On Saturday, the trans model Munroe Bergdorf spoke to Channel 4 News about her recent experience of being fired from a L'Oreal campaign for speaking against racism, and what she meant when she said 'all white people are racist.'

Just last week Bergdorf made history when she was announced as the face of a L'Oreal UK Campaign. However, after the company caught wind of a Facebook post the model wrote about the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, L'Oreal took her words out of context and fired her.

When I was growing up, transgender women - especially transgender women of colour had next to zero positive representation in the media and there was almost no information or understanding about us. If we were portrayed on television or in films, it was solely in tragic storylines or with our gender as the punchline of a joke. As an 8 year old, I remember watching the film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, starring comedian Jim Carey, at a classmates house after school. Sorry to ruin the ending if you haven't seen it (don't bother), it ends in the movie's villain being caught, stripped to her underwear and exposed as in fact 'a man'. Then to add insult to injury, everyone in the room starts vomiting as they have all engaged in sex with her. This film was given a PG certificate. Imagine being eight years old, knowing that you're transgender but not having the language to verbalise it and then seeing a scene like this including a trans person, played by a cis woman - it may see trivial to some but I carried that 'punchline' throughout my adolescence, it made me feel guilty and confused about who I truly was, so I pushed my true self into my subconscious and tried to be someone I was not. Fast forward two decades and I am so proud to be doing my bit for transgender visibility in the media. I'm by no stretch of the imagination a perfect person, but none of us are. However, I'm a whole person, with flaws, aspirations and interests. I'm often referred to a role model for the community, which annoys me because none of us need to be compared to each other. But I'm definitely down to be considered as a role option if anyone does see themselves in me or my story. Thank you L'Oréal for giving me this platform, I hope it reaches another little 8 year old trans girl and makes her feel a little more hopefull and a little less scared about her future, than what was installed in me when I was her age. The world is changing and I like how the world is changing. Because we are ALL worth it. #allworthit #yourstruly @lorealmakeup.

A post shared by Munroe Bergdorf (@munroebergdorf) on Aug 28, 2017 at 1:34am PDT

Before Bergdorf had a chance to further contextualize her thoughts behind the Facebook post, Daily Mail published it - further removing it from context.

"Honestly I don't have energy to talk about the racial violence of white people any more. Yes ALL white people," Bergdorf wrote in the post. "Because most of ya'll don't even realise or refuse to acknowledge that your existence, privilege and success as a race is built on the backs, blood and death of people of colour. Your entire existence is drenched in racism. From micro-aggressions to terrorism, you guys built the blueprint for this s***. Until then stay acting shocked about how the world continues to stay f***** at the hands of your ancestors and your heads that remain buried in the sand with hands over your ears. Come see me when you realise that racism isn't learned, it's inherited and consciously or unconsciously passed down through privilege.'Once white people begin to admit that their race is the most violent and oppressive force of nature on Earth… then we can talk."

Shortly after, L'Oreal announced they'd be removing her from the campaign. They claimed her anti-racist post was at odds with L'Oreal's values.

L’Oréal champions diversity. Comments by Munroe Bergdorf are at odds with our values and so we have decided to end our partnership with her.
— L'Oréal Paris UK (@LOrealParisUK) September 1, 2017

After L'Oreal announced their decision, people on Twitter used the hashtag #IStandWithMunroe to support her.

#IStandWithMunroe because these beauty companies who didn't cater to WOC for years, now want to capitalise of us then throw us to the lions pic.twitter.com/XmiESpOcb6
— Fashionable Politics (@omolaramart) September 1, 2017

People spoke up against the hypocrisy of firing a black trans woman from a diversity-focused campaign for speaking against systemic racism.

You champion diversity but you fire Munroe for speaking up about racism that affects us all. Tragic #IStandWithMunroe https://t.co/xEoGug9hAm
— 🎈 (@bilzyb) September 1, 2017

Many beauty lovers announced they'd be boycotting the brand in protest.

Anyway guys #FentyBeauty is launching soon. #BoycottLoreal and get some real make up, made by a WOC for WOC #IStandWithMunroe pic.twitter.com/FrEs0SDEDE
— Fashionable Politics (@omolaramart) September 1, 2017

On Saturday, Bergdorf was able to sit down with Fatima Manji of Channel 4 News, to speak up after the whirlwind week.

Thank you Fatima Manji for giving me a platform to set the record straight. The past 48 hours have been the worst days of my entire life. I woke up physically shaking. I've had countless people threatening to find and murder me. I've had rape threats. People calling my phone and breathing deeply then laughing and people trying to hack all my social channels. I've been called eveything under the sun, from an 'ugly tranny ape' to 'nigger' over and over and over again, every 3 seconds for two days straight. It's been unavoidable to the point where I haven't been able to leave the house. We need to use this incident to truly open this narrative, to expose racism for what it really is... Insidious and rampant. To everyone who has rallied behind me the past 2 days. Please know that I am so thankful. The #IStandWithMunroe hashtag got me out of some very dark thoughts. I see you and I appreciate you. I would NEVER wish what I am going through on ANYONE. I don't know what the future holds for me but I'm going to do my best. I hope you all stick by me, your support means the world. L'Oréal Paris how could you stand by and let this happen to me? In sacking me, you cosigned all this hatred. I'm so disappointed.

A post shared by Munroe Bergdorf (@munroebergdorf) on Sep 2, 2017 at 12:59pm PDT

During her interview, Munroe clarified that her original Charlottesville statement was addressing white people who deny the existence, and their complicity in systemic racism -- the power structure that white people inherited from hundreds of years of being oppressors.

Thank you @channel4news

A post shared by Munroe Bergdorf (@munroebergdorf) on Sep 2, 2017 at 10:23am PDT

Bergdorf also published a Facebook post on Saturday clarifying her statement about all white people's role in racism.

"When I stated that "all white people are racist", I was addressing that fact that western society as a whole, is a SYSTEM rooted in white supremacy - designed to benefit, prioritise and protect white people before anyone of any other race. Unknowingly, white people are SOCIALISED to be racist from birth onwards. It is not something genetic. No one is born racist," wrote Bergdorf.

Despite the blacklash and barrage of hate. I will continue to be a voice for all of us who continue to face racial or gender oppression. Regardless of race, gender or religion. We all deserve equality. ✊

A post shared by Munroe Bergdorf (@munroebergdorf) on Sep 2, 2017 at 1:40pm PDT

Hopefully, the next time a makeup brand claims to promote diversity, they'll applaud their models for speaking against white supremacy, rather than acting as an agent of it.

Trans model speaks out after being fired for saying 'all white people are racist.'