ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Malcolm London - Poet, performer, activist
Young spoken-word poet Malcolm London has been called the "Gil Scott-Heron of this generation" (by Cornel West). His feisty, passionate performances take on the issues of the day, including the Chicago education system in which he grew up.

Why you should listen

This poet wields a dynamic spirit for speaking engagements utilizing his feisty and passionate performances as words of encourage for next generations to tell their stories. In 2011, Malcolm London won the Louder than a Bomb youth poetry slam in his native Chicago, scooping the top award as both individual performer and with a team. The poet, performer and activist has performed on stages throughout his home city as well as across the United States. A member of the Young Adult Council of the prestigious Steppenwolf Theater, London brings vim and vigor to his energetic performances tackling tough contemporary issues head-on. He wrote & directed a spoken word0infused play responding to the Zimmerman verdict called Two Years Later, and 

London attends University of Illinois at Chicago & is a member & co-chair of BYP100 Chicago Chapter, a national organization of black activists & organizers. Deeply interested in working on ways to improve the national education system, London regularly visits high schools, youth jails, colleges and communities to work with students on writing workshops and performances. London is currently devoted to being a youth advocate & coordinator of The Know Your Rights Project out of Northwestern Law School, a project dedicated to educating young people on their rights within the juvenile justice system, & continuing his work as teaching artist on staff at Young Chicago Authors, a program working to transform the lives of young people by cultivating their voices through writing, publication and performance education. His work has been featured on national outlets including CBS, NPR, The Huffington Post, The Root, and the Chicago Tribune.

More profile about the speaker
Malcolm London | Speaker | TED.com
TED Talks Education

Malcolm London: "High School Training Ground"

Malcolm London: “El campo de entrenamiento de la preparatoria”

Filmed:
1,409,864 views

Joven poeta, educador y activista, Malcom Londres declama su agitado poema sobre la vida en el frente de batalla de la escuela preparatoria. Habla de los "océanos de adolescentes" que acuden a la escuela "pero nunca aprenden a nadar", de la "masculinidad imitada de hombres que crecieron sin padres". Hermoso, lírico y escalofriante.
- Poet, performer, activist
Young spoken-word poet Malcolm London has been called the "Gil Scott-Heron of this generation" (by Cornel West). His feisty, passionate performances take on the issues of the day, including the Chicago education system in which he grew up. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:13
At 7:45 a.m., I openabierto the doorspuertas to a buildingedificio
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A las 7:45 a.m., abro
las puertas a un edificio
00:19
dedicateddedicado to buildingedificio, yettodavía only breaksdescansos me down.
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dedicado a construir,
pero solo me derriba.
00:24
I marchmarzo down hallwayspasillos cleanedlimpiado up after me everycada day
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Camino por pasillos que limpian
para mí todos los días
00:28
by regularregular janitorsporteros,
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los conserjes habituales,
00:31
but I never have the decencydecencia to honorhonor theirsu namesnombres.
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pero nunca he tenido la decencia
de honrar sus nombres.
00:36
LockersCasilleros left openabierto like teenageAdolescente boys'chicos' mouthsbocas
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Casilleros abiertos como
bocas de niños adolescentes
00:39
when teenageAdolescente girlschicas wearvestir clothesropa that coverscubiertas
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cuando las niñas adolescentes
usan ropas que cubren
00:41
theirsu insecuritiesinseguridades but exposesexpone everything elsemás.
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sus inseguridades pero
exponen todo lo demás.
00:46
MasculinityMasculinidad mimickedimitado by menhombres who grewcreció up with no fatherspadres,
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Masculinidad imitada por hombres
que crecieron sin padres,
00:50
camouflagecamuflaje wornpasado by bulliesmatones who are dangerouslypeligrosamente armedarmado
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camuflaje usado por los abusivos
que están peligrosamente armados
00:54
but need hugsabrazos.
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pero que necesitan abrazos.
00:55
TeachersMaestros paidpagado lessMenos than what it costscostos them to be here.
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Maestros pagados con menos de lo
que les cuesta estar aquí
00:58
OceansOcéanos of adolescentsadolescentes come here to receiverecibir lessonslecciones
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Océanos de adolescentes
vienen aquí para recibir lecciones
01:02
but never learnaprender to swimnadar,
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pero nunca aprenden a nadar,
01:04
partparte like the Redrojo SeaMar when the bellcampana ringsanillos.
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parten como el Mar Rojo
cuando suena la campana.
01:07
This is a trainingformación groundsuelo.
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Esto es un campo de entrenamiento.
01:09
My highalto schoolcolegio is ChicagoChicago,
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Mi preparatoria es Chicago,
01:12
diversediverso and segregatedaislado on purposepropósito.
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diversa y segregada a propósito.
01:15
SocialSocial lineslíneas are barbedmordaz wirecable.
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Las líneas sociales
son alambre de púas.
01:18
LabelsEtiquetas like "RegularsRegulares" and "HonorsHonores" resonateresonar.
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Etiquetas como "Regulares"
y "con Honores" resuenan.
01:24
I am an HonorsHonores but go home with RegularRegular studentsestudiantes
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Soy un estudiante "con Honores"
pero regreso a casa con estudiantes "Regulares"
01:28
who are soldierssoldados in territoryterritorio that ownsposee them.
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que son soldados
en territorios que los poseen.
01:31
This is a trainingformación groundsuelo to sortordenar out the RegularsRegulares
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Se trata de un campo de entrenamiento
para separar los "Regulares"
01:35
from the HonorsHonores, a reoccurringrecurrente cycleciclo
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de los "con Honores", un ciclo recurrente
01:37
builtconstruido to recyclereciclar the trashbasura of this systemsistema.
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construido para reciclar
la basura de este sistema.
01:41
TrainedEntrenado at a youngjoven ageaños to capitalizecapitalizar,
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Entrenados desde una edad joven
para capitalizar,
01:44
lettersletras taughtenseñó now that capitalismcapitalismo raisesplantea you
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las letras enseñan ahora
que el capitalismo te eleva
01:47
but you have to steppaso on someonealguien elsemás to get there.
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pero hay que pisar a
alguien más para llegar allí.
01:50
This is a trainingformación groundsuelo where one groupgrupo
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Este es un campo de
entrenamiento donde a un grupo
01:53
is taughtenseñó to leaddirigir and the other is madehecho to followseguir.
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se le enseña a liderar
y al otro se le enseña a seguir.
01:56
No wonderpreguntarse so manymuchos of my people spitescupir barsbarras,
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No es de extrañar que mucha de
mi gente escupa en los bares,
01:59
because the truthverdad is harddifícil to swallowgolondrina.
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porque la verdad es difícil de tragar.
02:02
The need for degreesgrados has left so manymuchos people frozencongelado.
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La necesidad de títulos ha
dejado a muchas personas congeladas.
02:06
HomeworkDeberes is stressfullleno de tensión,
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Las tareas son estresantes,
02:08
but when you go home everycada day and your home is work,
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pero cuando te vas a casa todos
los días y tu hogar es trabajo,
02:11
you don't want to pickrecoger up any assignmentsasignaciones.
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no quieres tomar ninguna tarea.
02:13
ReadingLeyendo textbookslibros de texto is stressfullleno de tensión,
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Leer libros de texto es estresante,
02:14
but readingleyendo does not matterimportar when you feel
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pero la lectura no importa cuando sientes
02:17
your storyhistoria is alreadyya writtenescrito,
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que tu historia ya está escrita,
02:19
eitherya sea deadmuerto or gettingconsiguiendo bookedreservado.
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ya sea muerta o archivada.
02:21
TakingTomando testspruebas is stressfullleno de tensión,
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Hacer exámenes es estresante,
02:24
but bubblingburbujeo in a ScantronScantron does not stop
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pero llenar un plantilla de
respuestas no detiene
02:26
bulletsbalas from burstingmuy lleno.
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a las balas de estallar.
02:28
I hearoír educationeducación systemssistemas are failingdefecto,
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Oigo que los sistemas
educativos están fallando,
02:33
but I believe they're succeedingsubsiguiente at what they're builtconstruido to do --
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pero creo que están siendo exitosos
para lo que están construidos:
02:36
to traintren you, to keep you on trackpista,
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para entrenarte,
para mantenerte en la ruta,
02:38
to trackpista down an Americanamericano dreamsueño that has failedha fallado
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para seguir un sueño americano
que le ha fallado
02:41
so manymuchos of us all.
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a muchos de todos nosotros.
02:45
(ApplauseAplausos)
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(Aplausos)

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Malcolm London - Poet, performer, activist
Young spoken-word poet Malcolm London has been called the "Gil Scott-Heron of this generation" (by Cornel West). His feisty, passionate performances take on the issues of the day, including the Chicago education system in which he grew up.

Why you should listen

This poet wields a dynamic spirit for speaking engagements utilizing his feisty and passionate performances as words of encourage for next generations to tell their stories. In 2011, Malcolm London won the Louder than a Bomb youth poetry slam in his native Chicago, scooping the top award as both individual performer and with a team. The poet, performer and activist has performed on stages throughout his home city as well as across the United States. A member of the Young Adult Council of the prestigious Steppenwolf Theater, London brings vim and vigor to his energetic performances tackling tough contemporary issues head-on. He wrote & directed a spoken word0infused play responding to the Zimmerman verdict called Two Years Later, and 

London attends University of Illinois at Chicago & is a member & co-chair of BYP100 Chicago Chapter, a national organization of black activists & organizers. Deeply interested in working on ways to improve the national education system, London regularly visits high schools, youth jails, colleges and communities to work with students on writing workshops and performances. London is currently devoted to being a youth advocate & coordinator of The Know Your Rights Project out of Northwestern Law School, a project dedicated to educating young people on their rights within the juvenile justice system, & continuing his work as teaching artist on staff at Young Chicago Authors, a program working to transform the lives of young people by cultivating their voices through writing, publication and performance education. His work has been featured on national outlets including CBS, NPR, The Huffington Post, The Root, and the Chicago Tribune.

More profile about the speaker
Malcolm London | Speaker | TED.com