Telling bullies to think pink
Posted: Friday, October 05, 2007 3:24 PM by Daily Nightly Editor
By Dawn Fratangelo, NBC News correspondent
I’m often asked, “Who is the most famous person you’ve interviewed?” or “Who is the most impressive person you’ve every met?” It can be impossible to answer, because I’ve met so many wonderful people. Most often it comes down to this: Some of the most impressive people are ordinary folks who do extraordinary things. David Shepherd and Travis Price are two such people.
They’re high school seniors at Central Kings Rural High School in Nova Scotia (Go GATORS!). And without much thought, they did this simple thing, this one act of human kindness. They stood up for a fellow student — a freshman boy — who was being bullied for wearing a pink shirt. Dave and Travis heard about it, bought a bunch of pink shirts, handed them out and sent text messages to wear pink. The next day, nearly the entire student body was wearing pink.
Dawn Fratangelo with Travis Price, left, and David Shepherd (NBC News photos)
It didn’t stop there. The idea has spread to dozens of schools that have held “pink days,” and reaction has poured in from around the world. Two high school boys were able to send a message — loud and pink — that bullying hurts and won’t be tolerated.
Travis talked to us about how he was bullied in grade school, how it just killed him inside, he said. I talked about it with his mother, Patsy, in her kitchen. She shed tears remembering how worried she was about her son, how emotionally wounded Travis had been. At the start of his senior year, Travis told his mother, “This year is going to be amazing.” He was right. Turns out, though, we’re the ones amazed.
Video: Watch Dawn Fratangelo’s extended interview with Travis Price and David Shepherd
NBC’s crew meets the boys
Our entire NBC team is so impressed with these boys. They are thoughtful, profound, funny and welcoming. They told us of the best place to see the sunset and the view of the lush valley they call home. They invited us to a family bonfire complete with s’mores and they taught us all a lesson.
Because the next time someone asks me, “Who’s the best person you’ve every interviewed?” I will tell them: two 17-year-old boys from Nova Scotia — David Shepherd and Travis Price. They did this simple thing. They stood up for someone. And it was extraordinary.
