>>> WELCOME BACK.
THIS MORNING WE ARE WRAPPING UP
OUR SERIES "MY LIFE OUT LOUD"
WHERE WE SHARE THE STORIES OF
EVERYDAY PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN
TREATED DIFFERENTLY JUST FOR
BEING THEMSELVES.
>> THIS MORNING YOU’RE GOING TO
HEAR FROM A WOMAN NAMED KIM
RHODES.
KIM IS OPENING UP ABOUT HER
CHILDHOOD IN OKLAHOMA AND THE
CHANGES THAT SHE’S SEEN IN
HERSELF DURING A RECENT PUSH FOR
RACIAL EQUALITY.
>> IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO
COME TO TERMS WITH WHO I AM AS A
BLACK PERSON BECAUSE OF JUST THE
WAY I GREW UP AND NOT BEING
AROUND THAT MANY BLACK PEOPLE.
SO IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO
KIND OF LOOK AT MYSELF AND SAY,
YOU’RE OKAY.
YOU’RE FINE THE WAY YOU ARE.
I GREW UP IN A TOWN CALLED
OWASO, OKLAHOMA.
IT WAS VERY WHITE.
MOST OF THE TIME I WAS THE ONLY
BLACK KID IN ALL MY CLASSES FROM
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ON UP TO
SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL.
IT WAS JUST A PLACE WHERE YOU
KIND OF GOT USED TO BEING THE
ONLY PERSON THAT LOOKS LIKE YOU
IN THE ROOM.
YOU KIND OF KNOW THAT YOU ARE
NOT THE DEFAULT.
WHITE PEOPLE ARE THE DEFAULT, SO
YOU KIND OF JUST HAVE TO MAKE
YOUR OWN WAY.
THE FIRST TIME I WAS CALLED THE
"N" WORD, I BELIEVE I WAS IN
FIRST GRADE.
I HAD GOTTEN INTO AN ARGUMENT
WITH ONE OF MY CLASSMATES AND HE
CALLED ME THE "N" WORD.
AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN A COUPLE
OF YEARS LATER.
AND THEN AGAIN IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE
THINGS THAT WAS ALWAYS IN THE
BACK OF YOUR HEAD.
LIKE, YOU KNEW THAT THERE WAS A
GOOD CHANCE THAT YOU WERE GOING
TO BE CALLED THE "N" WORD AT
SOME POINT.
IN THE CURRICULUM OF OKLAHOMA
HISTORY, THEY DIDN’T TEACH US
ABOUT THE TULSA RACE MASSACRE.
LIKE, NOTHING ABOUT IT AT ALL.
THEY ALWAYS KIND OF DOWN PLAYED
IT.
THE OLDER I GOT, THE MORE I
REALIZED THAT IT WAS JUST
INDIFFERENCE.
LIKE, PEOPLE DIDN’T CARE THAT IT
HAD HAPPENED.
WHEN IT’S AN ENORMOUS PART OF
AMERICAN HISTORY THAT HAPPENED
SO CLOSE TO US THAT WAS JUST
BURIED.
>> WHAT DO WE WANT!
JUSTICE!
>> MY INITIAL REACTION AT THE
BEGINNING WAS A LOT OF FEAR
BECAUSE A LOT OF THE PROTESTS IN
BROOKLYN WERE REALLY DANGEROUS
AT FIRST.
STEVEN MY BOYFRIEND, HE WENT TO
THE FIRST COUPLE OF BIG PROTESTS
IN NEW YORK.
I HAD TO TELL HIM, HEY, I DON’T
THINK I SHOULD GO.
I REALLY, REALLY FEEL UNSAFE.
I THINK I’M JUST GOING TO STAY
INSIDE.
THAT WAS KIND OF THE FIRST TIME
IN OUR RELATIONSHIP, IN AN
INTERRACIAL RELATIONSHIP WHERE
YOU COULD REALLY SEE THE
DIFFERENCES.
BECAUSE FOR HIM, IT WAS REALLY
IMPORTANT AND IT WAS A THING HE
FELT HE REALLY NEEDED TO DO.
AND IN MY OWN WAY, I NEEDED TO
RESIST, BUT FOR ME RESISTANCE
LOOKED LIKE KEEPING MY BODY SAFE
AND KEEPING MY MIND SAFE.
MY WAY OF SPEAKING UP AND
SPREADING AWARENESS WAS VIA
SOCIAL MEDIA.
WITH THE MICROPHONE IN FRONT OF
A LOT OF BLACK VOICES, I WAS
ABLE TO SHARE MY OWN
EXPERIENCES.
I HONESTLY NEVER THOUGHT I’D
LIVE TO SEE THIS LEVEL OF
ALLYSHIP AND THE QUICKNESS WITH
WHICH PEOPLE HAVE RESPONDED AND
HAVE TAKEN ON RESPONSIBILITY TO
HAVE THINGS CHANGED IS REALLY
ASTONISHING TO SEE THIS KIND OF
CHANGE HAPPENING.
IT’S SOMETHING I NEVER THOUGHT
I’D SEE.
>> WE SHOULD NOTE THAT STATE
LEADERS IN OKLAHOMA AGREE WITH
KIM ABOUT HER CRITICISM OF THE
CURRICULUM THERE.
SO MUCH SO THAT EARLIER THIS
YEAR THEY ANNOUNCED THE TULSA