Black girl commits suicide over being bullied for her textured hair

[Supersonic 49,376]

A’layah Weatherspoon loved to smile and give hugs.

She donated coins to charity boxes instead of buying candy. She loved her family, her three younger siblings. She wasn’t shy, even participating in a talent show at her school. She wanted to be a lawyer, a doctor, a singer or a judge.

On Jan. 4, her younger brother found A’layah hanging from her brand new bunk-bed with a leather belt around her neck. She died two days later. She was 9 years old.

A’layah was a third grader at Cooley Elementary School in Waterford, where her parents say she experienced bullying so intense that they believe it contributed to her suicide.

The children at school would call A’layah names and make fun of her braids, the texture of her hair, tell her she was ugly and that nobody liked her, Weatherspoon said. She entered the third grade last fall and the bullying appeared to escalate. She would call from school and ask to come home complaining of headaches and stomaches, he said. She would tell her parents she didn’t want to go to school anymore.

source: http://www.theoaklandpress.com/general-news/20180317/in-wake-of-9-year-olds-suicide-waterford-father-urges-other-parents-to-talk-with-children-about-how-they-are-feeling-and-what-they-are-thinking

[Quartz 12,762]

Suicide at 9?? That's terrible. I'm so sorry for her. She should have been protected. Rest in peace beautiful girl.

[StarstruckIllusion 53,563]

So what happened to teaching our kids to love and respect each other? 

[vinster13 3,574]

 this is horrible 

[rumours 45,521]

This is so sad 

[27monster27 15,847]

What the ****. This is horrible. She seemed so nice. And only at age nine?!?! How could this even happen?

[Eddie 2,518]

This is so sad and at a young age?...RIP Alayah. Why do we always wait for a tragedy to happen to take actions?

[Edonis 28,974]

May she rest peacefully. So heartbreaking to hear about

[Smother Em Eh 7,281]

That’s awful! If only she would’ve seen how beautiful it was on her. RIP

[Trepadation 5,566]

It's so important to teach black kids to love their natural hair. Actually black people in general. But it's highly more important to teach non-black people not to belittle & ridicule others hair texture. 

[Gaga Lazuli 8,658]

9 years old. A whole life in front of her. Why are kids allowed to treat each other like this? ugh. 

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

That's horrible that kids as young as that can drive someone to kill themselves...

Words have power and bullying in school is such an issue...

[Mus 7,883]

This is really sad to read, may she Rest in Peace

[Zaskar 4,027]

Oh my! That's horrible...

Rest in peace, you little angel

💗💗

 

[Twitter 14]

That’s terrible  reace in peace A’layah. 

Any kind of abuse/bullying based off someone’s race, culture, gender, sexuality, or appearance in schools is f*cked up and it needs to be stopped.