As of now, 2016 is widely accepted to be one of the worst years in history. We've all come to believe that 2016 was a truly terrible year for everybody - and in some ways, it was. With all of the violence, death, and the destruction of the American democracy as we know it, 2016 was a difficult year. Yet, as hard as it is to think positively, it is important to look back at all of the good things that happened this year. So here are sixteen good things that happened in 2016
1. Hillary Clinton made history
While we may not have shattered the Glass Ceiling as I and so many other women and feminists had hoped, we did accomplish much more than any other woman in American history has. Hillary Clinton became the first woman to win the nomination for a major political party in the US, and became the first woman to win the popular vote. Clinton won't become the first female president, but someday someone will.
2. Women of color also made history in the US government
We now have more women of color serving in our national government at one time than we have ever had before. We elected the first Somali-American legislator, the first Latina Senator, and much more. It is very easy to see 2016 as a year filled with bigotry and small-mindedness, but this is a reminder that despite everything, we took some very big steps toward equality in our government.
3. Bill of Rights for Sexual Abuse Victims
This year, President Obama signed into action the Survivors' Bill of Rights, which explicitly lists the rights given to sexual abuse survivors. This bill is a huge step towards ending rape culture in the US, but even more incredible is the fact that Congress passed this bill due in large part to a Change.org petition. This is an example of true democracy. Americans made their voices herd, and our leaders responded.
4. Lower Unemployment Levels
According to the Labor Department, the US unemployment rate fell drastically. At 4.6 percent, it is the lowest is it has been since the beginning of the 2008 Recession.
5. The Cubs win the World Series
Of course, we can't all be fans of the Cubs, it is still incredible that after 108 years, the team finally overcame their "Curse" to win the World Series.
6. US Domination in Rio Olympics
The US dominated in the 2016 Rio Olympics, winning a total of 46 medals. Britain, which second, won only 27 medals.
7. No measles in North and South America
The Pan-American Health Organization declared this September that North and South America is the first area in the world to have officially eliminated measles. Through countless vaccinations over the course of twenty-two years, the PAHO and other health organizations ensured that no children in the Americas would die needlessly of measles.
8. Leonardo DiCaprio finally wins and Oscar
We may not all be fans of DiCaprio, but we've still got to feel bad for the guy, who after four unsuccessful nominations for incredibly popular movies, finally took home an Oscar this February.
9. Disney's Moana
Although there was some controversy about the portrayal of some of the film's characters, Monoa was a victory in its portrayal of a strong female lead and of Disney's first Polynesian princess.
10. High School graduation rates record high
In 2016, over eighty-six percent of high school graduated, the highest graduation rate in American history.
11. Standing Rock
After months of peaceful protesting and, and despite much of mainstream media's silence on the Standing Rock protests, they agreed to reroute The Dakota Access Pipeline. This was another victory for American democracy, a victory of the many over the elite few.
12. Teen Pregnancy Rates are now lower than ever
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced this year that teen pregnancy rates are now lower than ever before.
13. Pokemon Go
Whether you were a huge fan of the game, or you were like me and couldn't be bothered to even download the app, it is undeniable that Pokemon Go had a positive effect on young people everywhere. It helped people get up and outside and interacting with one another, and more importantly, it brought them back to their childhoods, helping them relive the Saturday morning cartoon they enjoyed as kids.
14. A Breakthrough in US-Cuba Relations
After several years of efforts to improve relations between the two countries, President Obama became the first US president in nearly nine decades to visit Cuba. This change in the two nations' relations means that we can now take commercial flights directly to Cuba and that the two countries can now work together on a host of other issues.
15. A Breakthrough in ALS Research
Remember those Ice Bucket Challenges everyone did back in 2014? Well they actually made a difference. They raised a lot of awareness and funds for ALS research, and in 2016, researchers discovered a gene tied to ALS, a huge step towards finding the cure.
16. Hamilton blew up!
Although Hamilton debuted in 2015, it really became a sensational hit throughout 2016. Lin-Manuel Miranda's brilliant musical depicted the founding members of our nation, using a cast that is as diverse and varied as our country is, today. The eloquent cast's statement to Vice-President-Elect Mike Pence will also serve as one of the highlights of this year.
So, although 2016 might go down as a year of tragedy after tragedy, it might be beneficial for us to go into 2017, not just with hope that it will be an improvement, but also with an understanding that even the worst of times contain positive gems.. There were a lot of negative events to feel bad about in 2016, but a lot of positive things happened as well, and we certainly should not forget that.
