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: “High School Oefenterrein”

Filmed:
1,409,864 views

De jonge dichter, pedagoog en activist Malcolm London draagt zijn roerende gedicht voor over het leven aan de frontlinies van de highschool. Hij vertelt over de 'oceanen van adolescenten', die naar school gaan 'maar nooit leren zwemmen', van 'mannelijkheid die nagebootst wordt door mannen die opgroeiden zonder vader'. Prachtig, lyrisch en verontrustend.
- 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 openOpen the doorsdeuren to a buildinggebouw
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's Morgens om kwart voor acht
kom ik binnen in een gebouw
00:19
dedicatedtoegewijd to buildinggebouw, yetnog only breaksbreaks me down.
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dat mij moet opbouwen,
maar me slechts afbreekt.
00:24
I marchmaart down hallwaysgangen cleanedschoongemaakt up after me everyelk day
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Ik loop door gangen die dagelijks
achter mij worden schoongemaakt
00:28
by regularregelmatig janitorsconciërges,
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door nauwgezette conciërges,
00:31
but I never have the decencyfatsoen to honoreer theirhun namesnamen.
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maar ik doe nooit moeite
hun naam te onthouden.
00:36
LockersKluisjes left openOpen like teenagetiener- boys'jongens mouthsmonden
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Kluisjes geopend als monden
van tienerjongens,
00:39
when teenagetiener- girlsmeisjes wearslijtage clotheskleren that coverscovers
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bij het zien van tienermeisjes
in kleren die hun onzekerheden
00:41
theirhun insecuritiesonzekerheden but exposesbloot everything elseanders.
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bedekken, maar al het
andere laten zien.
00:46
MasculinityMannelijkheid mimickednagebootst by menmannen who grewgroeide up with no fathersvaders,
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Nagebootste mannelijkheid,
door mannen die opgroeiden zonder vader.
00:50
camouflagecamouflage worngedragen by bulliespestkoppen who are dangerouslygevaarlijk armedgewapend
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Pestkoppen in camouflagekledij die rondlopen
met wapens, maar hunkeren naar een knuffel.
00:54
but need hugsKnuffels.
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Pestkoppen in camouflagekledij die rondlopen
met wapens, maar hunkeren naar een knuffel.
00:55
TeachersLeraren paidbetaald lessminder than what it costskosten them to be here.
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Docenten die minder betaald krijgen
dan het lesgeven hen kost.
00:58
OceansOceanen of adolescentsadolescenten come here to receivete ontvangen lessonservaring
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Oceanen vol adolescenten
die gekomen zijn om les te krijgen
01:02
but never learnleren to swimzwemmen,
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maar nooit leren zwemmen,
01:04
partdeel like the RedRood SeaZee when the bellklok ringsringen.
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splijten als de Rode Zee
als de bel klinkt.
01:07
This is a trainingopleiding groundgrond.
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Dit is een oefenterrein.
01:09
My highhoog schoolschool- is ChicagoChicago,
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Chicago is mijn highschool,
01:12
diverseverschillend and segregatedgesegregeerde on purposedoel.
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divers en opzettelijk verdeeld.
01:15
SocialSociale lineslijnen are barbedprikkeldraad wiredraad.
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Sociale barrières zijn prikkeldraad.
01:18
LabelsEtiketten like "RegularsStamgasten" and "HonorsOnderscheidingen" resonateresoneren.
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Etiketten als 'Middelmatigen'
en 'Uitblinkers' resoneren.
01:24
I am an HonorsOnderscheidingen but go home with RegularRegelmatige studentsstudenten
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Ik ben een 'Uitblinker' maar ik ga om
met 'Middelmatigen',
01:28
who are soldierssoldaten in territorygebied that ownsbezit them.
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die soldaten zijn in hun territorium,
dat hen de baas is.
01:31
This is a trainingopleiding groundgrond to sortsoort out the RegularsStamgasten
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Dit is een oefenterrein,
om de 'Middelmatigen' te scheiden
01:35
from the HonorsOnderscheidingen, a reoccurringterugkerende cyclefiets
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van de 'Uitblinkers',
een vicieuze cirkel
01:37
builtgebouwd to recyclerecycleren the trashuitschot of this systemsysteem.
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die is uitgevonden om het uitschot
van dit systeem te recyclen.
01:41
TrainedOpgeleid at a youngjong ageleeftijd to capitalizekapitaliseren,
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Wie jong is, leert hoofdletters
(kapitalen) schrijven.
01:44
lettersbrieven taughtonderwezen now that capitalismkapitalisme raisesraises you
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Nu wordt je geleerd dat het
kapitalisme je verheft,
01:47
but you have to stepstap on someoneiemand elseanders to get there.
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maar dat je er pas komt
als je bovenop een ander gaat staan.
01:50
This is a trainingopleiding groundgrond where one groupgroep
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Dit is een oefenterrein
waar de ene groep
01:53
is taughtonderwezen to leadlood and the other is madegemaakt to followvolgen.
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wordt geleerd te leiden
en de andere gedwongen wordt te volgen.
01:56
No wonderwonder so manyveel of my people spitSpit barsbars,
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Geen wonder dat zoveel van mijn mensen
hun raps uitspugen,
01:59
because the truthwaarheid is hardhard to swallowslikken.
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want de waarheid laat zich
moeilijk doorslikken.
02:02
The need for degreesgraden has left so manyveel people frozenbevroren.
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De vraag naar diploma's
maakt zoveel mensen machteloos.
02:06
HomeworkHuiswerk is stressfulstressvolle,
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Huiswerk geeft stress,
02:08
but when you go home everyelk day and your home is work,
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maar als je huisadres
ook je werkplek is
02:11
you don't want to pickplukken up any assignmentstoewijzingen.
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wil je geen opdrachten
uitvoeren.
02:13
ReadingLezing textbooksstudieboeken is stressfulstressvolle,
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Schoolboeken lezen geeft stress,
02:14
but readinglezing does not matterer toe doen when you feel
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maar lezen heeft geen zin
als je het gevoel hebt
02:17
your storyverhaal is alreadynu al writtengeschreven,
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dat jouw verhaal al geschreven is,
02:19
eithereen van beide deaddood or gettingkrijgen bookedgeboekt.
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met de dood of arrestatie tot slot.
02:21
TakingRekening houdend teststesten is stressfulstressvolle,
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Proefwerken maken geeft stress
02:24
but bubblingborrelen in a ScantronScantron does not stop
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maar het aankruisen
van vakjes
02:26
bulletsopsommingstekens from burstingbarsten.
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houdt kogelschoten niet tegen.
02:28
I hearhoren educationonderwijs systemssystemen are failingtekortkoming,
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Ze zeggen dat schoolsystemen
hun werk niet doen,
02:33
but I believe they're succeedingslagen at what they're builtgebouwd to do --
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maar volgens mij doen ze
wat ze moeten doen.
02:36
to traintrein you, to keep you on trackspoor,
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Ze leren je
om in het gareel te blijven,
02:38
to trackspoor down an AmericanAmerikaanse dreamdroom that has failedmislukt
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om het spoor van de Amerikaanse droom
te volgen,
02:41
so manyveel of us all.
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die voor zovelen
niet is uitgekomen.
02:45
(ApplauseApplaus)
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(Applaus)
Translated by Janneke Meijntjes-Lok
Reviewed by Els De Keyser

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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