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: “Il liceo è un campo di addestramento”

Filmed:
1,409,864 views

Il giovane poeta, educatore e attivista Malcom London interpreta la sua entusiasmante poesia sulla vita al fronte della scuola. Racconta di "oceani di adolescenti" che vanno a scuola "ma non imparano mai a nuotare", di "mascolinità imitata da uomini cresciuti senza padre". Bello, lirico, agghiacciante.
- 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 openAperto the doorsporte to a buildingcostruzione
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Alle 7.45 del mattino apro le porte di un edificio
00:19
dedicateddedito to buildingcostruzione, yetancora only breakspause me down.
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fatto per costruire, ma che tuttavia mi distrugge.
00:24
I marchmarzo down hallwayscorridoi cleanedpuliti up after me everyogni day
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Cammino per corridoi spazzati dopo il mio passaggio
00:28
by regularregolare janitorsbidelli,
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da custodi ordinari,
00:31
but I never have the decencydecenza to honoronore theirloro namesnomi.
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ma non ho mai avuto la decenza di onorare i loro nomi.
00:36
LockersArmadietti left openAperto like teenageadolescenziale boys'Boys' mouthsbocche
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Armadietti spalancati come bocche di ragazzi
00:39
when teenageadolescenziale girlsragazze wearindossare clothesAbiti that coverscoperture
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quando le ragazze portano vestiti che coprono
00:41
theirloro insecuritiesinsicurezze but exposesespone everything elsealtro.
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le loro insicurezze ma lasciano esposto tutto il resto.
00:46
MasculinityMascolinità mimickedimitato by menuomini who grewè cresciuto up with no fatherspadri,
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La mascolinità imitata da uomini cresciuti senza padre,
00:50
camouflagecamuffamento wornindossati by bulliesBulli who are dangerouslypericolosamente armedarmati
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una mimetizzazione indossata da bulli che sono pericolosamente armati,
00:54
but need hugsabbracci.
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ma hanno bisogno di coccole.
00:55
TeachersInsegnanti paidpagato lessDi meno than what it costscosti them to be here.
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Insegnanti pagati meno di quanto costi loro essere lì.
00:58
OceansOceani of adolescentsadolescenti come here to receivericevere lessonsLezioni
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Oceani di adolescenti vengono per imparare lezioni
01:02
but never learnimparare to swimnuotare,
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ma non imparano mai a nuotare,
01:04
partparte like the RedRosso SeaMare when the bellcampana ringsanelli.
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e si separano come il Mar Rosso quando suona la campanella.
01:07
This is a trainingformazione groundterra.
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È un campo di addestramento.
01:09
My highalto schoolscuola is ChicagoChicago,
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Il mio liceo è Chicago,
01:12
diversediverso and segregatedsegregati on purposescopo.
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tanta diversità e segregazione volontaria.
01:15
SocialSociale linesLinee are barbedfilo spinato wirefilo.
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I confini sociali sono filo spinato.
01:18
LabelsEtichette like "RegularsClienti abituali" and "HonorsRiconoscimenti" resonaterisonare.
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Risuonano etichette come "Sufficiente" e "Ottimo".
01:24
I am an HonorsRiconoscimenti but go home with RegularRegolare studentsstudenti
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Sono un Ottimo ma torno a casa con studenti Sufficienti
01:28
who are soldierssoldati in territoryterritorio that ownspossiede them.
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che sono soldati sul territorio che li possiede.
01:31
This is a trainingformazione groundterra to sortordinare out the RegularsClienti abituali
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È un campo di addestramento per separare i Sufficienti
01:35
from the HonorsRiconoscimenti, a reoccurringsi ripetano cycleciclo
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dagli Ottimi, un ciclo continuo
01:37
builtcostruito to recyclericiclare the trashspazzatura of this systemsistema.
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costruito per riciclare la spazzatura di questo sistema.
01:41
TrainedAddestrato at a younggiovane ageetà to capitalizecapitalizzare,
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Formati da giovani a scrivere in maiuscolo
01:44
letterslettere taughtinsegnato now that capitalismcapitalismo raisesrilanci you
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ci insegnano che ora è il capitalismo che ci forma
01:47
but you have to steppasso on someonequalcuno elsealtro to get there.
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ma devi calpestare qualcun altro per arrivare.
01:50
This is a trainingformazione groundterra where one groupgruppo
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È un campo di addestramento in cui a un gruppo
01:53
is taughtinsegnato to leadcondurre and the other is madefatto to followSeguire.
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viene insegnato a guidare e all'altro a seguire.
01:56
No wondermeravigliarsi so manymolti of my people spitspiedo barsbarre,
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Non sorprende che così tanta gente spari battute,
01:59
because the truthverità is harddifficile to swallowingoiare.
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perché la verità è difficile da ingoiare.
02:02
The need for degreesgradi has left so manymolti people frozencongelato.
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La necessità di un diploma ha paralizzato così tanta gente.
02:06
HomeworkCompiti a casa is stressfulstressante,
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I compiti a casa sono stressanti,
02:08
but when you go home everyogni day and your home is work,
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ma quando vai a casa ogni giorno e a casa devi lavorare,
02:11
you don't want to pickraccogliere up any assignmentsassegnazioni.
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non vuoi più accettare compiti.
02:13
ReadingLettura textbookslibri di testo is stressfulstressante,
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Leggere libri di testo è stressante,
02:14
but readinglettura does not matterimporta when you feel
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ma leggerli non ha senso quando hai la sensazione
02:17
your storystoria is alreadygià writtenscritto,
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che la tua storia sia già scritta,
02:19
eithero deadmorto or gettingottenere bookedprenotato.
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che sia finita o in fase di scrittura.
02:21
TakingTenendo teststest is stressfulstressante,
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Fare esami è stressante,
02:24
but bubblingbubbling in a ScantronScantron does not stop
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ma schiumare davanti a un testo
02:26
bulletselenchi puntati from burstingscoppio.
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non ferma le pallottole.
02:28
I hearsentire educationeducazione systemssistemi are failingin mancanza di,
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Sento dire che i sistemi di istruzione stanno fallendo,
02:33
but I believe they're succeedingsuccessivo at what they're builtcostruito to do --
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ma credo che siano efficaci nel fare quello per cui sono stati progettati --
02:36
to traintreno you, to keep you on tracktraccia,
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formarti, farti restare sul sentiero,
02:38
to tracktraccia down an AmericanAmericano dreamsognare that has failedfallito
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e farti rincorrere un sogno americano che non esiste
02:41
so manymolti of us all.
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per molti di noi.
02:45
(ApplauseApplausi)
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(Applausi)
Translated by Anna Cristiana Minoli
Reviewed by Guido Gambetti

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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