A high school student’s passionate speech on racism is going viral after it was caught on video and posted to Facebook — and it is worth watching.
The video, labeled “High School Student Schools Teacher On What Racism Is,” was originally posted on the Facebook account But That’s None Of My Business. The recording clearly starts partway through a classroom debate and doesn’t include the statement to which the unidentified young woman is responding. But there are some definite hints, and her points stand on their own.
“Racism is based on the systematic oppression of people,” she explains. “White people have never suffered that,” she says to a white man standing at the front of the room. “Yeah, in the future it’s possible to have some form of systematic oppression against white people. But that’s never happened.”
“You saying that that’s not going to be up for argument is kind of like you, as a white man, saying what is or is not racist,” she concludes, to gasps and sounds of approval from her classmates.
While the video implies she’s responding to her teacher, at least one commenter on US Uncut ’s YouTube post suggests that she’s talking to a fellow student. Either way, she’s clearly unafraid to speak up.
“You saying that doesn’t make me believe you, because that’s what’s been fed to us for so long,” she says.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Tina Brown Talks Bad Men, Powerful Women & Yes, Donald Trump