>> So a high school valedictorian at a school in Dallas, Texas, says her mic was cut during
her graduation speech because she started naming the names of victims of police brutality,
police shootings, and other incidents.
Take a look.
>> To the kids senseless mass shootings.
To Trayvon Martin, Kimberly Rice, and all the other children who became victims.
>> Yeah, we're gonna go back to that video in a second, because I hope you caught what
happened on the right side of the screen.
But that is Ruha Hacka, the valedictorian at Emit J Conrad High School in Dallas.
And she actually says before her speech, she talked to a teacher and her principal, who
both told her to cut those names from her speech.
She said when I first read my speech to my teacher, I was told mentioning those names
will incite anger towards White people, a group which, according to her principal, experiences
high levels of discrimination in America.
She wrote this statement on Twitter, and so she says that she was told that it was a technical
difficulty and that's why the mic was cut out.
But you will notices, as she points out, that her principal makes some sort of a motion
with his hand right as, watch it, you'll see.
On the right side of the screen, right there, her principal is sitting next to her, to her
left.
Right there, this is right as she starts saying Trayvon Martin, mic goes, and then he's ready
to go, gets up after giving the thumbs up.
But a technical difficulty is what they're saying right now, and she was actually asked
why she went forward with this speech in the first place even after being told don't say
their names.
And she says I knew none of the consequences I could possibly face came even slightly close
to what the families of the victims have to deal with on a daily basis.
>> And I'm sure that Steven Crowder, that Dave Ruben, that Ben Shapiro-
>> Right >> All these free speech warriors, free speech
warriors- >> Are gonna come to this young lady's defense,
because that was her speech, right?
She's a valedictorian, she's given an opportunity to give a speech, and all she's doing is listing
names of people who have been victimized by police brutality, and she gets her mic cut.
>> Wait, where's the outrage?
>> The people who were in my Twitter because of the video we did earlier this week, right
now, yelling about their right to be homophobic.
>> Yeah, yeah, sit down, sit down, please.
>> Wait, where are you?
I don't hear you on this, where are you?
And of course, the school district put out a statement saying we educate leaders of tomorrow
and encourage student voices, and we're looking into this matter.
There's been no comment so far from the actual school or the principal, besides this.
>> It's so pathetic.
>> I know this issue is horrifying and frustrating, but if you read the whole speech, you are
filled with a sense of hope for America.
The young people will save us.
Because she actually dealt with all of these issues in an incredibly nuanced way, right?
She wasn't clumsy at all, and she chose those two names for a very calculated reason.
She didn't have a list.
She published her vetted speech.
And she didn't have a list of 50 names, there were no issues that are hotly debated.
These are two very clear cases that most of America seems to understand exhibit exactly
what she was talking about, and she chose them for a reason.
And so first of all, kudos to her, and second of all, I think we have to think about why
and when we're silencing people and fight for them, because that's the voice that obviously
needs to be heard.
>> Absolutely.
>> And luckily, Twitter, in this case, which can be a cesspool, in your mentions, when
you do a video people don't like, is her vehicle for forwarding that message, and she's doing
a great job with it.
>> She is, she is.
I just think, look, if you're gonna give a valedictorian the opportunity to speak, then
let her speak.
If you trust her enough to give her that platform, then allow her to use that platform to speak
her mind.
This type of censorship is just so unnecessary and so ridiculous.
And it's disheartening to see a person who has a position of power in education giving
a thumbs up to cut someone's mic and strip her from the opportunity to speak her mind.