0:00:00.667,0:00:04.726 You can ask anyone you want, 0:00:04.750,0:00:06.434 and they will tell you 0:00:06.458,0:00:11.042 that they are sick and tired[br]of fighting for justice. 0:00:12.417,0:00:18.518 People of color and members[br]of the LGBT community are tired 0:00:18.542,0:00:21.518 of carrying the burden of speaking up 0:00:21.542,0:00:23.226 and stepping up 0:00:23.250,0:00:25.476 even when they're being silenced 0:00:25.500,0:00:27.643 and pushed back down. 0:00:27.667,0:00:29.476 And white allies 0:00:29.500,0:00:32.042 and cis allies are tired, too. 0:00:33.000,0:00:36.309 Tired of being told they're doing it wrong 0:00:36.333,0:00:39.750 or that it isn't even their place[br]to show up at all. 0:00:40.542,0:00:44.893 This fatigue is impacting all of us. 0:00:44.917,0:00:46.476 And in fact, 0:00:46.500,0:00:49.268 I believe we won't succeed 0:00:49.292,0:00:52.792 until we approach justice in a new way. 0:00:53.750,0:00:58.351 I grew up in the middle[br]of the civil rights movement 0:00:58.375,0:01:00.333 in the segregated South. 0:01:01.375,0:01:03.143 As a five-year-old girl, 0:01:03.167,0:01:06.351 I was very interested in ballet. 0:01:06.375,0:01:11.000 It seemed to be the five-year-old-girl[br]thing to do in the 1960s. 0:01:11.833,0:01:15.000 My mother took me to a ballet school. 0:01:15.583,0:01:17.809 You know, the kind of school[br]that had teachers 0:01:17.833,0:01:19.768 that talked about your gifts and talents 0:01:19.792,0:01:22.018 knowing that you'd never be a ballerina. 0:01:22.042,0:01:24.184 (Laughter) 0:01:24.208,0:01:25.559 When we arrived, 0:01:25.583,0:01:30.417 they said nicely that they[br]"did not accept Negroes." 0:01:31.458,0:01:35.226 We got back in the car as if we were[br]just leaving a grocery store 0:01:35.250,0:01:37.292 that was out of orange juice. 0:01:38.000,0:01:40.851 We said nothing ... 0:01:40.875,0:01:43.417 just drove to the next ballet school. 0:01:44.333,0:01:48.917 They said, "We don't accept Negroes." 0:01:49.625,0:01:52.018 Well, I was confused. 0:01:52.042,0:01:55.458 And I asked my mother[br]why they didn't want me. 0:01:56.208,0:02:00.768 And she said, "Well, they're just[br]not smart enough to accept you right now, 0:02:00.792,0:02:02.851 and they don't know[br]how excellent you are." 0:02:02.875,0:02:04.143 (Cheers) 0:02:04.167,0:02:07.750 (Applause and cheers) 0:02:09.083,0:02:12.726 Well, I didn't know what that meant. 0:02:12.750,0:02:14.476 (Laughter) 0:02:14.500,0:02:17.268 But I was sure it wasn't good, 0:02:17.292,0:02:20.226 because I could see it[br]in my mother's eyes. 0:02:20.250,0:02:23.518 She was angry, 0:02:23.542,0:02:26.167 and it looked like she was[br]on the verge of tears. 0:02:27.125,0:02:30.851 Well, I decided right then and right there 0:02:30.875,0:02:33.167 that ballet was dumb. 0:02:33.542,0:02:34.917 (Laughter) 0:02:35.917,0:02:39.018 You know, I had lots of experiences[br]like that along the way, 0:02:39.042,0:02:41.059 but as I got older, 0:02:41.083,0:02:43.601 I started to get angry. 0:02:43.625,0:02:48.101 And not just angry[br]at the outright racism and injustice. 0:02:48.125,0:02:52.042 I was angry at people[br]that stood by and didn't say anything. 0:02:53.000,0:02:57.893 Like, why didn't the white parents[br]in that ballet school say 0:02:57.917,0:02:59.934 "Uh, that's wrong. 0:02:59.958,0:03:01.625 Let that little girl dance." 0:03:02.708,0:03:03.976 Or why -- 0:03:04.000,0:03:05.309 (Applause) 0:03:05.333,0:03:08.643 Why didn't the white patrons[br]in the segregated restaurants say 0:03:08.667,0:03:10.393 "Hey, that's not right. 0:03:10.417,0:03:12.167 Let that family eat." 0:03:12.958,0:03:15.184 Well, it didn't take me long to realize 0:03:15.208,0:03:18.726 that racial injustice[br]wasn't the only place 0:03:18.750,0:03:22.351 that people in the majority[br]were staying quiet. 0:03:22.375,0:03:25.518 When I'd sit in church and hear[br]some homophobic comment 0:03:25.542,0:03:27.601 being disguised as something scriptural, 0:03:27.625,0:03:30.518 I'd say, "I'm sorry, 0:03:30.542,0:03:35.351 why aren't the heterosexual[br]churchgoers disrupting this nonsense?" 0:03:35.375,0:03:38.018 (Applause) 0:03:38.042,0:03:39.292 Or ... 0:03:40.292,0:03:44.309 in a room filled with boomers and Gen-Xers 0:03:44.333,0:03:47.018 who started degrading[br]their millennial colleagues 0:03:47.042,0:03:49.934 as being spoiled, lazy and overconfident, 0:03:49.958,0:03:52.934 I'd say, "I'm sorry, 0:03:52.958,0:03:57.208 why isn't someone my age[br]saying 'stop stereotyping?'" 0:03:57.667,0:03:58.934 (Audience) Yes! 0:03:58.958,0:04:02.143 (Applause) 0:04:02.167,0:04:05.893 I was used to standing up[br]on issues like this, 0:04:05.917,0:04:08.542 but why wasn't everyone else? 0:04:09.625,0:04:11.518 My fifth grade teacher, 0:04:11.542,0:04:13.393 Mrs. McFarland, 0:04:13.417,0:04:18.542 taught me that justice[br]requires an accomplice. 0:04:19.250,0:04:22.309 Not just anyone will do. 0:04:22.333,0:04:26.476 She said we need unlikely allies 0:04:26.500,0:04:29.559 if we want to see real change happen. 0:04:29.583,0:04:34.934 And for those of us[br]experiencing injustice up front, 0:04:34.958,0:04:38.184 we need to be willing to accept the help, 0:04:38.208,0:04:40.934 because when we don't, 0:04:40.958,0:04:43.083 change takes too long. 0:04:44.083,0:04:47.768 I mean, imagine if heterosexual[br]and gay people had not come together 0:04:47.792,0:04:50.851 under the banner of marriage equality. 0:04:50.875,0:04:53.226 Or what if President Kennedy 0:04:53.250,0:04:56.083 just wasn't interested[br]in the civil rights movement? 0:04:57.125,0:05:02.809 Most of our major movements[br]in this country might have been delayed 0:05:02.833,0:05:04.726 or even dead 0:05:04.750,0:05:09.042 if it weren't for the presence[br]of unlikely allies. 0:05:10.083,0:05:12.351 When the same people speak up 0:05:12.375,0:05:15.601 in the same ways they've always spoken up, 0:05:15.625,0:05:18.434 the most we'll ever get[br]are the same results 0:05:18.458,0:05:21.042 over and over again. 0:05:21.833,0:05:24.601 You know, allies often[br]stand on the sidelines 0:05:24.625,0:05:27.101 waiting to be called up. 0:05:27.125,0:05:32.018 But what if unlikely allies[br]led out in front of issues? 0:05:32.042,0:05:33.393 Like ... 0:05:33.417,0:05:37.417 what if Black and Native American people[br]stood in front of immigration issues? 0:05:39.000,0:05:40.917 (Applause) 0:05:42.208,0:05:46.643 Or what if white people led the charge 0:05:46.667,0:05:48.684 to end racism? 0:05:48.708,0:05:52.708 (Applause and cheers) 0:05:53.625,0:05:54.976 Or ... 0:05:55.000,0:05:59.476 what if men led the charge[br]on pay equity for women? 0:05:59.500,0:06:03.476 (Applause and cheers) 0:06:03.500,0:06:04.934 Or ... 0:06:04.958,0:06:10.726 what if heterosexual people[br]stood in front of LGBTQ issues? 0:06:10.750,0:06:14.851 (Applause and cheers) 0:06:14.875,0:06:18.643 And what if able-bodied people advocated 0:06:18.667,0:06:21.226 for people living with disabilities? 0:06:21.250,0:06:25.101 (Applause and cheers) 0:06:25.125,0:06:27.768 You know, we can stand up for issues, 0:06:27.792,0:06:30.101 weigh in and advocate 0:06:30.125,0:06:34.375 even when it seems like the issue[br]has nothing to do with us. 0:06:35.125,0:06:36.434 And actually, 0:06:36.458,0:06:39.684 those are the issues[br]that are most compelling. 0:06:39.708,0:06:41.208 And sure, 0:06:41.917,0:06:46.018 people will have no idea[br]why you are there, 0:06:46.042,0:06:49.351 but that's why those of us[br]facing injustice 0:06:49.375,0:06:52.268 must be willing to accept the help. 0:06:52.292,0:06:55.226 You know, we have to fight injustice 0:06:55.250,0:06:57.542 with a consciousness of grace. 0:06:58.667,0:07:01.226 When white guys stand up to fight 0:07:01.250,0:07:04.518 for the liberation[br]of Black and Brown people, 0:07:04.542,0:07:08.542 Black and Brown people will have to[br]be willing to accept their help. 0:07:09.708,0:07:12.226 And I know that's complicated, 0:07:12.250,0:07:15.684 but this is collective work 0:07:15.708,0:07:20.958 and it requires everyone to be all in. 0:07:22.208,0:07:24.809 One day when I was at kindergarten, 0:07:24.833,0:07:26.309 our teacher introduced us 0:07:26.333,0:07:29.875 to this beautiful, tall,[br]white lady named Miss Ann. 0:07:30.833,0:07:33.833 I thought she was the prettiest[br]white lady I'd ever seen. 0:07:34.667,0:07:36.309 Well, if I can be honest with you, 0:07:36.333,0:07:39.976 I think it was the first time we'd ever[br]seen a white lady in our school ever. 0:07:40.000,0:07:41.268 (Laughter) 0:07:41.292,0:07:42.851 Miss Ann stood in front of us, 0:07:42.875,0:07:47.143 and she said she was going[br]to start teaching ballet classes 0:07:47.167,0:07:49.042 right there are our school 0:07:50.042,0:07:53.875 and that she was proud[br]to be our dance teacher. 0:07:54.500,0:07:57.375 It was unreal. 0:07:58.375,0:08:00.226 All of a sudden -- 0:08:00.250,0:08:03.309 (sings) I didn't think[br]ballet was dumb anymore. 0:08:03.333,0:08:05.083 (Laughter) 0:08:05.875,0:08:10.934 You see, what I know now[br]is Miss Ann was fully aware 0:08:10.958,0:08:15.768 that the white ballet schools[br]would not accept Black girls. 0:08:15.792,0:08:18.268 She was incensed by that. 0:08:18.292,0:08:20.809 So she came to the Black neighborhood 0:08:20.833,0:08:24.000 to start teaching[br]the dance classes herself. 0:08:24.958,0:08:28.059 And you know, it took love[br]and courage for her to do that. 0:08:28.083,0:08:31.083 (Applause) 0:08:34.667,0:08:38.143 And where there was no justice, 0:08:38.167,0:08:39.792 she just built it. 0:08:41.167,0:08:44.143 We all survived, 0:08:44.167,0:08:48.000 because we stood on the shoulders[br]of our Black ancestors. 0:08:48.792,0:08:54.625 We all thrived, because[br]Miss Ann was an unlikely ally. 0:08:55.667,0:08:58.768 You know, when you add your voice 0:08:58.792,0:09:00.934 and your actions 0:09:00.958,0:09:04.726 to situations that you[br]don't think involve you, 0:09:04.750,0:09:07.625 you actually inspire others[br]to do the same. 0:09:08.625,0:09:12.726 Miss Ann inspired me[br]to always be on the lookout 0:09:12.750,0:09:16.559 for situations that weren't about me 0:09:16.583,0:09:18.559 but where I saw injustice 0:09:18.583,0:09:21.333 and inequality happening anyway. 0:09:22.375,0:09:24.976 I hope she inspires you, too, 0:09:25.000,0:09:30.268 because to win the fight for equity 0:09:30.292,0:09:34.101 we will all need to speak up 0:09:34.125,0:09:35.625 and stand up. 0:09:36.500,0:09:38.934 We will all need to do that. 0:09:38.958,0:09:40.976 And we will all need to do that 0:09:41.000,0:09:42.851 even when it's hard 0:09:42.875,0:09:46.018 and even when we feel out of place, 0:09:46.042,0:09:50.018 because it is your place, 0:09:50.042,0:09:52.375 and it is our place. 0:09:53.125,0:09:57.226 Justice counts on all of us. 0:09:57.250,0:09:58.559 Thank you. 0:09:58.583,0:10:01.417 (Applause and cheers)