[Music]
on April 30th 2017 I was sworn in as the
first black woman to hold the position
of student government president at the
American University
the following day May 1st
my first day in office I was a victim of
a racially motivated hate crime an
individual hung bananas from nooses and
various places around campus and
blazoned with phrases and reference to a
sorority of which I am a member and the
gorilla that was killed at a zoo and the
days that followed I was inundated with
messages of support from family and
friends but also from strangers from
around the country telling me to stay
strong keep my head held high and that I
was handling the situation with grace
and poise but there isn’t a handbook on
how to cope with being the victim of a
hate crime no one tells you how much as
will forever change your life no one
tells you that anytime you hear of
another racially motivated act you
become triggered and fear for your own
safety no one tells you how much of a
dark cloud this will become over every
aspect of your life but what they do
tell you that’s how much better things
will be and expect you to go back to
normal
public service announcement this is my
new normal being overwhelmed with the
outpouring of support feeling guilty for
having all of us support when so many
others before me felt alone frustrated
that people miss understand what it’s
like to be at the center and envy the
platform but forgetting but I never
asked for this level of attention
constantly asking why mean wondering why
this act of hate and bigotry had to
happen to begin with questioning myself
my vision my purpose why me why me why
me following the hate crime I
facilitated a town hall of over 400
people I spoke about my experiences on a
Prescott
on Capitol Hill and I’ve shared my
stories with countless others in order
to let them know that they are not alone
little by little I’ve begun to take back
control of my life
marianne williamson once wrote our
sphere it’s not that we are inadequate
our deepest fear is that we are powerful
beyond measure it is our light not our
darkness that most frightens us we ask
ourselves Who am I to be brilliant
gorgeous talented fabulous actually who
are you not to be you are a child of God
your playing small does not serve the
world
there is nothing enlightened about
shrinking so that other people won’t
feel insecure around you we were all
meant to shine as children do we were
born to make manifest the glory of God
that is within us it’s not just in some
of us it’s in everyone and as we let our
own light shine we unconsciously give
other people permission to do the same
and as we are liberated from our own
fear our presence automatically
liberates others even walo is in the
spotlight inside I was shrinking away
trying to avoid the awkward stares and
unwanted attention I was fearful of
saying the wrong thing and afraid that
what I was doing would never be enough
rather than owning the stage and
amplifying the voices of those bellowing
around me but this is where I was wrong
the more I tried to hide shrink around
avoid the more power I was given to the
act and the powers that precipitate hate
bigotry racism and sexism this is why I
can stand before you today to tell you
that there is proof and telling your
story but there is power and telling
your story and if there is closure and
telling your story in order to discuss
inclusion we must first learn to talk
about what being excluded looks and
feels like
in its most blunt and raw forms
exclusion of something I’ve experienced
my whole life exclusion looks like
coming home at age three and asking your
mommy if black is bad exclusion looks
like being at
Elementary School and being told by
classmates I don’t really look at you as
black I mean you’re white on the inside
like an Oreo not having the vocabulary
to explain that was my socio-economic
background my social capital my
privilege that put me in these white
spaces exclusion looks like being told
by a teacher to look up the Merriam
Webster’s definition of nigger outloud
and freeze it in front of the class at
age 13 because you made a white girl cry
when you called her out for saying the
word exclusion looks like walking down
the street visiting family friends at
the beach and being called niggers by a
group of teenage white boys while
walking with your parents and your 11
year old brother exclusion looks like
being a freshman in college and watching
people posts anonymously on social media
racial epithets and derogatory comments
not knowing if it was your roommates
your classmates or your professors
exclusion looks like being the target of
a third banana related incident this
academic year targeted at black women
and being the only one to receive this
level of attention due in part to the
fact they were the first black woman
student government president to those
who might be uncomfortable by the words
I’ve just spoken and feel guilty from
hearing these accounts forgive me for
refusing to hide behind my experiences
any longer you see this is my life and
these are my stories if I did not use
this platform to do so and to share my
story with you I would be reaffirming
the faulty notion that this is OK and
that we must hide our experiences and
bottle it up and not share these things
so how do we create more inclusive
communities how do we build and come
together first well it’s not turning to
communities of color and asking the
question well how do we create inclusive
communities instead let’s turn to
ourselves and ask the question what do
we need to do to end these exclusive
communities and create communities that
validate the experiences of those who
have felt unable to exist instead but
to ourselves and ask the question how
are we you know engaging in these topics
how are we how are we putting other
people in uncomfortable situations and
let’s stop saying that everything is
going to be okay if we’re not prepared
to do what it takes to make sure that
things actually are okay here at AU
let’s build community by providing all
students with the opportunity to express
themselves through town hall meetings
and group dialogues let’s brainstorm
ways to create a more inclusive and
accepting community through
collaboration let’s evolve this campus
culture and to one that validates the
experiences of marginalized communities
rather than discounting their realities
let’s work together to address issues of
hate and racism and bigotry on a in a
head-on manner let’s create a different
you now some of you may know that this
was my campaign slogan when I ran for
student government president a few
months ago because although we have
different experiences we are all a part
of this university however I think that
this slogan goes a little bit further
than American University so here are my
questions for you how can we come
together to apply this to life in the
real world can we hold ourselves
accountable to creating a higher set of
standards to abide by if so I think
you’ll find ourselves in a world far
greater than the one we currently exist
in in order for us to create a truly
inclusive environment it begins with
each one of us whether that’s on our
college campuses in our neighborhoods or
across the nation so let’s start that
change now instead of being tolerant be
accepting instead of being closed-minded
go beyond and open yourself to new
experiences and new perspectives
instead of being sympathetic dig deeper
and have empathy once we commit
ourselves to these three simple things
we will find ourselves in a world that’s
more kind more loving and more inclusive
of all people until we are willing to
combat these issues
united people we will continue to be
putting a bandaid on cancer the cancer
that is a fear of the other until we are
willing to provide the support necessary
to eradicate acts of bigotry hate racism
and Prejudice we will continue to have
empty and cyclical conversations about
inclusion yes we must recognize we are
not all in the same place in terms of
understanding inclusivity however we all
have the ability to challenge ourselves
to create a different you thank you
[Applause]
on April 30th 2017 I was sworn in as the
first black woman to hold the position
of student government president at the
American University
the following day May 1st
my first day in office I was a victim of
a racially motivated hate crime an
individual hung bananas from nooses and
various places around campus and
blazoned with phrases and reference to a
sorority of which I am a member and the
gorilla that was killed at a zoo and the
days that followed I was inundated with
messages of support from family and
friends but also from strangers from
around the country telling me to stay
strong keep my head held high and that I
was handling the situation with grace
and poise but there isn’t a handbook on
how to cope with being the victim of a
hate crime no one tells you how much as
will forever change your life no one
tells you that anytime you hear of
another racially motivated act you
become triggered and fear for your own
safety no one tells you how much of a
dark cloud this will become over every
aspect of your life but what they do
tell you that’s how much better things
will be and expect you to go back to
normal
public service announcement this is my
new normal being overwhelmed with the
outpouring of support feeling guilty for
having all of us support when so many
others before me felt alone frustrated
that people miss understand what it’s
like to be at the center and envy the
platform but forgetting but I never
asked for this level of attention
constantly asking why mean wondering why
this act of hate and bigotry had to
happen to begin with questioning myself
my vision my purpose why me why me why
me following the hate crime I
facilitated a town hall of over 400
people I spoke about my experiences on a
Prescott
on Capitol Hill and I’ve shared my
stories with countless others in order
to let them know that they are not alone
little by little I’ve begun to take back
control of my life
marianne williamson once wrote our
sphere it’s not that we are inadequate
our deepest fear is that we are powerful
beyond measure it is our light not our
darkness that most frightens us we ask
ourselves Who am I to be brilliant
gorgeous talented fabulous actually who
are you not to be you are a child of God
your playing small does not serve the
world
there is nothing enlightened about
shrinking so that other people won’t
feel insecure around you we were all
meant to shine as children do we were
born to make manifest the glory of God
that is within us it’s not just in some
of us it’s in everyone and as we let our
own light shine we unconsciously give
other people permission to do the same
and as we are liberated from our own
fear our presence automatically
liberates others even walo is in the
spotlight inside I was shrinking away
trying to avoid the awkward stares and
unwanted attention I was fearful of
saying the wrong thing and afraid that
what I was doing would never be enough
rather than owning the stage and
amplifying the voices of those bellowing
around me but this is where I was wrong
the more I tried to hide shrink around
avoid the more power I was given to the
act and the powers that precipitate hate
bigotry racism and sexism this is why I
can stand before you today to tell you
that there is proof and telling your
story but there is power and telling
your story and if there is closure and
telling your story in order to discuss
inclusion we must first learn to talk
about what being excluded looks and
feels like
in its most blunt and raw forms
exclusion of something I’ve experienced
my whole life exclusion looks like
coming home at age three and asking your
mommy if black is bad exclusion looks
like being at
Elementary School and being told by
classmates I don’t really look at you as
black I mean you’re white on the inside
like an Oreo not having the vocabulary
to explain that was my socio-economic
background my social capital my
privilege that put me in these white
spaces exclusion looks like being told
by a teacher to look up the Merriam
Webster’s definition of nigger outloud
and freeze it in front of the class at
age 13 because you made a white girl cry
when you called her out for saying the
word exclusion looks like walking down
the street visiting family friends at
the beach and being called niggers by a
group of teenage white boys while
walking with your parents and your 11
year old brother exclusion looks like
being a freshman in college and watching
people posts anonymously on social media
racial epithets and derogatory comments
not knowing if it was your roommates
your classmates or your professors
exclusion looks like being the target of
a third banana related incident this
academic year targeted at black women
and being the only one to receive this
level of attention due in part to the
fact they were the first black woman
student government president to those
who might be uncomfortable by the words
I’ve just spoken and feel guilty from
hearing these accounts forgive me for
refusing to hide behind my experiences
any longer you see this is my life and
these are my stories if I did not use
this platform to do so and to share my
story with you I would be reaffirming
the faulty notion that this is OK and
that we must hide our experiences and
bottle it up and not share these things
so how do we create more inclusive
communities how do we build and come
together first well it’s not turning to
communities of color and asking the
question well how do we create inclusive
communities instead let’s turn to
ourselves and ask the question what do
we need to do to end these exclusive
communities and create communities that
validate the experiences of those who
have felt unable to exist instead but
to ourselves and ask the question how
are we you know engaging in these topics
how are we how are we putting other
people in uncomfortable situations and
let’s stop saying that everything is
going to be okay if we’re not prepared
to do what it takes to make sure that
things actually are okay here at AU
let’s build community by providing all
students with the opportunity to express
themselves through town hall meetings
and group dialogues let’s brainstorm
ways to create a more inclusive and
accepting community through
collaboration let’s evolve this campus
culture and to one that validates the
experiences of marginalized communities
rather than discounting their realities
let’s work together to address issues of
hate and racism and bigotry on a in a
head-on manner let’s create a different
you now some of you may know that this
was my campaign slogan when I ran for
student government president a few
months ago because although we have
different experiences we are all a part
of this university however I think that
this slogan goes a little bit further
than American University so here are my
questions for you how can we come
together to apply this to life in the
real world can we hold ourselves
accountable to creating a higher set of
standards to abide by if so I think
you’ll find ourselves in a world far
greater than the one we currently exist
in in order for us to create a truly
inclusive environment it begins with
each one of us whether that’s on our
college campuses in our neighborhoods or
across the nation so let’s start that
change now instead of being tolerant be
accepting instead of being closed-minded
go beyond and open yourself to new
experiences and new perspectives
instead of being sympathetic dig deeper
and have empathy once we commit
ourselves to these three simple things
we will find ourselves in a world that’s
more kind more loving and more inclusive
of all people until we are willing to
combat these issues
united people we will continue to be
putting a bandaid on cancer the cancer
that is a fear of the other until we are
willing to provide the support necessary
to eradicate acts of bigotry hate racism
and Prejudice we will continue to have
empty and cyclical conversations about
inclusion yes we must recognize we are
not all in the same place in terms of
understanding inclusivity however we all
have the ability to challenge ourselves
to create a different you thank you
[Applause]
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