Oak Creek student alleges racism; viral TikTok calls for action

OAK CREEK, Wis. - An Oak Creek teenager is making a call to action against alleged racism at her school, and she has taken it to social media.

Local perspective:

Oak Creek High School student Alana Miller says she has endured racial slurs and discrimination all year long. Exhausted by the district's response, she is taking matters into her own hands, demanding action and accountability from school leaders.

Her three-part viral video on TikTok has drawn more than 103,000 views. She says it is a call to action after what she claims has happened one too many times at her school.

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"People in my comments have been saying that the school is no different than it was 30 years ago," Alana Miller said. "Every single slur said, every single derogatory little comment puts us back a couple years. It keeps sending us back further and further and the more people don't speak up about it."

The 17-year-old says she has reported at least seven instances at school in the last year. But she says after reporting them, things got worse.

What they're saying:

"They start getting worse after that, because now they're mad at you, that you snitched on them, and you got them in trouble, so then they start saying things in a way where people won't pick up on it unless you're Black, and you live every single day like little comments," she said.

After a recent alleged incident, Alana Miller said she was exhausted.

"It's the end of the school year, and I'm still being racially discriminated against," she said.

Her mother, Tanesha Miller, said it can be difficult to know what the appropriate action should be.

"We don't know what your families are teaching them and stuff like that, so it's kinda hard to know what is the appropriate action," Tanesha Miller said.

Alana Miller says she sent an email to the school and Oak Creek-Franklin School District administrators about the scenarios, hoping accountability would be taken.

But she says the response she got from the school board president read, quote: "I would definitely have a conversation with your principal, discuss these matters and what you are experiencing."

Tanesha Miller said she worries next school year will begin with the same concerns.

"I feel like next school year will start, and it'll be the same thing," she said.

Big picture view:

As the video continues making its rounds on TikTok and gaining reaction, the student said she wants her school to have a rule.

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"If you do decide to say the N-word, say any type of derogatory-like slur towards a group of people of minorities, you need to do research and write an essay of the history of whatever you offended," she said. "That's not okay, and obviously it's not being taught right now."

Tanesha said she had a conversation with her daughter about taking down the video after the school reached out, but they decided to keep it up to make her voice heard. They say they are staying optimistic that change can, and will, come.

Dig deeper:

FOX6 News reached out to the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District but has yet to hear back.

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