Time Magazine (2022-02-28)

78 TIME February 28/March 7, 2022

FROM THE AGE OF 6, SAMIRAH HORTON, ALSO

known as DJ Annie Red, was picked on by her

peers for the things that made her diff erent—

her raspier voice, her unique sense of style, and

her unwavering confi dence in herself. Rather

than giving up, Horton decided to pick up a mic

and make sure other children knew they weren’t

alone. “I didn’t want other kids to go through that

experience,” says Horton, “especially at a very

young age.” Now, alongside attending eighth-

grade classes, playing basketball with friends, and

growing a large Lego collection, she’s also build-

ing an antibullying platform to reach students

across the country.

For as long as Horton remembers, she’s felt a

special connection to music. During a Zoom in-

terview, she holds up a photo of herself mixing

on a turntable as a 3-year-old. She remembers her

mother always having the radio on, and her father

teaching her how to deejay. These days, music

fuels her mission. “It’s music that has allowed me

to spread this important message,” she says.

Horton’s gigs draw inspiration from the

broad range of classics her parents would play.

Now when she’s playing a set at a school or as

the Kid DJ for her hometown team, the Brook-

lyn Nets, you can expect to hear anything from

the hip-hop classics of Lauryn Hill to one of her

current favorites, Lil Nas X. In the mix are songs

of her own, including the antibullying anthem

“No You Won’t Bully Me.”

Her message has reached beyond the DJ

set. At 8, Horton turned one of her songs into a

26-page picture book, The Bully Stop, which she

says has reached thousands of people across Amer-

ica. In the book, she references the over 160,000

students who miss school daily for fear of being

bullied. Horton, who identifi es as Afro Latina,

made sure to have the book available in Spanish

for bilingual readers. She’s also met with at least

60 schools and after-school programs to spread

her mission.

Like most teens, Horton’s also got a knack for

social media. She recognizes that the online space

can often be a home for cyberhate, but she’s cho-

sen to leverage the reach of platforms like Insta-

gram, YouTube, and TikTok to connect her music

and motivational speaking with students from

all over the world. “This message connects with

every one,” she says. “Diff erent age groups, ethnici-

ties, and backgrounds.”

Horton isn’t sure exactly what the future holds,

but for now, she’s passionate about leading her

school’s student government and playing sports.

That could make a career as a politician or a sports-

caster particularly exciting. “I don’t know exactly

what I’ll be doing, but I know I’ll be making a posi-

tive impact on the world,” she says.

She’s already on her way, but her biggest

achievement in her own eyes is persuading others

not to doubt themselves along the way. “I don’t

care what anybody tells you,” she says. “You are

never too young to make a change.”

—MARIAH ESPADA

Samirah Horton

Antibullying advocate

BROOKLYN / 13

Horton, also

known as DJ

Annie Red,

created a

powerful

antibullying

anthem

Kid of the Year

Sammie Vance, 13

Vance works to install

Buddy Benches, safe places

to signal that someone

is looking for a friend or a

connection, in her town.

FORT WAYNE, IND.

Miles Fetherston-Resch, 9

Fetherston-Resch created Kids Saving

Oceans, which sells items made from

plastic that was reclaimed from the

sea, and has donated over $23,000 to

ocean-conservation organizations.

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA.

Zoe Oli, 10

Oli founded Beautiful Curly

Me, a line of dolls, hair-care

products, and books that she

hopes can instill self-confi dence

in young Black and brown girls.

ATLANTA

COURTESY FAMILIES