The story below was written by Zora and Ravi White, two youth from Quebec who are lving the LEAD values. They are an inspiration to everyone! Submitted by Deirdre Potash
Greetings!
My name is Zora White, and I live in L’Île-Perrot, Quebec. I have done some exciting things for my age related to anti-bullying, from leading seminars to writing a book inspired by my personal experiences. Let me tell you a little more about them!
I have been bullied since 3rd grade because of my skin color, my hair, my parents (I have two dads), how well I do in school, and other things. Because of this, I became very self-conscious. Once I started to overcome those experiences, I decided to create an anti-bullying arts seminar.
The goal of the seminar was to empower people and spread a message of kindness through art. Since I have always loved and studied the arts, I took on the responsibility of leading the activity. I have presented these seminars both at my former elementary school and at my current high school.
I also wrote a book inspired by my bullying experiences. Not everything in the book is real, but it is based on a true story. It follows an “invisible” African American girl named Zora who is bullied by a mean girl named Chloe. The story is about standing up for yourself, finding your voice, and discovering allies who support you. Just like I did, Zora finds people who help her stand up to her bully.
Even though the book focuses on anti-bullying, my personal favorite scenes are the romantic ones, because I’m definitely the romance and drama queen of the family!
Hello!
My name is Ravi White, and I am Zora’s twin brother. I am 12 years old, and I have many hobbies, including chess. Unfortunately, I have also been bullied because of some of my interests. One time, people didn’t believe I could beat the second-best chess player in my grade. When I did beat him, it gave me confidence and inspired me to create my own chess club for students who needed support, coaching, and a little more confidence in themselves.
Now, my sister and I are organizing a dance called United (Against Bullying).
We chose this name because we want to bring people together. The reason Zora and I are creating this dance is because we want young people to spend time encouraging, supporting, and talking to each other in positive and uplifting ways.
What has made this event especially meaningful is that we helped build it ourselves with support from the community. We went around local businesses asking for donations of snacks, drinks, and supplies for the event. So far, we have received support from more than 10 organizations, including major donations from Pizza Hut and IGA.
We also partnered with LOVE Organization, an anti-bullying organization that will be participating in the event.
The dance will be free for youth to attend, and all donations collected during the event will go directly to LOVE to support anti-bullying efforts.
The dance will take place on May 29, 2026, at the OmniCentre in Pincourt, 225 Boulevard Pincourt, Pincourt, QC J7W 9T2, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. There will be free food and drinks, and the event is open to youth ages 12–17.