'I never felt this way till now:' Young girl breaks down as she speaks of violence around her

A young girl broke down as she gave an emotional account of her life in Charlotte over the past week, pleading for an end to violence against black residents of her city.

Amid an intense and protest-filled meeting between black residents of Charlotte and city council members on Monday, 9-year-old Zianna Oliphant stood and said what she felt about the treatment of black people in the Queen City, where she says she was born and raised.

"I feel like that we are treated differently than other people," Oliphant began. "I don't like how we're treated, just because of our color doesn't mean anything to me."

Black residents of the city had packed into the meeting following the police shooting of Keith Scott on Sept. 20. Residents have protested the shooting ever since, blocking highways and marching throughout the city as police met them with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Oliphant tried to continue, but had to pause and put her head down. The crowd urged her on, and when she lifted her head again, tears had begun to stream down her face.

"We are black people and we shouldn't have to feel like this. We shouldn't have to protest because y'all are treating us wrong. We do this because we need to. It helps right?

I've been born and raised in Charlotte, and I've never felt this way till now. And I can't stand how we're treated.

It's a shame that our fathers and mothers are killed and we can't even see them anymore. It's a shame that we have to go to their graveyard and bury them. And we have tears and we shouldn't have tears. We need our fathers and mothers to be by our side."

Oliphant stepped down from the podium, and the crowd stood to applaud.