Chicago Youth Shines Spotlight on Bullying & Homelessness

WGN-TV recently introduced viewers to Jahkil Jackson, a 13-year-old who is driven to serve others and raise awareness about an issue that affects students each day: bullying.  Jahkil wrote I Am, a children’s book that tells the story of a young person who was bullied by his peers.  He based the story in part on his own experiences with bullying as a sixth-grade and seventh-grade student.

As Jahkil noted in his interview with WGN’s Sean Lewis, “The overall message of my book, I Am, is to inspire other kids that they are great, they are smart, they are amazing, because that’s what my book is about.”  Affirmations, or positive statements about one’s abilities, are key to encouraging a healthy mindset, Jahkil observed in the WGN-TV interview.

Writing a book isn’t Jahkil’s first project that aims to serve others.  He founded the non-profit group Project I Am, which has distributed over 35,000 “blessing bags” of snacks, toiletries, socks, hand sanitizer, and other essentials to individuals who are homeless.  Jahkil is a young person who embodies the concept of service toward others.

MWAH! salutes Jahkil for his commitment to spreading positive, self-affirming messages that help young people resist the harmful effects of bullying.  To view the segment, please visit the link here.

MWAH! also invites you to view an inspirational message from MWAH!’s very own “#1 Dood,” who explains why bullies lack the power that their targets possess in the short (1:04) video “Bullies as Fractions.”  The video, which features MWAH!’s Richard Oberbruner portraying the “#1 Dood,” offers an inspirational message for any young person who has been the subject of bullying. Click here for the video that is available on MWAH!’s YouTube Channel.