Transcripts For WPVI Nightline 20160915

Burritos. You thought your pizza delivery guy was high . First the nightline 5. Theres no one road out there. No one surface. No one speed. No one way of driving on each and every road. But there is one car that can conquer them all, the mercedesbenz cclass. Five driving modes let you customize the steering, shift points, and suspension to fit the mood youre in and the road youre on. The 2016 cclass. Lease the c300 for 369 a month at your local mer tonight a story from that often explosive nexus between the personal and political. It involves hair. Specifically the hairstyles of young africanamericans. And the controversial decision made by one School District that fed into a heated National Debate. Heres abcs Deborah Roberts. Reporter this 15yearold Ashanti Scott knows hair can say so much about us. A cheerleader at butler high in louisville, kentucky, she proudly wears hers in its natural tightly curled state. So she was stunned this year when she saw her schools new dress code policy. It was the hair and i noticed that as you kept reading it just added more and more hairstyles that were natural and mostly worn by black people. Did it feel personal to you . It felt very personal to me because ive worn those hairstyles. It was almost like an attack on me and who i am and my culture. Reporter ashanti and mom attica became part of a hot National Debate about perceptions involving natural hair. What offended the scots is this line in the new policy. Banning dread locks, twists, afros longer than two inches, and cornrows, which is even misspelled. Attica, kentucky state legislature, immediately called her daughters school. But it was after hours so she did what many of us do when frustrated, turned to social media. On twitter she wrote, so my daughter had registration today and lets just say shes not happy about the jcps no natural hair policy. The tweet going viral within minutes. Why not wait till the next day and call the school . And try to sort it out that way this. Because it was fresh, it was on my mind, i knew i had the rest of the night to connect to other people who may also have some concerns about the policy as well. Reporter and she did. Soon hundreds of responses. Many from parents posting photos of their own children with hairdos that would violate the policy. I talked to my girlfriends about natural hair. We literally talk about natural hair every single day. Reporter the tweet first striking a nerve here in louisville. I thought about coming to work several times with it out but have always decided against it. Would it be too much . Really, what is too much . Reporter that same question at the center of a growing conversation about selfidentity. With more and more africanamericans choosing to embrace their godgiven hair. The Natural Hair Movement is more than hair. It is a lifestyle. It is learning to be comfortable in the skin that youre in. Reporter nicky wanton, author and blogger on natural hair, recalls growing up feeling that straight hair was more acceptable than curly or kinky hair. Everything that i saw growing up, magazines, television, movies, people on the street, people on the runway, all you saw was straight hair. Long, straight hair. Even women that look like me had long, flowing, straight hair. I knew that whenever my hair got wet, it didnt look like that. Knotty mess reporter today natural hair has gone mainstream. My dad alabama my mother louisiana reporter from beyonce im a baby with a baby hair afro reporter to sesame street my hair looks good in corn rows reporter look at celebrities rocking natural hair on magazine covers and the red carpet. For the last 50 years, were told the way were not good enough, the way our hair naturally grows from our scalp, our features, our lips, our butts, our hips, our everything, not acceptable. To be able to reclaim that and take that back and say, you know what, i am beautiful, im gorgeous, and i dont need to change anything about myself. Thats powerful. Reporter a perception this father and daughter duo are embracing bigtime. When i take photos, i feel like a princess. Reporter one Instagram Photo at a time. Artist bennie harlam and 6yearold daughter jackson have become a social media sensation. Grow your hair, be phenomenal, be fabulous, be exactly who you are. Reporter celebrating their crowns as vinny calls them. This is not about photos, this is not about images. Its about inspiring people to believe in themselves. Reporter for him, teaching his daughter to be proud of where she comes from. We should all love where our roots come from. Whether its straight, long, kink kinky, know what i mean, whether its that or if it goes down to where her hair goes, its gorgeous. Reporter a message thought revolutionary back in the 60s during the black power movement. Even perceived as a political statement. You have the prettiest hair in the world reporter just ask hairstylist isis brantley. She recently hosted a rally in dallas. African children are under attack. Their hair is being told that it is unprofessional, untidy, unkempt. Reporter but her argument may have been lost with a controversial guest. Rachel dolezal, a white woman making headlines claiming she was black. This is a justice issue. As an educator i have a responsibility to participate in the movement. Reporter though dolezal, a hair braider, supports the Natural Hair Movement, apparently many dont support her. Instead of the usual hundreds who might turn out, close to a dozen turned out for the event. But braids were never meant to cause controversy in louisville, kentucky, says william allen, principal at butler high. Were about kids here at this school. Reporter he says the ban on natural hairstyles was all a big misunderstanding. The language for braids has always been in our dress code. Strictly for male students. Theres never been restrictions for female students. Doesnt a policy like that inherently single out black kids . All our policies are for all our students. It gave us a chance to take a step back and look at culture versus style. Look at specific instances we have in our dress code policy that might relate to a specific group. Reporter just after attica scotts tweet the school quickly called a meeting. Today im proposing we immediately suspend our section of the dress code policy about students hair. Reporter suspending the policy but igniting more anger. I would love to hear from the students first they have affected us as an Africanamerican Community instead of making assumptions, yall should have asked. Reporter but one black member of the decision board, sha reese balden trainam, mom of a daughter at butler, said the policy was simply about neat grooming, not offending a culture. I know it sounds crazy standing here with an africanamerican woman with braids. I was not offended. It doesnt mean that i dont understand the offense. Reporter she hopes future issues can be resolved before going on social media. I dont want to live in a world where everywhere i go, i have to see everything as black and white. I dont want to raise my kids like that. But i will teach them to stand up for what is right. I applaud her for seeing an issue and standing up for it. But i think that we have to be very careful about how we address these issues because it affects our children. Its not about intent, its the way it landed. The way it land for me are, my daughter, other parents, it was discriminatory and it was offensive. Youve got a principal who was black, parents on the council who are black. Do you really think they were out to discriminate against black students . Just because youre black doesnt mean youre not feeding into the system. I work at places often where theres still issues of race. Ive worked at universities where there have been issues of race. That doesnt end just because i work there and im black. Reporter butler has since changed its dress policy to say that hair must be wellgroomed, wellkept, and at a reasonable length. A positive outcome, say ashanti and attica scott, and hopefully a lesson, they say that will relevance nate beyond the classroom. Its not about one school. Its about the Public School system and the way that its policing kids who are trying to get an education. They want to come and learn. Reporter for nightline im Deborah Roberts in louisville, kentucky. Next, shes got both glamour and guts. Inside the world of gigi gorgeous, the youtube star who has helped pave the way for so many other transgender people. Breaking news from the tech world. And it involves flying burritos. Hey, need fast heartburn relief . Try cool mint zantac. 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Hurry in and lease the 2017 passat s for just 199 a month. Trust number one doctor recommended dulcolax constipated . Use dulcolax tablets for gentle overnight relief suppositories for relief in minutes and stool softeners for comfortable relief of hard stools. Dulcolax, designed for dependable relief pat toomey started his career as an investment banker. Then, a wall street wheelerdealer, overseeing stock trades in new york, london and tokyo. Next, toomey moved to hong kong to work with wealthy chinese investors. In the senate, its no surprise toomeys been siding with wall street. Voting to allow banks to continue making the risky investments that wrecked our economy. Pat toomey. Hes for wall street. Not Us Senate Majority pac is responsible for the content of this advertising. Before caitlyn jenner, there was gigi gorgeous, the Young Youtube star whose outrageous videos and moving personal stories helped change and open minds about transgender people. Tonight my nightline coanchor juju chang takes us inside gigis fabulous but still challenging world . Social stars. Reporter she is every inch the hollywood fantasy version of perfection. Its true. Reporter a barbie come to life with platinum hair and sixinch stilettos. I love it, very versace. Reporter this voluptuous, gorgeous woman, gigi gorgeous, started life as a canadian boy named gregory. I knew i was different, i knew i felt like a girl. Hi, its gigi reporter her honest and outrageous youtube videos have made her a star in the internet age. Definitely makes your lips look full and glossy reporter nearly 2. 4 million youtube subscribers watching her every move. Why do i look like a muppet but you look like a rock star . I look like a muppet. Reporter gigi, now 24, came of age just as youtube was starting to catch on. At first, as a gay teenager, sharing his love of makeup. So this look is super, super easy. Reporter and talking about his dates with boys. Yeah, from there the weirdness escalated and the date got even worse. Reporter and then struggling in realtime as thousands of fans watched with the idea that she was, in fact, transgender. This video is kind of me just telling you guys that i want to be female. I met, you know, a few people along the road and i said, you know what, i am transgender. Kind of like a ding moment. Your selfdiscovery has been shared by millions. I came out twice. Essentially. On my youtube channel. What was harder, coming out as gay or transgender . I think definitely coming out as transgender was harder for me because it was more truthful, it was more raw, it was more real. Hi, guys. Its me, gigi. Reporter her unscripted life playing out for all to see years before caitlyn jenner. She shared everything from lighthearted shopping sprees and beauty tips to raw, intimate details of her plastic surgeries, of which there have been many. All i remember is just throbbing pain. Like i thought i felt like someone had shot me in my face. Reporter all this catapulting gigi to bona fide hero status of the lgbtq community, and beloved by her fans. Who are gigis fans . Crazy. I have fathers who come, oh my goodness, i cant believe im meeting you, me and my daughter watch your videos and bond over it. Reporter some of her favorite videos. This is one i filmed after a recent relationship. And i got super creative and filmed a music video with my friend. Stay with me stay with me reporter and read me some comments good and bad. While i am proud that a trans girl can fly in a private jet and wear designer gowns, gigi never acknowledges how blessed lucky she is. Reporter with all those fans and all those views leave them on about an hour and then you are good to go. Reporter come endorsements. One big break from crest in canada. Im going to work with crest, it was a huge honor to be with the first transgender spokesperson for the brand. It was a huge deal for me. Reporter before the fame and fans, a struggle to fit in. Did you ever get bullied or harassed . Absolutely. I was bullied awful. In elementary school. When high school came around, i found myself. I found my strength and my voice. Reporter when she did, it was too late to tell her mother, who died from cancer when gigi was 19. Theres no other point in my life where i would want her back more than i do right now. But i cant. I cant have her back. My mom is someone i never got to say in her eyes that i was transgender and thats something that will always, always just sit not right with me. Reporter beyond her personal struggles, gigi is using her fame to confront issues facing the transgender community. What kind of message do you want to send . Its awful that theres so much discrimination in the world. But i would just say, hold on, be positive, find someone on youtube that you can relate with. Reporter while gigis life now may seem carefree, her perfect pink bubble of existence burst dramatically on a recent longawaited vacation to dubai. I was denied entry into dubai because i am transgender. What did you letter, if anything, from that detainment . I learned that discrimination is not over. And it makes me scared for anybody else like me. And maybe they didnt have the resources to get out or get help. It is very scary. Reporter back at home, she is a hollywood it girl teaming with mylie cyrus to raise awareness for transgender issues. Everybody, mylie cyrus and i spoke pot reporter introducing her at the vmas. Im shopping with gigi. Its so good. That is life. This is life. Reporter her greatest weapon . Being herself. Today shopping for that next killer outfit to silence the haters. Ill be right back. Ta tada reporter perfect for the red carpet or her next date. Gigi now happily in a relationship with a woman. You used to date a guy. Yes. Now youre dating a girl. Uhhuh. Explain that to people who have a more linear view of sexuality. I found someone that i truly love, and i have fallen in love with her. And thats the truth. And, you know, labels can be labels but at the end of the day, love is love. Reporter but then just hours ago, gigi posting this video on her youtube page. From this point forward, i am a lesbian. Reporter coming out for a third time. But then someone may come along in your life that youre like, oh my god, ding, this is the person. Reporter and seeming to embrace a label she initially resisted. An everunfolding story for an individual redefining the rules every step of the way. That was fun. That was super fun. Reporter for nightline, im juju chang in hollywood, california. Next, the top secret google project leaking onto the internet tonight. It involves drones and burritos. f ot steps crickets chirping jet engine heart beat water splashing rain drops engine revving tires on wet road whenpneumococcal pneumonia, it was huge for everybody. She just started to decline rapidly. I was rushed to the hospital. My symptoms were devastating. The doctor said, pam if youd waited two more days, you wouldve died. Pneumococcal pneumonia almost took me from them. If i had known that a vaccine could have helped prevent this, i would have asked my doctor about it. Try duo fusion ing antacids . New, two in one heartburn relief. The antacid goes to work in seconds. And the acid reducer lasts up to 12 hours in one chewable tablet. Try new duo fusion. From the makers of zantac. Grocery shoppers of america take your o organics baby carrots. Take your eggs. Even your o organics chips. And join the organic movement. Organic food is no longer just for the privileged few. Now everyone can afford to go organic. O organics, exclusively at acme. Fourteen americans killed in a San Bernardino mass shooting. But after this tragedy when pat toomey had the chance to ban suspected terrorists from buying guns he voted against closing this loophole for terrorists and with the gun lobby. Katie we have to do everything in our power to keep guns away from terrorists who threaten our way of life. Im Katie Mcginty and i approve this message because we cant risk our families safety on a loophole. Idonald trump says he alone can fix the problems we face. Well i dont believe thats how you get things done in our country. It takes democrats and republicans working together. Thats how we got health care for 8 million kids. Rebuilt new york city after 9 11. And got the treaty cutting russias nuclear arms. Weve got to bring people together. Thats how you solve problems and thats what ill do as president. Finally tonight what may be the best and most delicious use of Drone Technology ever. Its a bird. Its a plane. Its a burrito. Students at Virginia Tech could soon be getting their chipotle fix via drone. The topsecret experiment led by googles project wing that the Roanoke Times says it caught on camera. Could flying fast food take off . The tech giant is not the first to drum up drone delivery. Amazon marketing prime air, promising packages in 30 minutes or less. Drops off the package and flies straight back up to altitude. Walmart looking to pilot the technology. But it isnt just home delivery. From extreme racing to shooting hollywood blockbusters like skyfall Drone Technology is everywhere. Chipotle and google hope this test is but a taste to come. Still no word whether guac will cost you extra. Burning questions. Thank you for watching abc news tonight. Gma first thing in the morning. As always were online 24 7 at abcnews. Com and on our Nightline Facebook page. Thanks again for watching and good night. You know, theres a famous saying. Its not what you know. Its who you know. But whoever said that clearly never watched this show. This is who wants to be a millionaire. [dramatic music] hey, everybody. Welcome to the show. You guys ready to play millionaire . All right. Our first contestant approaches life with a go with your gut mentality. Well, that should help her on this show. From baltimore, maryland, please welcome melissa loftus. Hey, melissa. How you doing . Good, thank you. Welcome. Thank you. Come on over. Welcome to millionaire. Thank you. Miss go with your gut. Yes. Give me an example. Uh, so, this year, i made a huge career change. I was a teachera middle School English teacher for 13 years, mainly in baltimore city, and i went to a yoga retreat for a month right. And became a yoga teacher. Um, so, now, thats where im going. Im gonna be a yoga teacher somehow, some way. So, wait, let me get this right. You gave up horrible teenagers for a life of calm and zenlike peace . I cant see why you would do such a thing. I dont know either. It was a tough choice. Tough choice. Well, hopefully, you can use that little peace and zen today to climb to 1 million. Let me tell you what youre up against. 14 questions, the money values growing from 500 all the way up to that 1 million