Hi there,

As Democracy Now! turns 29 this month, the need for independent news questioning and challenging those in power is more critical now than ever. Although this is a period of great uncertainty for news organizations like ours, we are unwavering in our commitment to continue to bring you fearless trustworthy reporting on the issues that matter most. If our journalism is important to you, please donate today in honor of our 29th anniversary. Every dollar makes a difference. Thank you so much.

Democracy Now!

Amy Goodman

Non-commercial news needs your support.

We rely on contributions from you, our viewers and listeners to do our work. If you visit us daily or weekly or even just once a month, now is a great time to make your monthly contribution.

Please do your part today.

Donate

WATCH: 9-Year-Old Girl’s Testimony About Police Killings in Charlotte Goes Viral

Web ExclusiveSeptember 28, 2016
Media Options

A nine-year-old girl’s testimony at a City Council meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, about police brutality has gone viral, as protests continue over the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott. “I’ve been born and raised in Charlotte, and I’ve never felt this way ’til now,” said Zianna Oliphant. “And I can’t stand how we’re treated. It’s a shame that our fathers and mothers are killed, and we can’t even see them anymore. It’s a shame that we have to go to the graveyard and bury them. And we have tears, and we shouldn’t have tears. We need our fathers and mothers to be by our side.”

Related Story

StoryDec 11, 2024Updated: Police Acquitted in Death of Herman Whitfield, Whose Family Called for Help During a Mental Health Crisis
Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: A nine-year-old girl’s testimony at a City Council meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, about police brutality has gone viral, as protests continue over the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott. This is Zianna Oliphant.

ZIANNA OLIPHANT: I come here today to talk about how I feel. And I feel like that we are treated differently than other people, and I don’t like how we’re treated. And just because of our color doesn’t mean anything to me. I believe that—

SUPPORTER 1: You’re doing great. You’re doing a great job.

SUPPORTER 2: Stop the clock. Stop the clock.

SUPPORTER 3: And don’t stop. Do not stop!

ZIANNA OLIPHANT: We are black people, and we shouldn’t have to feel like this. We shouldn’t have to protest because y’all are treating us wrong. We do this because we need to and have right.

SUPPORTER 1: Go ahead. Go ahead. Let her—let her talk. Go ahead.

ZIANNA OLIPHANT: I’ve been born and raised in Charlotte, and I’ve never felt this way 'til now. And I can't stand how we’re treated. It’s a shame that our fathers and mothers are killed, and we can’t even see them anymore. It’s a shame that we have to go to the graveyard and bury them. And we have tears, and we shouldn’t have tears. We need our fathers and mothers to be by our side.

The original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Please attribute legal copies of this work to democracynow.org. Some of the work(s) that this program incorporates, however, may be separately licensed. For further information or additional permissions, contact us.

Up Next

Updated: Police Acquitted in Death of Herman Whitfield, Whose Family Called for Help During a Mental Health Crisis

Non-commercial news needs your support

We rely on contributions from our viewers and listeners to do our work.
Please do your part today.
Make a donation
Top