9-year-old took her own life after being bullied for having a white friend

McKenzie Adams is a fourth-grade student who took her life in her Linden, Alabama home on Monday. When her grandmother found her she had hung herself.

Her family revealed that the 9-year-old had been bullied at school for the entire year. It’s believed that she was harassed by other students because she had a white friend.

McKenzie Adams had transferred to US Jones Elementary School in Demopolis, Alabama because she was being bullied at her school in Linden. The bullying had been ongoing for the whole year.

Her mother, Jasmine Adams, revealed that most of the bullying was centered on her friendship with a white boy. The boy’s family would drive McKenzie to school.

For more on this story go to our Twitter account @amomama_usa. Jasmine shared:

“She told me that this one particular child was writing her nasty notes in class. It was just things you wouldn't think a nine-year-old should know.”

She added:

“Part of it could have been because she rode to school with a white family. And a lot of it was race, some of the student bullies would say to her 'why you riding with white people you're black, you're ugly. You should just die.’”

The little girl’s aunt, Eddwina Harris, was also aware of the racially-motivated harassment. Eddwina revealed that McKenzie was being bullied with words such as “kill yourself,” “you think you're white because you ride with that white boy,” “you ugly,” “black [expletive,” and “just die.”

McKenzie’s family felt the school system had failed her. Jasmine said:

“I just felt that our trust was in them that they would do the right thing. And it feels like to me it wasn't it wasn't done.”

The school's attorney, Alex Braswell said this in a statement:

“We are working fully with the Demopolis and Linden police department. They are doing a joint investigation of these allegations. We are cooperating fully and I can't comment on any of the aspects of the investigation until they conclude it.”

McKenzie Nicole Adams was born August 14, 2009. She was a smart child with an outgoing personality and she loved mathematics and science.

She wanted to be a scientist, according to her aunt. McKenzie liked to cheer, take photos and make funny videos with her cousins.

She loved traveling and favorite places were the beach, the zoo, the McWane Center in Birmingham, and visiting family members.

Last Tuesday, Rosalie Avila, 13, committed suicide after being bullied about her looks for years. On Friday, her parents took her off life support after finding her hanging in her bedroom at their home in Yucaipa, California.

Avila was bullied in her eighth-grade class at Mesa View Middle School.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org.