hello can we only have another round of
applause to Meagan Ilana and Carina
because they’re amazing hi my name is
Michaela woods and I’m here to talk to
you about inequality you guys might be
thinking what does this 17 year old
white girl know about inequality the
truth is we all know something about
inequality we’ve either a dealt with it
head-on be read about it in our history
now I’m here to write an open letter to
Millennials to show you how far we’ve
truly come dear Millennials I’m going to
show you how great you are by pointing
out the trials and tribulations of the
past there have been plenty of years of
darkness and distress we’ve had Wars
massacres economic downfalls mass
murders scary dictators and most of all
inequality among the masses I deal with
inequality because I’m a woman and I
struggle with my mental health if you
think about it women have only been able
to vote for a hundred years we’ve gone
from foot-binding to stereotypes that
say you have to stay in the kitchen have
to be a good housewife do laundry cook
clean to finally having a voice in
politics to having a woman win the
popular vote this progression is crazy
and I’m so thankful for this progression
because I someday want to go into the
medical field and if I was a lot of 100
years ago and said I wanted to be a
woman doctor people have been like
you’re crazy you’re supposed to be a
housewife and another progression I’m so
grateful for is the acceptance of mental
health there used to be a huge stigma
around mental health you were told to
deal with it one of two ways
you’re either supposed to suck it up and
toughen up or you are locked in the
loony bin as they called it these insane
asylums were ran by nuns and they cured
a depression with solitary confinement
think about that for a moment
it’s crazy how far we’ve come and if
this progression wouldn’t have happened
I probably wouldn’t have survived I
wouldn’t be able to stand up here today
and tell you I have anxiety and OCD and
then I go to therapy each week my
classmates wouldn’t be able to stand up
here and tell you about their struggles
and their mental disorders and share
now enough about me
and the problems I faced in the past
let’s take it back to the 1600s where
slavery was legal practiced regularly
these african-americans because they
were a different color than the majority
they were counted as three-fifths of a
person you fast forward a few hundred
years slavery is no longer legal which
is great but racism has only just begun
you have Plessy vs. Ferguson Jim Crow
laws and separate but equal some may
state say this is a step in the right
direction because slavery is no longer
legal but we know that we still have a
long way to go Martin Luther King jr.
gave his speech in 1963 to springboard
the civil rights movement and lead us to
equality now you look at 2009 we have a
black president inaugurated that’s going
to be here for two terms in 2016 we have
black lives matter movements and we have
a lot of people and culture in a lot of
people of color and culture we all know
who beyonce is now we need to keep
moving forward
another progression I’m going to speak
about is the acceptance of gay marriage
in the 1920’s 1930’s around there they
treated homosexuality with electric
shock therapy
fast forward to June 26 2015 and gay
marriage is legalized in all 50 states
this fight for love inspired equality
across the board not just with
homosexuality now why is it that in a
few hundred years women have gone from
housewives to doctors and presidential
candidates it’s because the people love
and the people care why is it that I can
stand up here today and tell you guys I
have
mental illness and I’m still a
successful woman and I’m not in an
insane asylum it’s because the people
love and the people care why is it that
we had a black president for two terms
and slavery is non-existent it’s because
the people love and the people care why
is it that you can marry whoever you
want now it’s because the people love
and the people care this love is the
common denominator in fighting for
equality we need to band together now
more than ever the only way is if we
accept each other we can’t divide into
groups this common denominator is the
reason why the women’s March had three
times the attendees as the presidential
inauguration this fight is why you can
marry whoever you want now
this fight in this love is why we have
black lives matter movements in this
fight is why this TED talk exists and
why we can share our stories these
changes were made by the people and for
the people we were raised to make
changes but we still have a long ways to
go we can’t just settle with you know
we’re almost legal I mean we’re almost
equal we’re equal on paper it’s fine
we need to keep going we are the ones
making changes and we were raised by
people who make changes we are going to
raise our kids to make changes as well
and they’re going to raise their kids
the same the truth is I believe
Millennials are the game changers we’re
stepping in the right direction
we are the game changers thank you
[Applause] [Music]
applause to Meagan Ilana and Carina
because they’re amazing hi my name is
Michaela woods and I’m here to talk to
you about inequality you guys might be
thinking what does this 17 year old
white girl know about inequality the
truth is we all know something about
inequality we’ve either a dealt with it
head-on be read about it in our history
now I’m here to write an open letter to
Millennials to show you how far we’ve
truly come dear Millennials I’m going to
show you how great you are by pointing
out the trials and tribulations of the
past there have been plenty of years of
darkness and distress we’ve had Wars
massacres economic downfalls mass
murders scary dictators and most of all
inequality among the masses I deal with
inequality because I’m a woman and I
struggle with my mental health if you
think about it women have only been able
to vote for a hundred years we’ve gone
from foot-binding to stereotypes that
say you have to stay in the kitchen have
to be a good housewife do laundry cook
clean to finally having a voice in
politics to having a woman win the
popular vote this progression is crazy
and I’m so thankful for this progression
because I someday want to go into the
medical field and if I was a lot of 100
years ago and said I wanted to be a
woman doctor people have been like
you’re crazy you’re supposed to be a
housewife and another progression I’m so
grateful for is the acceptance of mental
health there used to be a huge stigma
around mental health you were told to
deal with it one of two ways
you’re either supposed to suck it up and
toughen up or you are locked in the
loony bin as they called it these insane
asylums were ran by nuns and they cured
a depression with solitary confinement
think about that for a moment
it’s crazy how far we’ve come and if
this progression wouldn’t have happened
I probably wouldn’t have survived I
wouldn’t be able to stand up here today
and tell you I have anxiety and OCD and
then I go to therapy each week my
classmates wouldn’t be able to stand up
here and tell you about their struggles
and their mental disorders and share
now enough about me
and the problems I faced in the past
let’s take it back to the 1600s where
slavery was legal practiced regularly
these african-americans because they
were a different color than the majority
they were counted as three-fifths of a
person you fast forward a few hundred
years slavery is no longer legal which
is great but racism has only just begun
you have Plessy vs. Ferguson Jim Crow
laws and separate but equal some may
state say this is a step in the right
direction because slavery is no longer
legal but we know that we still have a
long way to go Martin Luther King jr.
gave his speech in 1963 to springboard
the civil rights movement and lead us to
equality now you look at 2009 we have a
black president inaugurated that’s going
to be here for two terms in 2016 we have
black lives matter movements and we have
a lot of people and culture in a lot of
people of color and culture we all know
who beyonce is now we need to keep
moving forward
another progression I’m going to speak
about is the acceptance of gay marriage
in the 1920’s 1930’s around there they
treated homosexuality with electric
shock therapy
fast forward to June 26 2015 and gay
marriage is legalized in all 50 states
this fight for love inspired equality
across the board not just with
homosexuality now why is it that in a
few hundred years women have gone from
housewives to doctors and presidential
candidates it’s because the people love
and the people care why is it that I can
stand up here today and tell you guys I
have
mental illness and I’m still a
successful woman and I’m not in an
insane asylum it’s because the people
love and the people care why is it that
we had a black president for two terms
and slavery is non-existent it’s because
the people love and the people care why
is it that you can marry whoever you
want now it’s because the people love
and the people care this love is the
common denominator in fighting for
equality we need to band together now
more than ever the only way is if we
accept each other we can’t divide into
groups this common denominator is the
reason why the women’s March had three
times the attendees as the presidential
inauguration this fight is why you can
marry whoever you want now
this fight in this love is why we have
black lives matter movements in this
fight is why this TED talk exists and
why we can share our stories these
changes were made by the people and for
the people we were raised to make
changes but we still have a long ways to
go we can’t just settle with you know
we’re almost legal I mean we’re almost
equal we’re equal on paper it’s fine
we need to keep going we are the ones
making changes and we were raised by
people who make changes we are going to
raise our kids to make changes as well
and they’re going to raise their kids
the same the truth is I believe
Millennials are the game changers we’re
stepping in the right direction
we are the game changers thank you
[Applause] [Music]
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