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Dancer in Rebecca Black Video Recovering from Bullying
Photo of Benni Cinkle via Facebook
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Those of us who have ever seen the internet will recall that once upon a time, there was a girl named Rebecca Black. She made a music video, and was then mocked the world over by people twice, three times, four times her age.
In that music video was also a girl named Benni Cinkle, who played the part of a dancer. Cinkle made headlines because along with Black, she too was bullied, made fun of and shunned by her classmates and by perfect strangers.
In response, Cinkle created an anti-bullying organization called That Girl In Pink Foundation, to help kids dealing with bullying, depression and anxiety. In a profile, the Orange County Register reports that she's doing just fine these days. The bullying has stopped, and she rarely gets recognized on the street.
But more than that, she has a message for other kids:
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"A lot of kids feel like they're trapped at home," Benni says. "I want to tell those kids it's OK. You can be what you want to be. Really, what my nonprofit is all about is that there is hope and there is always something to look forward to."
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Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
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