A young girl’s life was cut short because she could no longer put up with the bullies who made her days a living hell.
McKenzie was a great student who loved her life and her family. Unfortunately, she fell victim of bullying by her classmates who wouldn’t stop calling her names and making fun of her because of her skin color. This lovely girl, who was just nine years old when her life tragically ended, had a hard time making friends. When she finally started hanging out with one boy, who was white, the rest of the class teased her even more.
They would send notes to her with insults written on them and would steal her possessions and clothes.
The few times she decided to stand up for herself, McKenzie ended up at the principal’s office. She was accused of being a bully herself. It was her word against that of the rest of the students. So instead of protecting her, the school gave her detentions.
“It got to the point where so many were joining in on it and it became a daily occurrence” McKenzie’s aunt, Eddwina Harris, said.
The girl felt like there was no escape from the hell she was going through.
Her parents were aware of their daughter’s struggles and contacted the school multiple times, but to no avail. Things were only getting worse and worse with each passing day.
“As time passed, it became clearer and clearer that no one intended to stand up for McKenzie,” Harris said.
Not knowing what to do or who to talk to, the girl’s parents went to the local police station. They begged them for help and brought McKenzie’s journal with them where the nine-year-old was documenting each of the cases of bullying, which were plenty. The police simply said that they couldn’t help.
As their devastation of seeing their girl being sad all the time grew bigger, McKenzie’s parents begged the school to step in for their daughter over and over again, but the bullies’ parents had money and connections so nothing was done in an attempt to put a stop to this girl’s hell.
It seemed like the bullies had a free pass to tease and mock McKenzie every day.
One day, McKenzie’s family was planning a birthday celebration for the girl’s cousin, but instead having a fun time, McKenzie took her own life.
When her mom went to the bathroom she saw her daughter hanging. She called ambulance but there was nothing that could be done. McKenzie was dead.
Her devastated mom and dad claimed that their daughter’s bullies and the school pushed McKenzie to death.
As they were trying to cope with their pain, they knew there were other kids like their daughter out there who were victims of bullying so the family started The McKenzie Foundation, which teaches these kids how to make the situation better. They hope that schools around America would do all in their power to prevent bullying from taking place.
Rest in peace, McKenzie.
