Kids Have a Right To Go To School & NOT Be Bullied

I've gone on record many times about my thoughts on bullying.  It's no secret how I feel.  But just in case you don't know....I don't just hate bullies, I despise them. 

A few days ago, nine year-old Grayson Bruce of North Carolina was bullied by his classmates because of his My Little Pony backpack.  And by bullied, I mean punching, kicking, pushing and calling this kid names.  School officials eventually got involved and their solution?  Zero punishment for the bullies.  Instead, they told Grayson: "Stop bringing your backpack to school. It's making you a target for bullying."  *slow blinking*

Huh?  What kind of warped, twisted ass logic is that? 

I'll tell you what it is, it's wrong on sooooooo many levels.  Not only is it terribly wrong, it sends a dangerous message to kids who think it's OK to bully people.  It sends an even more damaging message to children who are being bully.  Side Note: It really ticks me off that adults made this decision.  Adults!  Incredibly irresponsible.   

Grayson Bruce and his mother.

Kids have a right to go to school and not be bullied.  As parents, school officials, teachers, aunts, uncles, godparents, friends, etc., we all have a responsibility to protect children from bullies.  We should all do our part to let bullies know that their behavior will not be tolerated or accepted.  And kids need to know there will be harsh repercussions if they choose to participate in any kind of bully behavior.  

See...I could never, ever be on a panel about bullying.  Nah.  No.  Nope.  I have a very unconventional way to deal with bullies.  I won't share it with because you'll judge me.  But, just know this... Bullies are cowards.  They operate on intimidation.  They're weak (never as tough as they seem). They're behavior is rooted in ignorance (any fool can be a bully).  

Once you really understand these things, you see bullies in a totally different light.  Your entire attitude and perspective will shift and...you will act accordingly.  Trust me.  

* steps down off of my soapbox *


FYI....Grayson's mother withdrew him from that school and he is now being homeschooled. He has received an outpouring of support and launched a Facebook page (Support For Grayson) that campaigns against bullying. 

Hispanic Heritage Month - Women Who Rock

Hispanic Heritage Month kicked off on September 15th! It's a great time for us to celebrate the unique contributions, culture and talents of Hispanic Americans throughout this country. 

I'm a BIG supporter of women.  So, to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month, I'm celebrating beautiful, smart, talented Hispanic women I love and admire: 

Antonia Novella - First Hispanic American to be named surgeon general of the United States. She was born in Puerto Rico and appointed Surgeon General by president George Bush. She was also the first woman ever to hold the position. #GirlPower

Rita Moreno - The first Hispanic American (and the second person ever) to have won an Oscar, a Grammy, a Tony, and an Emmy.  "Maria" from Westside Story...  #dope

Ellen Ochoa - First female Hispanic astronaut.  Her first of four shuttle missions was in 1991.

Celia Cruz - Bolstering a 40-year singing career, she recorded 23 gold records, appeared in several movies, earned a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, and was awarded the American National Media of the Arts by the National Endowment of the Arts. (One of my favorite artists ever!)

Mary Joe Fernandez - Won two grand slam tennis titles for doubles & two Olympic gold medals.

Sonia Sotomayor - First Hispanic U.S. Supreme Court justice.

Rita Hayworth - She was born Margarita Carmen Cansino from Spanish parents, but was made to change her name and hair color in order to get work in Hollywood.  She made a total of 61 films and appeared on the cover of "Life" magazine six times.

Singer, Celia Cruz

Since 1968, the U.S. has honored the important role of Americans whose ancestors hailed from Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean.  September 15th was chosen as the first day of the celebration because it's the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador.  (Mexico celebrates their independence on September 16th and Chile on September 18th.)  

 

Tie Tuesday (Earvin "Magic" Johnson)

He's one of the biggest athletes of all times.  His skills on the basketball court have cemented him as a legend - no question about that.  But his legacy will be what he's done off of the court. 

Magic Johnson is the CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises, a company that has a net worth of $700 million.  He's also part-owner of the LA Dodgers and has several other enterprises including Magic Workforce Solutions, Sodexo Magic Food Service, Magic Airport Holdings and ASPiRE TV.

The five-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer recently launched his "Friends of Magic" project in Chicago.  The goal: To help at-risk students, including dropouts, graduate from school.  It gives them a second chance.  

As he wiped away tears during the announcement event, Magic said, "I've been so blessed in life. I'm trying to give back to the same community I grew up in."

Magic Johnson's Bridgescape Academy contracts with the Chicago Public Schools to help dropouts complete their graduation. 

Girl Power - Preschool Edition (Anala Beevers, 4 Year-Old MENSA Member)

She never leaves home without her map of America.  She knows every state AND the capitals.  By the tender age of 4 months old, she knew the English alphabet and when she was 1 ½, she knew her numbers.  In Spanish. 

Her name is Anala Beevers, she's adorable and she's so smart that MENSA invited her to be a member.  MENSA is the organization for smart people.  Really smart people. You have to score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardized, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test.  So yeah, you gotta be smart. 

And Anala is....well, take a look below to see for yourself.  And check out her pink fingernail polish!  A girl after my own heart. :)  #THINKPink  #GirlPower 

Tie Tuesday (Dr. Steve Perry)

Dr. Steve Perry is the founder and serves as principal of Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford, Connecticut. Capital Prep has sent 100% of its predominantly low-income, minority, first generation high school graduates to four-year colleges ever since its first class graduated in 2006.  The school has been deemed one of the most successful schools in the nation.

He is a CNN education contributor and Essence best selling author with his book, “Man Up! Nobody is Coming to Save Us.” He has also been a regular contributor on issues of education for CNN, MSNBC and Fox.

In 2009, Dr. Perry released his fourth book “Raggedy Schools: The Untold Truth,” which takes a look at urban public education. He was most recently featured on TV One's popular series, "Save My Son." 

Click here for more info on Dr. Steve Perry.