The Zilber School of Public Health was the venue for an unlikely party Monday evening as city officials, activists, parents, children, educators and others all gathered for the release of a remarkable music video entitled “No Amount of Tears.”
The video features production value that belies the fact it was largely created by youngsters. It chronicles the story of a young girl bullied at school to the point of contemplating suicide.
Activist Tracey Dent’s daughter, Azaria, stars in the video. Her role is rooted in real life. Her father says the bullying she endured was the inspiration for the entire project.
“Last year she was bullied,” Dent said. “She felt like she wanted to kill herself, so that motivated both of us to bring the awareness of bullying. That’s why we’re here today, because of my daughter.”
We’ve followed this story since before the video was in production. Last fall, singer Ebony Loren offered a thoughtful explanation of why she believes the video is needed.
“If you’re just getting talked at, I feel like a lot of youth are less likely to listen, as opposed to if they heard the message through a song or some other form of art,” Loren said.
Loren offered an impromptu live performance Monday, accompanying herself on acoustic guitar as she sang. It turned into the perfect exclamation point to a remarkable event.
