Hi, it's Naomi Wadler.
I'm mostly your average 12-year-old, except--
it is my privilege to be here today.
I'm 11 years old.
I am here today to acknowledge and represent
the African-American girls whose stories don't
make the front page of every national newspaper.
We also know that we stand in the shadow of the capital,
and we know that we have seven short years until we too
have the right to vote.
And I really realized that I had made
an impact when you guys called.
Really?
That was it?
Yes, it was nothing else mattered.
Ellen called me.
I'm good.
I was thinking about what I could do to help.
I noticed that a bunch of students were doing walkouts.
So I was-- I thought to myself, I want to do a walk out, too.
Our march was a little different,
because we added an extra minute to honor Courtland Arrington,
a black 16-year-old in Alabama who was shot, and I--
we decided to do that because I feel way
too often black women are shot, and their names
aren't remembered, and they're not valued as much.
And so that this would be a good way to get a message across.
In the past year, I've been asked
to give speeches and speak on panels all over the country.
In between being a regular kid, I've
been given some amazing opportunities,
like being able to sit down with Serena Williams.
I'm so happy to do this.
And I love those shoes.
Thank you.
I think you're awesome.
Thank you.
It's great to meet you.
So you're a role model for so many little black girls
around the world.
What advice do you have for us when it
comes to standing in our power?
I think it's really important for people and women and us
to really stand up for what we believe in,
and stand in our power, and believe that we do have power.
You're also a role model for so many little white girls
around the world.
What advice do you have for them on becoming good allies?
I like to be role models for all girls.
And I really like to say it doesn't matter
what you look like, if you're white,
if you're black, if you're Asian, where you're from.
I want to be that person that can help you, or motivate you.
I gave a speech for March For Our Lives.
But I wanted to talk about specifically
how gun violence affected black women, because that was kind
of getting lost in the noise.
People were very surprised, because I
mean this was a gun violence rally,
and here I am talking about black women.
But it's all connected.
I was affected personally by gun violence.
My sister unfortunately passed from that.
So that was a really difficult time for me and my family.
In fact, that's one of my-- that's what my charity does,
it provides a resource.
It's called the Yetunde Price Resource Center.
We provide a resource for people that have
been affected by gun violence.
People are really talking about now,
because it's happening more widespread.
It's been affecting our community for years.
Why do you think it's important to have
these difficult conversations?
I think we need to get comfortable with having
uncomfortable conversations.
Situations are never really going
to get better if you always avoid it.
You have to take things head on.
You have to look at it head on, and you have to make noise.
I love that.
Thank you so much.
It's great to get to know you.
It's been lovely to get to know you, as well.
Thank you.
My biggest takeaway from interviewing Serena Williams
is that black girl magic is real.
She inspires me so much, and it was
so cool to get to know her and talk with her.
I spoke with Jameela Jamil on why
it's important to see equal representation
within the media.
What makes you most optimistic for the future of women,
especially of women of color?
I think the fact that I'm coming up in a time
where I'm seeing myself from the front cover of magazines
as a Pakistani woman.
I haven't seen many of my kind on the cover of magazines,
and Priyanka Chopra, and Mindy Kaling,
and we have so many women of color,
and we have trans women on the cover of magazines.
And I feel like we are in a time where
I'm seeing the most women of color ever being
put in positions of power.
They're being listened to, their words being heard.
And so I think just the fact that I am currently
experiencing this incredible rise of women,
in particular women of color, makes
me think that this is only going to continue.
Because we're seeing such great numbers.
You saw Black Panther broke box office records,
and Crazy Rich Asians has also broken box office records.
And so I think seeing the success of studios
and television networks taking a chance on women of color,
and seeing how successful that has been,
means that this is only going to continue to carry on.
It's so cool to me when I see black and brown women
on the cover of magazines, just like you said.
I am lucky enough to go to a pretty diverse school,
so I do see people and girls who look like me.
Which is so cool.
But when I see them being acknowledged and lifted up,
that's what makes me most optimistic.
I've been so honored to have been recognized for my efforts
to build a brighter future.
So Cheerios and I want to give a shout out
to those who are doing the same for their community.
It's time to give a shout out to a strong young woman.
Seven-year-old Ja'lynn is a co-author of a book that
reminds young girls of color that they are beautiful
and special.
She also started a community book drive
that collected over 2000 books.
Keep on inspiring us, children.
Every time that you feel content with yourself,
and you feel powerful, and you feel
like you are good just as you are,
that is an act of feminist resistance.
And so I implore you to do that.