TEDx Talks
You've made it when they can pronounce your foreign last name correctly | Oliver Telusma | TEDxUF
Immigrants in the United States are tokenized by those in power to either be success stories or undesirable, but not as humans with a full set of human rights and protections. Established over decades, this reality colors how those in power have crafted policy and established legal precedent. This also establishes the reality that immigrants, especially the undocumented, have to fight for justice in the United States. Oliver Telusma explores these topics in his talk on immigration, history, and more. Oliver Telusma is a spoken word poet, public speaker and Juris Doctorate Candidate at the Florida A&M University College of Law in Orlando, Florida. He earned his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Florida in 2018, where he worked as a research coordinator for the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program for two years. His writing and work focus on critiquing legal and political systems of power that target marginalized communities, life as a member of the Black diaspora, Black male vulnerability, allyship from other marginalized identities and the occasional rap freestyle. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx