Plus size model Iskra Lawrence stripped down to her underwear in a crowded New York subway before giving an impassioned plea to commuters about body acceptance. A video of the incident was posted on Youtube yesterday as part of the High Quality Human Beings’ Unmuted YouTube series. Lawrence herself also posted the video on her own Instagram account and it instantly became viral, receiving nearly 1 million views and hundreds of comments within 24 hours.

In the video, Lawrence is seen introducing herself to her fellow commuters on the crowded subway, before giggling.  

“I want to talk about the most important relationship we have in our lives, which is the one we have with ourselves,” she says in the video. “I want to make myself vulnerable today, so you can see truly the journey I’ve come on, with my own body and how I feel about myself today.”

“So, I’m going to reveal myself to you — “she states, before pausing to strip off her dress and throw it into a fellow commuter’s lap“—to prove, that we are in control of how we feel about ourselves.”

“I grew up hating what I saw in the mirror, because society told me I was not good enough,” the curvy size 14 model admitted. “I thought there was something wrong because I didn’t have a thigh gap, that I had cellulite, that I wasn’t skinny enough. That is the media, that is society making a small standard of beauty, when we are so much more than that.”

She then called her body a vessel and said that it wasn’t to be objectified.

“No matter what I’m wearing right now, do not judge me, because I’m more than what I am,” she stated. “What I really hope by sharing this with you today is that you are going to see yourself differently.

“Every single one of us has so much value, and so much worth that is so much more than just skin.

“Thank you for all being so different and special and unique, because that’s what makes us beautiful,” she ends to appreciative applause, before promising to put her clothes back on.

The video rightfully received tons of support from her Instagram followers:

Josebagio wrote, “This is pretty brave. Not everyone has such fashionable curves in all the right places, abs and a beautiful face though!!”

Ilovevuitton33 wrote, “That is amazing. Brave seeing the world is full of hatred right now. Empowering.”  

Kalaishenton simply wrote, “PREACH.”

A few users did wonder if she could have preached the same message with clothes on.

BektangleI wrote, “Respect the message, I don’t respect that you cheapened it by removing your clothes… Shame really”

Alongside the video post, Lawrence gives one more empowering message to her 2.8 million Instagram followers:   

“Now more than ever we need to share our voices. Minorities, POC, women, the LGBTQ+ community, we all have so much power and the more we share, listen & learn from each other we can grow. Hopefully one day we can all live a non judgemental world full of love for one another. Appreciating the value in others and ourselves. Knowing we are equal and choosing to empower each other. It starts rn and it’s the choices we make everyday.”

What do you think of Iskra Lawrence’s message?  Let us know by tweeting @YahooStyleCA!