Today, February 24, is Pink Shirt Day. Since 2007, this day has existed to raise awareness and stand up against bullying. Bullying is defined as any behavior that intentionally makes others feel afraid or uncomfortable. The most common types of bullying are verbal bullying, physical bullying, cyberbullying, prejudicial bullying, and relational aggression. Victims are often told to get over or ignore the aggression they are facing, but bullying is very serious and can have long lasting effects on a child or teen’s mental health. That is why North Dundas is wearing pinks shirts today, to stand up for the ones who struggle to stand up for themselves, and to show that we are willing to create a school environment that is free from bullying and safe for all students.
Every day for the past week, the different types of bullying have been described during morning announcements to raise awareness and lead up to today. Alongside the bullying announcements, we have been highlighting an important Black person in Canadian history every day, in celebration of Black History Month. Some of the individuals we have discussed so far are Willie O’Ree, the first person of colour to play in the NHL; Lincoln Alexander, the first Black Canadian member of Parliament; and Viola Desmond, a civil rights activist and the first Canadian woman to appear on Canadian currency.
