American Martyrs Student On Nickelodeon 'Race, Kids and Unity'

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — When they stood in front of hundreds of people and spoke about their lives and racism, Noah Francois and Claudia Yvonne Chavez couldn't have known how far their words would spread. Now, on the heels of that powerful day, the two will be on Nickelodeon, with host Alicia Keyes, to add their voices to the conversation on racism and Black Lives Matter. The show, called "Kids, Race and Unity: A Nick News Special," airs tonight at 7 p.m. and will repeat several times.

"I was so nervous to meet Alicia Keyes and didn’t know what to expect," said Noah, who will be a 7th grader at American Martyrs School in Manhattan Beach in the fall. "But then when we talked, she made me feel really comfortable and we were just having a conversation. I was very glad to have my message reach more kids all over the country. I feel like, as kids, we can become the change that the world needs today."

"She asked us [Noah Francois and myself] many questions about our protest," said Claudia, who plays soccer Sand and Surf Soccer Club and Manhattan Beach/Hermosa Beach AYSO Region 18. "We discussed my grandfather and his sit-in at S. H. Kress in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We discussed the need to make a change in schools to discuss racism year round and not just one month or one day a year. "

Noah, who is 12 and lives in Redondo Beach, and Claudia, who is 11 and attends school in RB, both were part of the "'Pop The Bubble' On Racism" Protest for Kids held in Manhattan Beach on June 6. Both spoke and marched, joined on at the base of the Manhattan Beach Pier and then the walk on The Strand by hundreds of adults and children. Claudia told MB Patch the idea for the protest and march came from Melanie Barrows, whose daughter Emma is her good friend. "She said that when George Floyd called for his mother, 'Every mother heard his cry.' Since my mom marched with her dad [as a young child], it was a quick and easy decision. We had to do this!" Claudia said.

Said Noah, "My mom knew one of the organizers and they were looking for kids to speak. So I said I wanted to speak and I wrote a speech and I practiced it a lot." In Noah's speech, he talked about when his dad got beat up by three white men but didn’t tell Noah and his younger brother. "I think he wanted to shield us from the truth, to keep me safe and not scare me. He ended up telling me a few days before the speech and that made me want to speak up more and ask the kids to be different than what we see today. I shared it because racism is bad and too many people have experienced it, and it has even hit my family. I felt obligated to speak up also as one of the few Black kids in my community." Though he is one of the few Black kids in his community, Noah told MB Patch, "My friends see me as Noah; they don’t see color." Noah said he has been at AMS for six years and loves it, but that "Sadly there are not many black children at AMS and I have been effected because of it. I was called the N word once but luckily my friends have always been there to stand up for me."

At the "'Pop the Bubble' On Racism" event when he took the bullhorn to speak, Noah was cool, calm and composed. "I was very nervous but when I walked in front of the crowd I felt the support and everybody was cheering and yelling my name. I felt empowered and obligated to share." Afterward, he "felt empowered because I was able to get my message across and there were hundreds of people there to support the kids there and black lives matter." In his lengthy speech, Noah made quite an impression. One of his dad's friends, sent it on to a friend's son who is an actor with a reach of 4.5 million followers and a Nickelodeon producer tracked Noah down for tonight's episode.

Claudia, whose mom was among the soccer moms who organized the MB protest event for kids, told MB Patch she has experienced racism. "I really did not know what it was at first. I asked myself, 'Why is this person being so mean to me, I don't understand.' 'Why are they calling me names?' Why do my parents have to get involved and why does my mom look so hurt?' There was a time when I saw my mother hurt by an email she received from someone in a organization. That email depicted a stereotypical Black person, which was not educational, uplifting or served any purpose. That the sender thought it was funny to make fun of a black person — it was very hurtful. My mom explained to me that this is a form of systemic racism. This is the way some people see all people of color and it is not right. I think the most important thing to realize is that kids are very aware when racism happens. They feel it. They may not understand it at first or when it is happening, but that feeling, that horrible feeling stays with you. We need to discuss racism and not be afraid to have these conversations," she said.

Of the day she delivered her words to a crowd of hundreds on June 6, Claudia said, "It felt amazing. I am honored to have had the chance as a kid to have a voice and speak up about such an important topic with the kids in my community. Because my friends Emma and Charlee were at my side, supporting me, I felt very comfortable. It was a powerful feeling, like 'Wow, people are listening to all of us kids.' The high point was seeing so many of my friends from school and my soccer teams, even coaches were there to support us. There were so many families from Manhattan Beach. The signs — you could tell that so many people took so much time to make really meaningful signs. Some of the signs were filled with so much emotion. So many little tiny kids. I am so proud of all the kids and families who came to the peaceful protest. I think every kid who was there will remember this event forever."

Claudia, too, was contacted by a producer from Nickelodeon after they saw video footage and pictures from the "'Pop The Bubble' on Racism" A Peaceful Protest" held in Manhattan Beach. "She asked if I would be interested in participating in a Nickelodeon Town Hall Special on Black Lives Matter. I thought this is a great opportunity to once again have a voice, continue the fight and support those who have been wronged by racism."

Claudia's family history is a proud one in which her grandfather marched in countless peaceful protests and played a major role in the Civil Rights Movement. Whe asked about that, Claudia said, "My Grandpere is quite a talker. He loves telling stories. There is never a dull moment. He was determined to educate me [I am his youngest grandchild] about the Civil Rights Movement, his time as a student marching with Martin Luther King, SNCC, CORE, SCLC and all these amazing groups and people who peacefully protested. Some of his stories are documented in books and lots of newspapers." Her mom remembers marching with her dad and now her mom has marched with her.

As for the Nickelodeon Special? "I can't thank the producers of Nickelodeon enough for bringing this much needed topic to light," said Claudia. "Giving kids a platform to speak against racism and to teach unity and kindness is absolutely incredible. They get it, they get us. I am honored."