After being cyberbullied, she’s taught others how to fight back

Traumatized and violated.

That’s how Cairo Eubanks felt when photos she’d shared on Facebook had been posted on a lewd Instagram account by someone she knew in college.

“I was shocked,” Eubanks said. “He posted those pictures and was using my name as well as saying some very dirty things that I did not feel comfortable with him posting. I’ve seen him before and he sent me messages that were a little creepy.”

The 28-year-old blocked and reported him. He then reached out to her again after creating new social media accounts. Out of frustration, she wrote about her experience on Facebook. To her surprise, 30 others responded that the same person had been harassing them online for years.

“I felt violated when it happened to me and angry that it was happening to so many people,” she said.

Created Facebook group of those harassed

Eubanks, who said her first name Cairo means “victorious one,” created a Facebook group with the people who’d been harassed. She asked them to tell their stories and share evidence. People from the group then used the evidence to file police reports and reached out to their college.

“School administration actually changed some of their policies as a result of what we said and how we spoke up,” Eubanks said.

She didn’t stop there. In 2020, Eubanks created Operation Stop Cyber Harassment, a free online conference to teach teens and parents how to report online harassment.

What Eubanks initially perceived as a one-time event has turned into an annual online conference. Through her organization, Bringing the Globe, Eubanks has also worked with schools and students, teaching them about internet safety and cyberbullying.

“We are empowering parents and teens to see themselves as digital citizens capable of protecting themselves online, reporting cyberbullying and online threats and advocating for others,” Eubanks said.

Eubanks is beginning a monthly Digital Citizen Training Bootcamp. The free, online four-week program will provide cyberbullying prevention strategies, mental health support, online safety tools and digital responsibility.

“She has the qualities that you are looking for in a leader,” said Lynne Warrick, a 100-year-old community advocate, especially for minorities, who is a mentor of Eubanks and founder of Lynne Warrick Institute, which offers tutoring to South Florida students. “She is motivated, and she follows through. You give her something to do and it’s as good as done.”

Inspiring Black girls

Eubanks, who was Miss Black Florida 2022, said winning the pageant gave her a platform and helped her to inspire Black girls.

“A little girl with dreads came up to me and said she didn’t know it was possible for her to become a pageant queen,” Eubanks said.

“I’m grateful that I grew up in a Jamaican household where locks were appreciated and celebrated,” Eubanks added. “But that wasn’t always the case. When I was in school, I dealt with microaggressions from people who didn’t understand my hair. So anywhere I go, especially when I see little Black girls or little girls of underrepresented minorities, I want to make sure that they know how powerful, smart and beautiful they are.”

Eubanks has always had an interest in the world around her. In college, she majored in international studies with a concentration in African studies. She later taught in India.

So, it was a natural fit for her to become the youth representative of the New Future Foundation of the United Nations Department of Global Communications (UN DGC) and a U.N. committee co-chair. She was the recipient of the 2022 Young Pacesetter for Africa Development Award on Africa Day at the United Nations.

“In her role as co-chair, Cairo serves as a shining example of youth advocacy,” said Hawa Diallo, chief of the Civil Society Unit, U.N. Department of Global Communications.“Cairo’s unwavering commitment to forging connections between the communities of South Florida and those around the globe is a testament to her dedication and vision for a better world.”

For more information

To learn more about the free, monthly Digital Citizen Training Bootcamp, visit tinyurl.com/DigitalCitizenTraining. To learn more about Bringing the Globe, go to https://www.bringingtheglobe.com/

This story was originally published November 27, 2023 at 8:50 AM.