Johnston County girl bullied for the color of her skin invited to light the Pittsboro Christmas tree
11-year-old Dalaya Hooper is feeling all the love and support this weekend.
“A lot of people have been supportive and asked me how I’m feeling and they’re being really kind,” said Hooper.
Just last week she shared her story with WRAL News.
She was bullied in school because of the color of her skin. One of the organizers of the Holly Days events in Pittsboro saw her story and instantly connected with it.
Ashlie Campbell, who is also part of the committee, knows Hooper's mom and asked if she would be a part of the celebration and light the tree.
“For that person, their children were also bullied and just he wanted this to be special for her so she could feel special,” said Campbell. “Bullying is not fun and it’s heartbreaking for the families that go through it. If you can do something nice what better time than Christmas.”
Dalaya's mother spoke with WRAL News earlier this week, she said the love has been pouring in from all across the country.
She’s hoping the school will be proactive moving forward
“So far so good we’re still waiting to see what their plan of action is,” said her mother.
And she wants other parents to speak with their children about the importance of words and how they can affect people
“Words matter. They hurt, they cut deep and they impact people for years to come. So be careful and choose your words wisely," her mother said. "If you have nothing positive to say it’s best to say nothing at all.”
Words of healing from across social media
A Facebook post made by her mother has been shared more than 8,600 times, where she shared the heart-wrenching texts received from her daughter.
"Everyone keeps making fun of my skin color or the way I look. And then people keep making jokes about me saying that I'm from Africa because I'm super black, and they say that I stayed in the oven for too long because I'm basically the color of burnt."
Words of affirmation have the power to heal. As the viral post gained traction, supportive messages began flooding in.
Ms. Hooper reads the empowering messages to her daughter: "She's gorgeous. She's beautiful and a powerful young lady. Don’t let them break you. Because Mommy’s got your back. Always. "
The Hooper family met with school administrators, calling for justified consequences against students accused of bullying.
