Coco Gauff’s speech to Black Lives Matter

My name is Coco and I just spoke to my Grandma. It’s sad I’m protesting the same things she did 50-plus years ago. So I’m here to tell you that we must first love each other no matter what.

We must have the tough conversations with friends. I’ve spent all week trying to educate my non-black friends about how they can help.

Second, we need to take action. Yes, we’re all out here protesting and I’m not of age to vote, but it is in your hands to vote for my future. So, that’s one way to make change.

Third, you need to use your voice. No matter how big or small your platform is. I saw a Dr (Martin Luther) King quote that said, “The silence of the good people is worse than the brutality of the bad people”. So you need to not be silent, because if you are you are choosing the side of the oppressor.

I’ve heard many things this past week, and one of the things I’ve heard is “it’s not my problem”. I have to tell you this: if you listen to black music, if you like black culture and you have black friends then this is your fight too. It’s not your job to say Lil Uzi Vert is my favourite artist, but I don’t care what happened to George Floyd. How does that make sense?

I demand change now. It is sad it takes another black man’s life for this to happen but we have to understand this has been going on for years.

This is not just about George Floyd. This is about Trayvon Martin. This is about Eric Garner. This is about Breonna Taylor. I was eight years old when Trayvon Martin was killed. So why am I here at 16 still demanding change, and it breaks my heart. Because I’m fighting for the future for my brothers, I’m fighting for the future for my future kids, I’m fighting for the future for my future grandchildren.

So we must change now and I promise to always use my platform to spread vital information and spread awareness.