You may remember “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” a children’s book about a delightfully grouchy kid who has to endure a string of indignities in one dreadful day.

Like Alexander, millions of people across the world have collectively had a terrible, horrible year (but unlike him, the difficulties we’ve faced are far worse than sitting in the middle of the back seat or having to eat lima beans). Here’s the thing, though, 2020 wasn’t entirely bad. There were happy developments. While some are obvious (coronavirus vaccines), others may have been easier to overlook.

Here are 10 pieces of women-focused good news you might have missed this year.

1. A professional women’s soccer team is coming to Los Angeles

The City of Angels will soon welcome Angel City, a placeholder name for the National Women’s Soccer League team that aims to start playing in 2022. The team, which was announced in July, was founded almost entirely by women. Investors include Serena Williams; her husband, Alexis Ohanian; their 3-year-old daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.; and actresses Uzo Aduba, America Ferrera and Jennifer Garner.

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2. An animated show about a girl detective was voiced entirely by actors of Asian descent

“Mira, Royal Detective,” a Disney cartoon series that premiered in March, features a fearless girl who is appointed to the role of royal detective by the queen. The show is set in Jalpur, a fictional land inspired by India, and all the characters are voiced by actors of South Asian descent, including Jameela Jamil, Kal Penn, Freida Pinto, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Maulik Pancholy, Hari Kondabolu and Sarayu Blue. “We have a Disney girl who isn’t waiting for a prince to save her. She is saving the day. That’s important not just for South Asian girls but for all girls — and all boys — to see,” said Jamil, who is known for her role as Tahani on “The Good Place,” in an interview with The Lily.

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3. Pastry chefs fighting racism possibly created the world’s biggest bake sale

In June, after the police killing of George Floyd, three D.C. chefs launched Bakers Against Racism with the goal of raising money for Black Lives Matter. Through the project, professional chefs and home bakers made and sold desserts, then donated the profits to groups that promote social justice and support communities of color. Thousands of bakers across hundreds of cities in several countries have participated. The group has raised more than $2 million.

ICYMI

Three need-to-know stories

01.

The new Netflix film “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” began streaming Friday. Starring Viola Davis as blues musician Gertrude “Ma” Rainey and the late Chadwick Boseman in his last role, the film spotlights Rainey, a Black LGBTQ pioneer known for openly dating women and cross-dressing in her performances in the early 1900s. But one writer argues the film doesn’t do Rainey justice.

02.

President-elect Joe Biden chose Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) Thursday to serve as the first Native American Cabinet secretary and head the Interior Department. He also picked Gina McCarthy, whose organization has sued the Trump administration more than 100 times, to become the nation’s first “national climate adviser.”

03.

The New York Times said it has reassigned Rukmini Callimachi, one of its highest-profile journalists, after acknowledging that a would-be Islamic State terrorist’s account of committing atrocities in Syria, as featured in the award-winning podcast “Caliphate,” could not be substantiated. 

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Taking note

A figure to know

No two childhoods are exactly alike, but Janine de Greef’s was highly atypical. In May 1940, when she was 14, the Nazis invaded Belgium. At 16, she joined the Belgian resistance, helping smuggle hundreds of downed Allied airmen, mostly British but including more than 100 Americans, south through Nazi-occupied France to neutral Spain. By 19, she had successfully completed more than 30 dangerous trips from France to the Spanish border via train, bicycle, tram or on foot, spiriting Allied airmen to safety. The de Greef family — including Janine’s parents and older brother — was credited with saving more than 320 of the 800 or so Allied airmen who survived being shot down over Belgium, writes Phil Davison in The Washington Post. Ms. de Greef died Nov. 7 in Brussel. She was 95.

Until next time

But before we part, some recs

Maya Sugarman

video editor, The Lily

What I’m sipping on:

For the past few months, I’ve been ordering bags of coffee beans from Little Waves Coffee Roasters, a Latina co-owned roaster in Durham, N.C. My favorite beans so far have been the Bella Vista Mayan Harvest Women’s Group. The group, based in Chiapas, Mexico, “works with female producers in the area to promote their coffees, improve quality, and move past the gender inequity in the region.”

What I’m walking in:

I’m a big fan of easy-on shoes. My favorite everyday pair has been these laceless Nike sneakers, designed with a zip closure secured by a velcro strap. I throw them on before my daily meditative lunchtime walk.

How I’ve been watering big plants:

As a quick and easy weekend project, I set up DIY drip irrigation for my bigger plants. I used my collection of kombucha bottles I kept meaning to recycle. My bottles didn’t have lids, so I modified this guide by using heavy duty aluminum foil. I had a self-watering system within minutes.

🖤

Thanks for reading.