---
title: Winning the Race Against Bullying
date: 2024-02-05T05:30:00-05:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/winning-the-race-against-bullying"
section: Articles
---
# Winning the Race Against Bullying

*February 5, 2024* — by [Lucy Hubbard ’24](/author/lucy-hubbard-24)


> Once Targeted, Student Spreads Message of Acceptance Through Books, Presentations and Podcasts

*IMG 0279 Enhanced NR 1920x1080 — Devin Moore '26 (at left) speaks to high school freshman at George Westinghouse College Prep in Chicago as part of a school anti-bullying presentation. Their 2022 book, "Devin Speaks Up," helps children identify bullying.*

When Devin Moore was in eighth grade, three classmates cornered them not only in the classroom but online with racist bullying. The Long Island native responded in an unlikely way: by founding at age 14 an anti-bullying organization,[ ](https://www.racetospeakup.com/)[Race to Speak Up](https://www.racetospeakup.com/), with help from their mom. Its name references both the urgency with which bullying must be addressed, as well as the racial divisions and underlying unity of the human race.

“What really inspired me was knowing that other people were going through the same pain that I went through,” Moore said. “I really wanted to be a part of that positive change that effectively puts an end to this bullying.”

Six years later, Moore is a sophomore psychology major at the University of Maryland, where they’re spreading Race to Speak Up’s message of anti-bullying in various forms, from their children’s book to interactive workshops to podcasts.

Nearly half of teenagers in the United States have been bullied online, according to the Pew Research Center. Students who are bullied have a higher risk of developing depression and anxiety, and students of color are more likely to experience bullying than white students, according to the Center for Antiracist Research.

Moore began hosting interactive “Race to Speak Up Against Bullying” workshops for local elementary and middle schools while they were in high school, talking to students about bullying prevention and how they can support one another. During these workshops, Moore encourages others to be “upstanders” rather than bystanders, stressing the importance of supporting victims and ways to prevent or stop bullying when they see it.


*Devin Speaks Up! book cover*




**Topics:** [People](https://today.umd.edu/tags/people)


**Tags:** [Books](https://today.umd.edu/topic/books), [Psychology](https://today.umd.edu/topic/psychology), [Student Experience](https://today.umd.edu/topic/student-experience)


**Units:** [College of Behavioral and Social Sciences](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-behavioral-and-social-sciences)