Boys saw their friend being bullied for his clothes and immediately stepped in: 'I needed to do something'

Bullying is a silent epidemic, a nightmare, as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics. In 2021-22, about 19% of students aged between 12–18 reported being bullied during school. For freshman Michael Todd at Martin Luther King Jr Preparatory College, Tennessee, this nightmare turned into a brutal reality until two of his classmates realized they were complicit. In a video interview by CBS News, freshman Todd and his two classmates, Kristopher Graham and Antwann Garett, shared their story. 

Todd was used to punchlines and being mocked for wearing the same clothes every day. He said, “We don’t have any clothes at home. My mother can't buy me new clothes because my body is growing too fast. This is like the second pair of shoes I have on me right now, and basically, that's all.” Bullied for three straight weeks, he shared in a video interview with CBS that it was nothing new as he'd been subjected to mockery his whole life.  

A story of pain turned into one of compassion when his classmates, Kristopher Graham and Antwann Garett, recognised what was happening and thought that this needed to stop. Once a bystander, Graham said, “When I saw people laugh at him and bully him, I thought I needed to do something.” And he meant it. After school that day, he called his friend Antwann to help him provide clothes to Todd. 

Without hesitation, Garett agreed and brought him some brand new shoes alongside some other necessities. The next day, both football players, Garett and Graham, approached a disappointed Michael. “He wasn't smiling, and I thought this was exactly what would make him smile,” said Graham in the local interview. He apologised for laughing at him and said, "I want to give something to make it up to you." Overwhelmed and excited, Michael couldn’t hold back his emotions and said, “Awesome!” Later, he went on to share that it became “the best day of [his] entire life."

Bullying is an adverse childhood experience that is widespread in the United States, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A national survey found that 28% of middle schools, 15% of high schools, and 10% of elementary schools reported the occurrence of bullying within school premises at least once a week. If the youth and surrounding adults were to take notice, then these situations could be easily prevented. This is why Michael's story is so important: it shows bystanders ditching the sidelines to protect the victim instead of indulging in passive viewership.

The viral act of generosity garnered innumerable comments on various platforms. @brittneyb.williams1520 shared, "Cried like a baby. I love seeing this. Good for those two boys to be part of solution instead of the problem. Much respect to there parents for raising great young men!" "Never understood the obsession of having dozens of outfits. Like who cares? Some people don't even have clothes. You have a closet full of cloth, incredible," wrote @teamtwiistz. @reinaAndrob562 commented, "That’s the biggest compliment to their parents , because of course they are a reflection of them. You guys are raising them right. Gentlemen in the making."

Users on Reddit hailed the act as pathbreaking. "That's a huge shift from my school days. I just got beat up for the same thing. I'm hella proud of them for helping him. There's hope right there," said @u/Monkeyonfire13. "Putting in perspective the fact that we make fun of people for a really stupid reason just states how sad on the inside people are. Someone that feels good humiliating somebody is a really confused human being. Great to see good people with good values always standing up for the ones that can't. This is what love is all about. Stay humble guys," wrote @u/Employee_Known.