a person into space in 1961. She also famously ran hand calculations confirming the computerized orbital equations that controlled the trajectory of Glenn’s Friendship 7 mission — the first to orbit Earth — in 1962.

In later years, Johnson worked on what she went on to cite as her greatest contribution to space: her calculations for the organization’s Apollo projects, including the lunar module (the lander spacecraft that allowed for Apollo 11’s first flight to the Moon), the Apollo 11 mission, and the Apollo 13 mission, for which she provided contingency procedures that allowed its astronauts to get home safely when its equipment malfunctioned.

She also reportedly worked on calculations for the fourth human space flight program, a.k.a. the Space Shuttle program, and helped create plans for a mission to Mars.

https://people.com/inside-the-true-story-of-hidden-figures-8782551

A Brilliant Mathematician

 

We mourn the passing of VSU alumna Dr. Gladys West, a trailblazer whose brilliance helped shape modern GPS technology. Her legacy of excellence, innovation, and service will forever inspire Trojan Nation. pic.twitter.com/8vRpKtgZJ8

— Virginia State University (@VSU_1882) January 19, 2026

https://x.com/VSU_1882/status/2013287019888128428?s=20 

The Super Bowl

 

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A post shared by Éros Brousson (@erosbrousson)

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUHJgJwCZHe/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== 

Love Her Spirit!

 

@lainedubin THE WINNER TAKES IT ALLLLLLLLL🏆🥇 🎥 @Emma #figureskating #figureskatingtiktok #iceskating #iceskatingtiktok #plussizefigureskater #figureskatingtiktoks #iceskater #figureskater #adultfigureskater #adultsskatetoo ♬ The Winner Takes It All - Mamma Mia Songs

https://www.tiktok.com/@lainedubin/video/7484290589974957343?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc 

Solomon Ray - Jesus and My Coffee (Lyrics)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYhzhASuWrI&list=RDqYhzhASuWrI&start_radio=1

“The Most POWERFUL Thing a Human Has Ever Said!" - The Walter Payton Sto...

https://youtu.be/iO0VKuK_7aM?si=GaO-qnmrDEvGAloI