October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and students at Uncommon Excellence Boys Middle School in Bedford-Stuyvesant took their message beyond the classroom with a schoolwide walkout aimed at raising awareness about bullying and the lasting impact it can have on young people.

With chants echoing through the neighborhood and signs in hand, middle school students marched together to encourage kindness, respect and accountability among their peers.

For seventh-grader Jaden Holliday, the message was clear.

“A lot of kids get bullied due to their race, skin tone or how they look. And I feel like we can all work as one community to go against it and make a big change,” Holliday said.

Students said creating that change starts with the way they treat one another every day. The walkout served as a reminder that bullying can affect anyone and that building a supportive school culture requires collective action.

The event also honored the memory of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old from Mississippi whose death drew national attention and sparked conversations about violence, accountability and support for young people.

Fifth-grader Banks Duboius said the walkout highlighted the diversity of those standing behind the cause.

“It feels good because not all of our classmates are Black. So it shows that we don't only have Black people supporting the cause. We have multiple people supporting the cause,” he said.

School leaders say the lessons taught at Uncommon Excellence Boys Middle School extend beyond academics, focusing on character development and preparing students to become future leaders.

“I'm proud to say that my staff is 90% people of color here at Uncommon Excellence Boys Middle School, and we look like the students we serve,” said Principal Jermaine Isaac. “Our students get to have these crucial conversations, feel safe to have these conversations, but also know the bar is still set high when it comes to academics, character and rigor.”

As students continue to champion empathy, respect and courage, organizers hope the lessons shared during the walkout will inspire meaningful action long after National Bullying Prevention Month comes to an end.