*By Madison Alworth*
The actress Yara Shahidi, star of the ABC shows "Black-ish" and "Grown-ish," is taking up a new cause to help young people work toward the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Shahidi joined "Little x Little," a public awareness campaign to rally members of Generation Z to take actions that will make a difference ー recycling, saving water, pitching in to clean up communities.
"For me and my family we've been looking for new ways to invest in our community," said Shahidi. "And of course I have my [Eighteen x 18](https://www.eighteenx18.com/) initiative as well."
That initiative, in conjunction with the social news site [NowThis] (https://nowthisnews.com), aims to get 18 year-olds registered to vote before the midterm elections in November. Shahidi, who turned 18 in February, will take over the NowThis social accounts for an online voter awareness drive.
"It's about voter education," said Shahidi. "Often times, a child is viewed as the anomaly if they are engaged in politics. So what we wanted to do with Eighteen x 18 and in particular with our partnership with NowThis, was to make news digestible. To make the topics that we're already rallying for and calling our senators about digestible in a way that it translates to policy change."
Before the midterms elections, Shahidi will start her freshman year at Harvard.
"I'm really excited for the absurd small classes I get to take," she said.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/yara-shahidis-new-leading-role).
Our celebration of Pride Month continues here on Cheddar News, with a special segment on New York-based photographer Thomas Evans and his efforts to promote unity & equity.
Pop star Bebe Rexha was hit in the face and injured by a cellphone hurled from the audience at a hometown show in New York City Sunday night, and a man was arrested, police said.
Cheddar News is continuing our celebration of Pride Month as we highlight trail blazers throughout the LGBTQ+ community. Cheddar's own Baker Machado recently had the opportunity to sit down with the editor-in-chief of Them, a magazine that covers everything from culture to politics to fashion within the LGBTQ+ community.
If you're stressed out, worried, or just need to let off some steam, consider trying out smash therapy. Our own Shannon LaNier is on the scene to try it for himself.
OceanGate Expeditions on Thursday said pilot and chief executive Stockton Rush, along with passengers Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet “have sadly been lost.”
Americans across the country this weekend celebrated Juneteenth, marking the relatively new national holiday with cookouts, parades and other gatherings as they commemorated the end of slavery after the Civil War.
