[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] tougher coconut nigga
tougher coconut nigga
tougher coconut nigga these are just some of the names that
these are just some of the names that
these are just some of the names that I’ve been called throughout my life and
I’ve been called throughout my life and
I’ve been called throughout my life and I bet money on the fact that everyone in
I bet money on the fact that everyone in
I bet money on the fact that everyone in this audience has been called at least
this audience has been called at least
this audience has been called at least one of the names I just mentioned if not
something just as hateful that hurt that
something just as hateful that hurt that feels like acid corroding at your heart
feels like acid corroding at your heart
feels like acid corroding at your heart can you feel it that venom slowly
can you feel it that venom slowly
can you feel it that venom slowly shutting you down but pause for a second
shutting you down but pause for a second
shutting you down but pause for a second before you let yourselves fade into
before you let yourselves fade into
before you let yourselves fade into nothingness and ask yourselves why are
nothingness and ask yourselves why are
nothingness and ask yourselves why are these names so degrading I imagine that
these names so degrading I imagine that
these names so degrading I imagine that at this time the image of a cruel person
at this time the image of a cruel person
at this time the image of a cruel person attacking on some aspect of your
attacking on some aspect of your
attacking on some aspect of your identity has popped into your mind if we
identity has popped into your mind if we
identity has popped into your mind if we want a society when no one is held down
want a society when no one is held down
want a society when no one is held down by their oppressors we need to let go of
by their oppressors we need to let go of
by their oppressors we need to let go of the past we don’t move forward by
the past we don’t move forward by
the past we don’t move forward by holding on to our oppression we do so by
holding on to our oppression we do so by
holding on to our oppression we do so by making our oppressors irrelevant so
making our oppressors irrelevant so
making our oppressors irrelevant so let’s start with name-calling
so let’s start with name-calling
so let’s start with name-calling also known as hate speech as a recipient
also known as hate speech as a recipient
also known as hate speech as a recipient our failure comes when we allow certain
our failure comes when we allow certain
our failure comes when we allow certain words to be offensive because the minute
words to be offensive because the minute
words to be offensive because the minute you do so you’re playing their game on
you do so you’re playing their game on
you do so you’re playing their game on the enemy’s terms they’re telling you
the enemy’s terms they’re telling you
the enemy’s terms they’re telling you what’s rude what’s undesirable what’s
what’s rude what’s undesirable what’s
what’s rude what’s undesirable what’s wrong with you and you’re accepting that
wrong with you and you’re accepting that
wrong with you and you’re accepting that but there’s a way we can solve this
but there’s a way we can solve this
but there’s a way we can solve this reclaim the words that sting redefine
reclaim the words that sting redefine
reclaim the words that sting redefine them in a way that makes them
them in a way that makes them
them in a way that makes them ineffective and those who try to harm
ineffective and those who try to harm
ineffective and those who try to harm you with them irrelevant it’s actually
you with them irrelevant it’s actually
you with them irrelevant it’s actually easier for most of us Millennials
easier for most of us Millennials
easier for most of us Millennials considering were born after most of the
considering were born after most of the
considering were born after most of the obvious oppression and for those reasons
obvious oppression and for those reasons
obvious oppression and for those reasons those words on direct triggers sorry
those words on direct triggers sorry
those words on direct triggers sorry debate a speech so abandon the
debate a speech so abandon the
debate a speech so abandon the connotations use those words as positive
connotations use those words as positive
connotations use those words as positive identifies especially among friends and
identifies especially among friends and
identifies especially among friends and family claim the names earn them as best
family claim the names earn them as best
family claim the names earn them as best one could and when the time comes
one could and when the time comes
one could and when the time comes teach your children to raise the hate
teach your children to raise the hate
teach your children to raise the hate behind those words and stop feeding them
behind those words and stop feeding them
behind those words and stop feeding them the venom of the past when I was a young
the venom of the past when I was a young
the venom of the past when I was a young boy a friend of mine came to school
boy a friend of mine came to school
boy a friend of mine came to school after an afternoon off MTV and started
after an afternoon off MTV and started
after an afternoon off MTV and started calling us all his niggers at the time
calling us all his niggers at the time
calling us all his niggers at the time we didn’t know what the word meant so it
we didn’t know what the word meant so it
we didn’t know what the word meant so it quickly became a frequent term used
quickly became a frequent term used
quickly became a frequent term used within our circle of friends as you can
within our circle of friends as you can
within our circle of friends as you can imagine the soon ended with all of us in
imagine the soon ended with all of us in
imagine the soon ended with all of us in timeout
timeout
timeout after receiving a long lecture on how
after receiving a long lecture on how
after receiving a long lecture on how bad that word is that day was important
bad that word is that day was important
bad that word is that day was important to me for two reasons firstly was the
to me for two reasons firstly was the
to me for two reasons firstly was the day I learned that the word nigga even
day I learned that the word nigga even
day I learned that the word nigga even existed but secondly it was the first
existed but secondly it was the first
existed but secondly it was the first time of many that I’d be taught that
time of many that I’d be taught that
time of many that I’d be taught that certain words had some kind of
certain words had some kind of
certain words had some kind of destructive weight we are brainwashed
destructive weight we are brainwashed
destructive weight we are brainwashed from a young age by our oppressors
from a young age by our oppressors
from a young age by our oppressors and false allies to be degraded to be
and false allies to be degraded to be
and false allies to be degraded to be devalued to may be made vulnerable by
devalued to may be made vulnerable by
devalued to may be made vulnerable by arbitrary utterances we arm the
arbitrary utterances we arm the
arbitrary utterances we arm the irrelevant with two-edged swords and
irrelevant with two-edged swords and
irrelevant with two-edged swords and leave our souls completely exposed so
leave our souls completely exposed so
leave our souls completely exposed so how do we dull the edges of these
how do we dull the edges of these
how do we dull the edges of these culling blades well I’d like to show you
culling blades well I’d like to show you
culling blades well I’d like to show you the way with a little exercise I’d like
the way with a little exercise I’d like
the way with a little exercise I’d like everyone here to think of the most
everyone here to think of the most
everyone here to think of the most offensive thing they’ve ever been called
offensive thing they’ve ever been called
offensive thing they’ve ever been called right right now think about who you are
right right now think about who you are
right right now think about who you are in comparison to the persona of those
in comparison to the persona of those
in comparison to the persona of those words try to impose are you beautiful
words try to impose are you beautiful
words try to impose are you beautiful perhaps smart talented successful now I
perhaps smart talented successful now I
perhaps smart talented successful now I want you to take the negative in the
want you to take the negative in the
want you to take the negative in the word that you thought of and replace it
word that you thought of and replace it
word that you thought of and replace it with the amazing qualities that I know
with the amazing qualities that I know
with the amazing qualities that I know you all have I want you to imagine that
you all have I want you to imagine that
you all have I want you to imagine that it is you saying the word that you
it is you saying the word that you
it is you saying the word that you thought of and not some cruel shop you
thought of and not some cruel shop you
thought of and not some cruel shop you thought of in the beginning of my speech
thought of in the beginning of my speech
thought of in the beginning of my speech well that being said I’d like everybody
well that being said I’d like everybody
well that being said I’d like everybody when I finish counting down from 3 of
when I finish counting down from 3 of
when I finish counting down from 3 of course to say my name is state your name
course to say my name is state your name
course to say my name is state your name and I am and quote the offensive term
and I am and quote the offensive term
and I am and quote the offensive term you thought of right right 3 2 1
you thought of right right 3 2 1
you thought of right right 3 2 1 [Applause]
totally awesome now I’d like you to keep
totally awesome now I’d like you to keep that outlook on any negativity that
that outlook on any negativity that
that outlook on any negativity that comes your way believe me I understand
comes your way believe me I understand
comes your way believe me I understand that this looks like a difficult thing
that this looks like a difficult thing
that this looks like a difficult thing to do especially since we as human
to do especially since we as human
to do especially since we as human beings are so adverse to change but it’s
beings are so adverse to change but it’s
beings are so adverse to change but it’s already being done the word geek which
already being done the word geek which
already being done the word geek which the Oxford Dictionary defines us someone
the Oxford Dictionary defines us someone
the Oxford Dictionary defines us someone whose are they extremely interested in
whose are they extremely interested in
whose are they extremely interested in were extremely knowledgeable about a
were extremely knowledgeable about a
were extremely knowledgeable about a particular subject is the name that many
particular subject is the name that many
particular subject is the name that many of us call ourselves what pride it
of us call ourselves what pride it
of us call ourselves what pride it wasn’t always that way however the word
wasn’t always that way however the word
wasn’t always that way however the word geek was once a pejorative the geek was
geek was once a pejorative the geek was
geek was once a pejorative the geek was a person so disgustingly freakish that
a person so disgustingly freakish that
a person so disgustingly freakish that the only thing that they deserved was to
the only thing that they deserved was to
the only thing that they deserved was to be thrown and locked in a circus and
be thrown and locked in a circus and
be thrown and locked in a circus and stared at as they did things like bite
stared at as they did things like bite
stared at as they did things like bite their heads off of bats and other small
their heads off of bats and other small
their heads off of bats and other small animals Society later as it tends to do
animals Society later as it tends to do
animals Society later as it tends to do became a bit more charitable and used
became a bit more charitable and used
became a bit more charitable and used the word to describe people who weren’t
the word to describe people who weren’t
the word to describe people who weren’t the most socially adept phosphor it
the most socially adept phosphor it
the most socially adept phosphor it about 2014-2015 where we are the smart
about 2014-2015 where we are the smart
about 2014-2015 where we are the smart ones
but I’d like to further prove my point
but I’d like to further prove my point by looking at words that have been
by looking at words that have been
by looking at words that have been exchanged in conflicts that are a bit
exchanged in conflicts that are a bit
exchanged in conflicts that are a bit more violent a bit more historical a bit
more violent a bit more historical a bit
more violent a bit more historical a bit more like the oppression we try to
more like the oppression we try to
more like the oppression we try to combat today the word hysterical which
combat today the word hysterical which
combat today the word hysterical which some of us may use to describe a
some of us may use to describe a
some of us may use to describe a situation of person I was extremely
situation of person I was extremely
situation of person I was extremely hilarious or just crazy comes from the
hilarious or just crazy comes from the
hilarious or just crazy comes from the word hysteria which back in its heyday
word hysteria which back in its heyday
word hysteria which back in its heyday was doctor speak for women be cray
was doctor speak for women be cray
was doctor speak for women be cray another example is the word savage which
another example is the word savage which
another example is the word savage which a lot of us teenagers use usually while
a lot of us teenagers use usually while
a lot of us teenagers use usually while in admiration or or while describing
in admiration or or while describing
in admiration or or while describing someone who’s so awesome that they don’t
someone who’s so awesome that they don’t
someone who’s so awesome that they don’t care about any negativity that comes
care about any negativity that comes
care about any negativity that comes their way the word savage back in its
their way the word savage back in its
their way the word savage back in its heyday was our nigger was used to
heyday was our nigger was used to
heyday was our nigger was used to describe people that society deemed
describe people that society deemed
describe people that society deemed uncivilized coincidentally those were
uncivilized coincidentally those were
uncivilized coincidentally those were usually people in countries that were
usually people in countries that were
usually people in countries that were being colonized at the time on the flip
being colonized at the time on the flip
being colonized at the time on the flip side of the coin we see redefinition
side of the coin we see redefinition
side of the coin we see redefinition being used for cruelty many of us will
being used for cruelty many of us will
being used for cruelty many of us will have experiences when a term or word
have experiences when a term or word
have experiences when a term or word that shouldn’t have been offensive was
that shouldn’t have been offensive was
that shouldn’t have been offensive was just as hurtful as any hate speech and
just as hurtful as any hate speech and
just as hurtful as any hate speech and it usually boiled down to two things
it usually boiled down to two things
it usually boiled down to two things firstly who said that name but secondly
firstly who said that name but secondly
firstly who said that name but secondly what they’re implying in their speech
what they’re implying in their speech
what they’re implying in their speech one of the best examples we have today
one of the best examples we have today
one of the best examples we have today of this out of many is the word retarded
of this out of many is the word retarded
of this out of many is the word retarded which was once used to describe people
which was once used to describe people
which was once used to describe people with Down syndrome well we now see it
with Down syndrome well we now see it
with Down syndrome well we now see it being used to describe people or
being used to describe people or
being used to describe people or situations that are either just stupid
situations that are either just stupid
situations that are either just stupid or not too great it’s that simple and it
or not too great it’s that simple and it
or not too great it’s that simple and it should be known that the odds of us
should be known that the odds of us
should be known that the odds of us winning the war onward ownership is in
winning the war onward ownership is in
winning the war onward ownership is in our favor there are more of us than
our favor there are more of us than
our favor there are more of us than there are them were smarter more
there are them were smarter more
there are them were smarter more resilient and the words that we plan to
resilient and the words that we plan to
resilient and the words that we plan to take back already have less than half
take back already have less than half
take back already have less than half the weight they had several years ago so
the weight they had several years ago so
the weight they had several years ago so I’d like to end my speech with a message
I’d like to end my speech with a message
I’d like to end my speech with a message to be irrelevant
to be irrelevant
to be irrelevant my name is Tahrir o woful Arora and I am
my name is Tahrir o woful Arora and I am
my name is Tahrir o woful Arora and I am one savage F of a nigga and in
one savage F of a nigga and in
one savage F of a nigga and in regards for the words you try and break
regards for the words you try and break
regards for the words you try and break me down with frankly my dear idiots I
me down with frankly my dear idiots I
me down with frankly my dear idiots I don’t give a damn
don’t give a damn
don’t give a damn [Applause]
”
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