A 17-year-old girl is being defended online for confronting an elementary-aged boy on a school bus who allegedly called her younger brother the N-word.
In the Instagram video, the protective older sister appeared to be the only teenage passenger on a bus packed with young children.
Her expletive-filled scolding has sparked a debate in the comments section about whether it was appropriate for her to reprimand the younger child. While some critics said she shouldn’t be “jumping on any 11-year-old” — or even riding the bus with younger kids — most praised her for “standing on business” with her little brother.
“Great job big sis for setting a great example [and] whoever raised her did it right. It’s people like her that make a difference,” wrote one person.
The one-minute clip opened with her admonishing a child who is off camera, saying, “You talked to my baby like that, yesterday, calling him the n-word. I’ll talk to you however the f–k I want to talk to you. You don’t say that sh-t. That sh-t’s not cute. That sh-t’s not funny.”
When a child pointed out her foul language, she responded, “Y’all going to get into trouble. Not me or him. You are. And so are you,” she said as she pointed to a few kids. “You keep looking like that… but you know you said it. There are Black kids on this bus.”
It’s not clear if she was a field trip chaperone or specifically requested to accompany her brother on the bus because of racist bullying. In many rural districts across the U.S., bus drivers transport students from kindergarten through high school on the same bus. But for most commenters, the reason didn’t matter. They were just glad she was there.
“No one should be using the word regardless of age, race, or creed. These are children and they need to stay in a child’s place. She was defending her brother… The bottom line racism is learned at home,” wrote one. “I would expect siblings to stand up for one another,” said another, followed up by the age-old wisdom that, “IF he can dish it, he can take it.”
However, some felt she had crossed a line and unintentionally become the bully while standing up for her brother. “She needs to be kicked off the bus,” said a detractor. Another person wanted more context, asking, “So who’s to say that the other kid wasn’t the original bully in this situation? No right to call the kid [the n-word], but you can only bully someone so much and for so long.”
In 2023, about one in three high school students (31.5 percent) reported experiencing racism at least once at school, and nearly half of Black students have, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control. Most experts agree that change must begin at home, and so do the commenters on the video. “If my kid is bullying another, he will hear it from me and the other parents,” wrote one Instagram user. “Discipline your kids!!! Bullying is not ok.”
Great Job Grace Jidoun & the Team @ Atlanta Black Star Source link for sharing this story.
