NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Bullying is a big concern in schools, as a Stewart County student’s death by suicide is currently being investigated for signs of harassment. One Middle Tennessee group wants to put a stop to bullying once and for all, and they have their own unique way of putting an end to it—which they call “invasions.”
“Once they hear those bikes fired up, that’s it. They’re jazzed,” said Biker Randall “Lucky” Hopkins.
A dozen bikers, looking tough as nails, “invade” schools with a message for the students about bullying: “If someone’s bullying you, use your voice. Stand up. Be heard. That’s our motto. We say it all the time.”
Hopkins is the Tennessee liaison for Bikers Against Bullies USA – Middle Tennessee Chapter. He started the chapter in 2019 after his friend’s daughter wrote a suicide note.
“There’s a lot of kids out there, they don’t know how to ask for help, they don’t know who to go to,” said Hopkins. “They’re either embarrassed or they’re just kinda hoping that somebody sees the signs.”
Bikers Against Bullies’ “invasions” involve a 30-minute performance, as well as a lesson. With music, skits, and, most of all, life-saving messages for students about not judging a book by its cover.
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“That’s one thing that leads to bullying is judging somebody before you even know them. I tell them look at us. We are all standing here and we have leather vests and boots…but then I go into who we are. We got military veterans, we got real estate agents, we got corrections officers…just because we look like this today doesn’t mean we’ll look like this tomorrow at work.”
The bikers teach the how to spot signs of bullying. They want to take their message to more schools, open new chapters statewide, and empower more students to be true to who they are.
“It’s like I tell these kids when we go to these invasions. Be proud of who you are. God made you that way for a reason. If someone is calling you a nerd, I want you to stand up and be the best nerd you can be in this school. Be proud of it. Own it.”
The Middle Tennessee Chapter of Bikers Against Bullies is all-volunteer. If you would like to join or bring their anti-bullying message to your school, visit their Facebook page here.
