To combat cyberbullying, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students joined social media influencer Tristan Jass at an event in Lincoln Park. Jass, acclaimed for his basketball prowess and sizable online following, took to the Oz Park basketball courts to demonstrate the skills that propelled him to online fame. As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, the event was orchestrated by Buckets Over Bullying, a group that amalgamates athletics with the fight against cyberbullying.
Having witnessed the impact of negative online chatter firsthand, Jass expressed his commitment to helping those affected by cyberbullying, sharing that "I just want to look out for any kids that are going through that." In response to the tensions wrought by bullying, co-founder of Buckets Over Bullying Paul Urdan suggested sports as a "release valve for frustration and anger" in a statement obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
This positive gathering follows a darker event connected with Lincoln Park High School, where students recently created a racist video that made its rounds on YouTube before being removed. Detailing the content of the video, as per Block Club Chicago interviews in which students expressed racially biased sentiments and made derogatory remarks about various ethnic groups, which were captured in a four-and-a-half-minute video.
Setting off a wave of outrage, the video prompted criticism about the school's atmosphere. One parent, whose identity has been kept confidential to protect her daughter, told Block Club Chicago, "This is what it looks like in the school, and it’s posted on YouTube for everyone to see.” Following years of enduring racist bullying at the school, the mother eventually pulled her daughter out of Lincoln Park High School due to the unaddressed and ongoing harassment.
