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