Okay, so I griped when a note came home from school asking all kids to wear pink shirts for an anti-bullying day. We had 3 kids but only 1 pink shirt. And wasn't this just lip service? (Or back service, as the case may be?) What good is garb without systemic change and a day-in, day-out, all-hands-on-deck commitment to a safe school environment for all kids?
Then I tracked down the story behind the pink shirts. And you know, it's pretty cool. Back in '07, a ninth-grade Nova Scotia boy was harrassed for wearing a pink shirt to school. Bullies called him gay and threatened to beat him up.
Two 12th graders, David Shepherd and Travis Price (pictured), heard the news and decided to take action. They bought 50 pink shirts at a discount store and emailed classmates to create a "sea of pink" (their words) the next day at school. Hundreds more students wore their own pink clothes, some head to toe.
When the bullied student saw that sea of pink, said Shepherd, "it looked like there was a big weight lifted off his shoulders."
Next time that note comes home from school? You'll find me shirt shopping at the discount store.
(photo: CBC News)
This is a very touching story, Mary. Bullying is such a serious problem in our schools and community and it warms my heart to see kids supporting one another this way. Thanks so much for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by! Research has shown bullying is bad for everybody: bullies, targets & bystanders. I'll post more soon on how kids can help each other stop and prevent it.
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