Harlem Globetrotters spread anti-bullying message: "I've been through the whole bullying thing"



MILWAUKEE -- With high-flying dunks, the typical hijinks and of course, that Sweet Georgia Brown, "Bull" Bullard of the Harlem Globetrotters took over Roosevelt School of the Arts on Thursday morning, December 15th.

“I kind of crossed him over," eighth grader Terrance Tate bragged. "But we ain’t going to talk about that on TV. I ain’t trying to embarrass him or nothing."



Amid all the fun, was an important message for the middle school students.

“I’m going to talk to these guys about the ABCs of bullying prevention. Going to teach these guys how to neutralize a bullying situation," Bullard said.

The ABCs of bullying prevention are: A for taking action, B for being brave and C for showing compassion to your peers.



“If I see somebody down, crying or something, I’m going to go up to them -- ‘Is you OK?’ " Antonio Fitzgerald, also in eighth grade, said. "I learned a lot of things.”

“We want them having those conversations in classrooms," said basketball coach and Academic Dean of Students John Pitta. "We want conversations going on about academics and behavior.”



“It’s very important that we bring light to the situation so that students can feel better in the long run and can have some solutions, in case it happens to them," Principal Keushum Willingham added.

In this case, the messenger was just as important as the message.

“For me personally, I’ve been through the whole bullying thing," said Bullard. "I used to get bullied all the time when I was in grade school because I was in foster care. I didn’t have the best clothes. I wasn’t the best dressed."



“If you grew up in that type of condition and still can make it out, that means anybody can make it out if you just put your mind to it and succeed," said Tate.

You might say the morning was a slam dunk.

The Harlem Globetrotters will be at the BMO Harris Bradley Center December 31st for what’s become a New Year’s Eve tradition.

They will play two games, at 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.