ASU’s Antiracist Advocate Takes Center Stage in Daily Wire’s “Am I Racist” Mockumentary

By Staff Reporter |

Warning: this article contains spoilers from the newly released film, “Am I Racist?”

Sarra Tekola, an Arizona State University (ASU) alumna known for her viral confrontation with two white students, appears in the new mockumentary from Daily Wire entitled “Am I Racist?”

In September 2021, Tekola confronted the students while they were studying in a room designated as a multicultural center, a space she advocated for. However, reports indicate that the room had not yet been officially marked as such. ASU later referenced this incident during an investigation that found Tekola guilty of interfering with university activities but not harassment.

Eight months after the confrontation, ASU awarded Tekola a doctorate in sustainability. Now identifying as “Yeshaq Sarra Tekola” and using “they/he” pronouns, she operates a consulting firm.

Daily Wire host Matt Walsh has been vocal about Tekola’s past actions and later developments. In conjunction with the release of the mockumentary, Walsh presented an interview with Tekola, though he did so under a false identity as a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) advocate. He did not reference the 2021 incident during their conversation.

Throughout the interview, Tekola expressed her belief that all white individuals possess inherent racism, asserting that they often compartmentalize their identities into a guilt-ridden subconscious and a conscious self that denies any racist tendencies. She emphasized that it is crucial for these individuals to reconcile these two facets of themselves to acknowledge their racism fully.

Furthermore, Tekola argued for the complete eradication of “whiteness.” Although it’s unclear when this interview took place, her perspectives remain consistent. Earlier this year, she suggested via an X post that those criticizing illegal immigration, amid concerns regarding crime rates, exhibit racist tendencies.

In her social media commentary, Tekola posed the provocative question: “Who belongs here [in America]? It’s giving whites only.”

In addition to her appearance in the film, Tekola is deeply involved in activism. She serves as the co-founder, co-director, and policy strategist for the Black Lives Matter chapter in the Phoenix Metro area, and she also co-leads the Phoenix Environmental Justice Coalition. Her affiliations extend to organizations such as the Working Families Party Arizona and the Chisholm Legacy Project.

Before her time at ASU, Tekola was already making headlines for her activism, which included blocking a police station construction in Seattle and organizing a significant BLM protest in 2020 that resulted in her arrest. During this period, she raised over $6,000 to support her legal efforts. Additionally, Tekola was a Ford Foundation Fellow from 2018 to 2021.