Kid turns racial bullying on its head through viral movement
A young man who faced racial bullying at his school turned a negative into a positive with the help of family and friends
A California boy’s anti-bullying movement after being called the N-word in a horrific incident is going nationwide, the Fresno Bee is reporting.
The incident in question took place on a Wednesday last month. Tarrick Walker, 12, walked onto a basketball court at Kings River-Hardwick School in Hanford, Calif., to play with friends. That’s when he heard the slur rise up from a cluster of seventh graders.
“I walk in and say, ‘What’s happening?’ ” Tarrick told the newspaper. “And then he told me to ‘Get out you dumb N-word.’ And that really made me feel a little discouraged and it hurt my feelings.”
Tarrick said in a video that he posted to Facebook that he was heartened that his friends stood up for him against the young racist.
“But not everyone has the same support I do, and that encouraged me to take a stand, to stand up for kids that are being bullied and to let parents know to tell your kids about what bullying and racism is, and how it’s not cool,” Tarrick said.
Five days after the incident, Tarrick and his parents were handing out free “Stop Bullying” T-shirts at Tarrick’s school. The shirts and accompanying wristbands include the hashtag #IStandWithTarrick. The family gave away 100 shirts, 200 more were on order, the Bee reports.
The family has mailed the shirts as far as Missouri and Texas.
Tarrick’s father, Marcel, said he is proud of his son. Marcel Walker told the Bee that he grew up in Texas hearing racial slurs and warned his children they might one day have to face the same.
“My kids, and Tarrick in this incident, handled it exceptionally well.”
Local schools superintendent Cathlene Anderson told the Bee she is proud of Tarrick.
“Tearing others down with words and/or actions is not acceptable and will not be tolerated,” said Anderson of the Kings River – Hardwick Elementary School District. “Tarrick’s current anti-bullying awareness efforts are proof that KRH children are stepping up as leaders to put positive ideals into action and spread love, acceptance and compassion to others.”
