Channel Kindness is a collection of must-read inspirational stories from young people, with notes of empowerment by Lady Gaga. Meet Perri, Hanna, Tyrah, and Josh, four young changemakers who are working to make our world a braver and kinder place. Q1. It's BIPOC Mental Health Month, why is it so important to talk about mental health in communities of color? For so long in the mainstream media, conversations about mental health and mental health awareness have been in more generalized terms, but I feel as though that can diminish the unique experiences that Black, Brown, Indigenous, Latinx, and other marginalized folks face based on their identity, as well as the racial trauma and healing that's a part of this topic, so I'm glad that people are using this month and beyond to talk about these issues. Q2. How do you take care of your own mental wellness? This changes every day It definitely has to do with how I'm feeling and what I need at a given moment, so sometimes if I need "me time" I clean my room—it's really good for decluttering my mind, so to speak. Meditation helps with that, too. Sometimes if I need reassurance, I want to talk to a friend. Very much do what feels right for you based on your instincts, because you know yourself better than anyone else. Q3. How can we all come together to increase awareness around mental health and eliminate the stigma? The key is starting small. I think engaging in any conversation so big like eliminating the mental health stigma might seem really daunting at first, but if you bring it down to a smaller scale, find someone that you care deeply about and that you trust, and tell them something that you might have initially been afraid to tell them. This plan might sound challenging or scary, but I've found it to be freeing, and a great step towards eliminating the stigma. Q4. How are kindness and mental health connected and how can people practice being kind to themselves? Doing the work within ourselves can really augment or elevate the work we do outside of ourselves. Whether or not we want to become better friends, better siblings, better group leaders, better teammates, you name it, it really comes down to making self-care and self-love a daily ritual and using the kindness that you've built within yourself to bring to others. Q1: What does inclusion mean to you and how can people practice being inclusive in their everyday lives? This question captures my life’s passion and purpose.  I can boil it down to four things that make a big difference. We need to: Be accepting of all. Celebrate the successes of others. Recognize others and be recognized. Value others and be valued. Q2: A major theme in the book is the idea that kindness is transformative and can facilitate real change. What do you take away from this message and how do you apply it in your daily life? To me, the essence of kindness is that we are stronger together than we are apart.  To practice kindness effectively, you need to really listen and understand others, particularly those who are different than you are. I try to do this with everyone I meet. Q3: What do you hope readers take away from your stories? And what do you hope to accomplish next? I hope they will see that kindness is something we all can practice, whether we are in high school, a fraternity member in college, or the CEO of a global movement. All we need are open hearts. World domination! I’m kidding – I just want to continue to contribute to a world dominated by kindness. Q1: Why is representation in books so important? Representation is books and more specifically in children's literature, is important so that children get an actual representation of what the real world is like. If children were to only see one race, gender, or animal in the books they read, then they wouldn't get a real-life visual of what life is like. This is also critical for children who don't live in diverse communities--I recommend parents broaden their kids' book collections so to fill the gap they may not be getting in school, or in their extra-curricular activities. This next part is cliche, but also so critical. Children need to seem themselves in the media they ingest, so their imaginations and dreams aren't limited. I want everyone to grow up believing that they can be and will be anything and anyone they want to be. Q2: What advice would you give to someone who wants to share their story but doesn’t know where to start? When I wrote my first draft of "Grammy and Me," I shared it with my family. I suggest anyone wanting to share their story to first talk about it with someone they can trust. If you're not comfortable with sharing your story with the world just yet, then share it on a smaller scale first. Start with the people who know you, and once again, the people you trust. After that, think about who you want to hear your story. Who is your audience? Knowing who you want to speak to will make the process a little easier and defined. Q3: A major theme of the Channel Kindness book is that kindness is transformative and can facilitate real change. What does this message mean to you and how do you apply it in your daily life? I believe kindness can facilitate real change. 2020 has been a wild year—I think we all can agree. We saw our country divide over racism and discrimination, something America has seen for decades, unfortunately. When I think about how we are going to make change, I think about kindness and how it starts at a young age. Teaching young children to treat everyone with respect and to love everyone will go a long way. I apply this to my daily life by simply starting off with a smile and a hello. It's not possible to know everyone's backstory and what they are going through—but it is important to respect them and try to understand. Just offering a smile, lets that person know you care. I often think about what our world would be like if everyone were kind to one another. 2020 probably wouldn't have so upsetting, for so many. I hope when young people pick up the Channel Kindness book they find that kindness is transformative and can facilitate real change. Q4: What do you hope readers take away from your story? And what do you hope to accomplish next?   Appreciate the people who love you and support you while they are still here on Earth with you. Also, find time to give back as well. Pay the love and support forward to people who look up to you, and appreciate you. This looks different for many people; for me it was writing a book and sharing memories. Figure out what that thing is for you.   Q1: How does kindness relate to advocacy and activism? In advocacy and activism, you need to interact with people who are being oppressed and people who are causing that oppression. Kindness is the key to doing this effectively. When your aim is kindness, you are willing to listen and understand everyone and everything involved. From this place, you can find the best course of action whereby no one will suffer any kind of mistreatment. Q2: Why did you feel it was so important to take an upstander intervention class and what did you learn? I wanted to help people who may have been mistreated because I, myself, have been the target of mistreatment and misconduct.  I’ve also seen countless people being put into harmful situations and felt as if there was no way I could help them in that moment. In the class, we learned many different ways that we can help: through our ability to name exactly what is happening, our own body language and word choice, as well as many very simple but effective de-escalation strategies. Q3: There are many different stories from young people featured in Channel Kindness, but a major theme is the idea that kindness is transformational and can facilitate real change. What does this message mean to you and how do you apply it in your daily life? Kindness is majorly transformational! It can be as simple as helping someone bring in their groceries or it can be a far more complicated act. For me, this is where my active listening comes in. I am attentive to the needs of those around me, even and especially when they are unable to name those needs. It's an active anticipation of ways to help improve the lives of those in my life. Q4: What do you hope readers take away from your story? And what do you hope to accomplish next? Even if seeing someone being put into distress makes you feel frozen, there is still so much you can do on that person’s behalf. Simple changes in our own behavior can make all the difference when it comes to keeping our fellow citizens safe!  I hope to continue this work, specifically when it comes to underprivileged LGBTQ+ youth. I have been speaking with a few different organizations about opportunities for me to do just that! Learn more about the youth reporters from Channel Kindness here.

Channel Kindness by Born This Way Foundation Reporters with Lady Gaga

Within these pages, you’ll meet young changemakers who found their inner strength, who prevailed in the face of bullies, who started their own social movements, who decided to break through the mental health stigma and share how they felt, who created safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth, and who have embraced kindness with every fiber of their being by helping others without the expectation of anything in return. Individually and collectively, these stories prove that kindness not only saves lives but builds community. Kindness is inclusion, it is pride, it is empathy, it is compassion, it is self-respect and it is the guiding light to love. Kindness is always transformational, and its never-ending ripples result in even more kind acts that can change our lives, our communities, and our world. Channel Kindness arrives in stores on 9.22.20. Preorder your copy now!