A nine-year-old’s impromptu and emotional speech about the recent police shootings has captured world attention.
Zianna Oliphant says she didn’t plan on addressing Charlotte’s city council Monday, a week after the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott.
Zianna delivered her message at a tense council meeting alongside frustrated residents calling for the resignation of the city’s mayor and police chief.
“It’s a shame that our fathers and mothers are killed and we can’t see them anymore,” she said. “It’s a shame that we have to go to their graveyard and bury them. And we have tears. We shouldn’t have tears. We need our fathers and mothers to be by our side.”
Zianna appeared on “CNN Tonight” with CNN’s Don Lemon and her mother, Precious Oliphant. She talked about how she mustered enough “courage” to go before the city council and what inspired her tearful message.
“You can see videos of people getting shot by the police,” Zianna said. “Sometimes I want to cry because it’s hurtful.”
Precious Oliphant said her daughter’s speech was unplanned, but made her proud.
“I was surprised absolutely but after she made her speech, I was blown away,” Oliphant said. “This is a topic that has been circulating for quite some time. I didn’t know she felt so deeply about it.”
Lemon asked Precious Oliphant about reaction she has received from her daughter’s viral speech.
“I’ve received so many kind words,” Oliphant said. “I’ve also had people say very negative things to me. However, I chose not to feed into it.”
Oliphant told Lemon that some critics say she is exploiting her child and instilling hate.
“I don’t force my beliefs on them. I give them the information so they can form their own opinions.” She added, “I just provide them with the facts and guide them in the right direction.”
Zianna says she still hopes to continue attending the city council meetings.
“I’m going to continue to speak out,” Zianna said.