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: “Campo de Treino do Ensino Secundário”

Filmed:
1,409,864 views

O jovem poeta, educador e ativista, Malcom London apresenta o seu agitado poema sobre a vida nas linhas da frente do Ensino Secundário. Ele fala dos "mares da adolescência" que vêm para a escola "mas nunca aprendem a nadar", de "masculinidade imitada por homens que cresceram sem pai." Lindo, lírico e arrepiante.
- 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 openaberto the doorsportas to a buildingconstrução
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Às 7:45 da manhã, abro as portas de um edifício
00:19
dedicateddedicada to buildingconstrução, yetainda only breaksrompe me down.
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dedicado à construção, mas só me deita abaixo.
00:24
I marchmarcha down hallwayscorredores cleanedlimpo up after me everycada day
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Eu marcho por corredores,
limpos todos os dias depois de eu passar,
00:28
by regularregular janitorscontínuos,
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por zeladores habituais,
00:31
but I never have the decencydecência to honorhonra theirdeles namesnomes.
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mas nunca tenho a decência
de honrar os seus nomes.
00:36
LockersCacifos left openaberto like teenageAdolescência boys'dos rapazes mouthsbocas
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Cacifos deixados abertos
como as bocas de rapazes adolescentes
00:39
when teenageAdolescência girlsmeninas wearvestem clothesroupas that coverscobre
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quando as raparigas adolescentes
usam roupas que cobrem
00:41
theirdeles insecuritiesinseguranças but exposesexpõe os everything elseoutro.
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as suas inseguranças, mas expõem tudo o resto.
00:46
MasculinityMasculinidade mimickedimitado by menhomens who grewcresceu up with no fatherspais,
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Masculinidade imitada por homens
que cresceram sem pai,
00:50
camouflagecamuflagem wornusado by bulliesbullies who are dangerouslyperigosamente armedarmado
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camuflagem usada por bullies
que estão perigosamente armados,
00:54
but need hugsabraços.
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mas que precisam de abraços.
00:55
TeachersProfessores paidpago lessMenos than what it costscusta them to be here.
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Professores pagos com menos
do que o que lhes custa estar aqui.
00:58
OceansOceanos of adolescentsadolescentes come here to receivereceber lessonslições
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Mares de adolescentes vêm aqui
para ter aulas,
01:02
but never learnaprender to swimnadar,
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mas nunca aprendem a nadar,
01:04
partparte like the RedVermelho SeaMar when the bellSino ringsargolas.
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parte são como o Mar Vermelho
quando a campainha toca.
01:07
This is a trainingTreinamento groundchão.
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Este é um campo de treino.
01:09
My highAlto schoolescola is ChicagoChicago,
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A minha escola secundária é Chicago,
01:12
diversediverso and segregatedsegregado on purposepropósito.
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diversa e segregada de propósito.
01:15
SocialSocial lineslinhas are barbedfarpado wirefio.
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Linhas sociais são arame farpado.
01:18
LabelsRótulos like "RegularsClientes habituais" and "HonorsHonras" resonateressoa.
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Rótulos como "Médios" e "Menções Honrosas" ressoam.
01:24
I am an HonorsHonras but go home with RegularRegular studentsalunos
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Eu sou um Menção Honrosa,
mas vou pra casa com alunos médios
01:28
who are soldierssoldados in territoryterritório that ownspossui them.
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que são soldados em território que os possui.
01:31
This is a trainingTreinamento groundchão to sortordenar out the RegularsClientes habituais
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Este é um campo de treino
para separar os Médios
01:35
from the HonorsHonras, a reoccurringreoccurring cycleciclo
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dos Menções Honrosas,
um ciclo recorrente
01:37
builtconstruído to recyclereciclar the trashLixo of this systemsistema.
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criado para reciclar o lixo deste sistema.
01:41
TrainedTreinados at a youngjovem ageera to capitalizecapitalizar,
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Treinadas desde cedo a capitalizar,
01:44
letterscartas taughtensinado now that capitalismcapitalismo raiseslevanta you
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as letras ensinaram agora
que o capitalismo vos faz crescer,
01:47
but you have to stepdegrau on someonealguém elseoutro to get there.
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mas têm que passar por cima de alguém
pra chegar lá.
01:50
This is a trainingTreinamento groundchão where one groupgrupo
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Este é um campo de treino onde um grupo
01:53
is taughtensinado to leadconduzir and the other is madefeito to followSegue.
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é ensinado a liderar e o outro é feito para seguir.
01:56
No wondermaravilha so manymuitos of my people spitcuspir barsbares,
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Não é de admirar
que tantos do meu povo cuspam barras,
01:59
because the truthverdade is hardDifícil to swallowandorinha.
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porque a verdade é dura de engolir.
02:02
The need for degreesgraus has left so manymuitos people frozencongeladas.
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A necessidade de diplomas
deixou tantas pessoas congeladas.
02:06
HomeworkLição de casa is stressfulestressante,
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Os trabalhos de casa são stressantes,
02:08
but when you go home everycada day and your home is work,
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mas quando vocês voltam pra casa todos os dias
e a vossa casa é trabalho,
02:11
you don't want to pickescolher up any assignmentsatribuições.
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vocês não querem pegar em nenhum trabalho (da escola).
02:13
ReadingLeitura textbookslivros de texto is stressfulestressante,
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Ler livros escolares é stressante,
02:14
but readingleitura does not matterimportam when you feel
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mas a leitura
não tem importância quando vocês sentem
02:17
your storyhistória is already writtenescrito,
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que a vossa história já está escrita,
02:19
eitherou deadmorto or gettingobtendo bookedreservado (a).
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tanto morta ou arquivada.
02:21
TakingTendo teststestes is stressfulestressante,
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Fazer testes é stressante,
02:24
but bubblingborbulhando in a ScantronScantron does not stop
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mas marcar respostas múltiplas
numa folha de teste não impede
02:26
bulletsbalas from burstingestourando.
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que as balas estourem.
02:28
I hearouvir educationEducação systemssistemas are failingfalhando,
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Ouço que os sistemas de educação estão a falhar,
02:33
but I believe they're succeedingsucedendo at what they're builtconstruído to do --
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mas acredito que estão a conseguir
o que pretendiam fazer --
02:36
to traintrem you, to keep you on trackpista,
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treinar-vos, manter-vos na linha,
02:38
to trackpista down an AmericanAmericana dreamSonhe that has failedfalhou
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perseguir um Sonho Americano que falhou
02:41
so manymuitos of us all.
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a tantos de nós.
02:45
(ApplauseAplausos)
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(Aplausos)
Translated by gilda fasanella
Reviewed by Rangel Guerra

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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