(CNN) — A young girl climbed up a step ladder to stand at the podium before a tense Charlotte City Council meeting.
Petite in size, with braids in her hair and hearts on her t-shirt, Zianna Oliphant collected herself and delivered her message loud and clear.
“It’s a shame that our fathers and mothers are killed and we can’t see them anymore,” she said with tears streaming down her face.
“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 made her tearful statements during a highly-charged, emotional City Council meeting — the first after protests over the police shooting of Keith Scott.
Charlotte residents packed City Hall, delivering blistering criticisms for how Mayor Jennifer Roberts and the city’s police handled the death of Scott, an African-American man who was shot by an officer last week.
Furor over his death broke out into protests, which turned violent on two nights, in which one man died.
Scott died on September 20 as Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officers attempted to serve a warrant to another man at an apartment complex. As officers passed through the complex’s parking lot, they encountered Scott, 43, who was exiting his car.
https://twitter.com/BlackToLive/status/781075387824484352
https://twitter.com/RobbySlowik/status/781160036697538560
https://twitter.com/3ChicsPolitico/status/780851686902378496
Well, I’m crying right now. Oh, God that was rough to watch. So sad to see a CHILD hurt and in tears over issues that she shouldn’t have to be concerned with at her age or in her lifetime..
Exactly. This child shouldn’t have to address a city council meeting about police violence. She’s truly traumatized and scared for herself and her own parents.
https://twitter.com/3ChicsPolitico/status/780796910818820096
Good Morning , Everyone. Another gorgeous say in the mountains with my sisters!
Good morning. Enjoy.
Have fun and be safe …
Reach up and bring us back a piece of heaven…
Dear Department of Justice
Arrest all officers involved in the killing of #KeithLamontScott. Arrest & charge all involved to obstruct justice.
We wish…
Too busy with other more life-threatening and pressing priorities…like indicting FIFA guys for taking bribes..
Our children are traumatized from police killings of mothers and fathers.
It’s terrorism, plain & simple that are children are subjected to on the REGULAR.
If this country truly cared about its children, ALL of its children, there wouldn’t be people in the streets protesting. There would be widespread public outrage demanding change and reform in “law enforcement”, and it would get done.
But hypocrisy lives on.
TRUTH
My heart breaks for Zianna.
She has the makings of a future leader.