Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has a message for white supremacists: 'Come back, it's not too late'

"You are not too far gone."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has told young people influenced by white supremacy to "come back". Source: Getty Images North America

U.S. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has delivered a powerful speech directed at young white supremacists, telling them it's "not too late" to reject hate.

The politician made the comments on stage at a vigil for the victims of the  in the American cities of El Paso, Texas, where a gunman killed 22 people and Dayton, Ohio where a further nine people were shot dead in a second unrelated attack.  

Pleading with young American men and women who have been “radicalised in a funnel of vitriol,” Ocasio-Cortez insisted there was an alternative to "falling in the grips of white supremacy.”

“Come back, it’s not too late,” she told the crowd. 

“There is a mother waiting for you, I know it," she continued. "I know there’s a teacher waiting for you, saying, ‘What happened to my kid? What happened to my friend?'”
"We will always be here and hold space for you to come back. We will love you back. You are not too far gone,” she said. 

Lawmakers and advocates are calling on the US Congress to enact gun control legislation and encouraged citizens to vote for politicians who backed these measures.

According to , US federal investigators are treating the El Paso massacre where shooter , who is believed to have published a white supremacist screed online - as an act of domestic terrorism.

Share
Published 8 August 2019 3:39pm
Updated 8 August 2019 4:21pm
By Samuel Leighton-Dore

Share this with family and friends


SBS News in your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS On Demand
SBS News
SBS Audio

Listen to our podcasts
Join host Yumi Stynes for Seen, a new SBS podcast about cultural creatives who have risen to excellence despite a role-model vacuum.
The day's top stories from SBS News.
Ease into the English language and Australian culture. We make learning English convenient, fun and practical.
Get the latest with our sbs podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch SBS On Demand
Over 11,000 hours

Over 11,000 hours

News, drama, documentaries, SBS Originals and more - free.