Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate is speaking out against racism in the media after she was cropped out of a photo featuring herself and other prominent climate activists in Davos, Switzerland. The other youth activists were white and included Greta Thunberg. The Associated Press, which published the cropped photo, said the photographer cut Nakate out of it because he thought the building behind her was distracting. AP also issued a statement apologizing for cropping the photo. Vanessa Nakate said the photo “erased a continent.” This is Nakate speaking on social media.

Vanessa Nakate: “This is the first time in my life that I understood the definition of the word 'racism.' … Africa is the least emitter of carbons, but we are the most affected by the climate crisis. But you erasing our voices won’t change anything.”

Click here to see our interview with Vanessa Nakate at last month’s U.N. Climate Conference in Madrid.

Click here to see a statement from the Associated Press on the cropped photo.