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: „Liceul Teren de Pregătire"

Filmed:
1,409,864 views

Tânăr poet, educator și activist, Malcom London interpretează poemul său stimulator despre viața din liceu în linia întăi. El spune despre „oceane de adolescenți" ce vin la școală „dar niciodată nu învață să înoate", de „masculinitate mimată de bărbați ce au crescut fără tați.” Frumos, poetic, curtemurător.
- 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 opendeschis the doorsuşi to a buildingclădire
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La 7:45 a.m. deschid ușile unei clădiri
00:19
dedicateddedicat to buildingclădire, yetinca only breakspauze me down.
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dedicate să construiască, dar care doar mă distruge.
00:24
I marchMartie down hallwaysholuri cleanedcurățate up after me everyfiecare day
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Mărșăluiesc pe coridoare curățate după mine în fiecare zi
00:28
by regularregulat janitorsportari,
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de îngrijitorii obișnuiți,
00:31
but I never have the decencydecenta to honoronora theiral lor namesnumele.
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dar niciodată nu am decența să le onorez numele.
00:36
LockersVestiare left opendeschis like teenageadolescență boys'băieți mouthsguri
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Dulapurile lăsate deschide precum gurile tinerilor adolescenți
00:39
when teenageadolescență girlsfete wearpurta clotheshaine that coverscapace
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atunci când tinerele adolescente poartă haine ce le acoperă
00:41
theiral lor insecuritiesnesiguranta but exposesexpune everything elsealtfel.
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insecuritățile, dar expun în rest totul.
00:46
MasculinityMasculinitate mimickedimitate by menbărbați who grewcrescut up with no fatherstați,
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Masculinitate mimată de bărbați ce au crescut fără tați,
00:50
camouflagecamuflaj wornpurtat by bulliesagresorii who are dangerouslypericulos armedarmate
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camuflaj purtat de bătăuși care sunt periculos înarmați
00:54
but need hugsimbratisari.
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dar au nevoie de îmbrățișări.
00:55
TeachersProfesori paidplătit lessMai puțin than what it costscheltuieli them to be here.
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Profesori plătiți mai puțin decât îi costă să fie aici.
00:58
OceansOceanele of adolescentsadolescenţi come here to receivea primi lessonslecții
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Oceane de adolescenți ce vin aici să primească lecții
01:02
but never learnînvăța to swimînot,
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dar niciodată nu învață să înoate,
01:04
partparte like the RedRed SeaMare when the bellclopot ringsinele.
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se retrag ca Marea Roșie când clopoțelul sună.
01:07
This is a trainingpregătire groundsol.
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Acesta este loc de pregătire.
01:09
My highînalt schoolşcoală is ChicagoChicago,
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Liceul meu este Chicago,
01:12
diversedivers and segregatedsegregate on purposescop.
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divers și segregat în mod intenționat.
01:15
SocialSociale lineslinii are barbedghimpată wiresârmă.
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Legăturile sociale sunt din sârmă ghimpată.
01:18
LabelsEtichete like "RegularsObisnuitii" and "HonorsOnoruri" resonaterezonează.
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Etichete precum „Obișnuiți" și „Onorați" răsună.
01:24
I am an HonorsOnoruri but go home with RegularRegulate studentselevi
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Eu sunt un Student Onorat dar merg acasă cu Studenți Obișnuiți
01:28
who are soldierssoldati in territoryteritoriu that ownsdeține them.
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care sunt soldați în teritoriul căruia îi aparțin.
01:31
This is a trainingpregătire groundsol to sortfel out the RegularsObisnuitii
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Acesta este un teren de pregătire pentru a delimita pe cei Obișnuiți
01:35
from the HonorsOnoruri, a reoccurringreapariţia cycleciclu
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de cei Onorați, un ciclu ce se repetă
01:37
builtconstruit to recyclereciclați the trashGunoi of this systemsistem.
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fiind construit pentru a recicla gunoaiele din acest sistem.
01:41
TrainedInstruiţi at a youngtineri agevârstă to capitalizevalorifica,
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Antrenat de la o vârstă fragedă pentru a scrie cu majuscule
01:44
lettersscrisori taughtînvățat now that capitalismcapitalism raisesridică you
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literele, învățat acum că capitalismul te ridică
01:47
but you have to stepEtapa on someonecineva elsealtfel to get there.
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dar trebuie să calci peste altcineva ca să ajungi acolo.
01:50
This is a trainingpregătire groundsol where one groupgrup
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Acesta este un teren de pregătire unde un grup
01:53
is taughtînvățat to leadconduce and the other is madefăcut to followurma.
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este învățat să conducă iar celălalt este făcut să urmeze.
01:56
No wondermirare so manymulți of my people spitscuipat barsbaruri,
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Nu e de mirare că mulți din oamenii mei cântă rap,
01:59
because the truthadevăr is hardgreu to swallowa inghiti.
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deoarece adevărul este greu de înghițit.
02:02
The need for degreesgrade has left so manymulți people frozenîngheţat.
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Nevoia de diplome a lăsat atâția oameni înghețați.
02:06
HomeworkTemele is stressfulstresant,
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Temele de casă sunt stresante,
02:08
but when you go home everyfiecare day and your home is work,
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dar când mergi acasă în fiecare zi și casa ta devine muncă,
02:11
you don't want to pickalege up any assignmentsmisiuni.
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nu vrei să preiei nici o sarcină.
02:13
ReadingLectură textbooksmanuale is stressfulstresant,
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Cititul manualelor este stresant,
02:14
but readingcitind does not mattermaterie when you feel
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dar cititul nu contează când simți că
02:17
your storypoveste is alreadydeja writtenscris,
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povestea ta este deja scrisă
02:19
eitherfie deadmort or gettingobtinerea bookedrecente.
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fie moartă sau fiind rezervată.
02:21
TakingLuând teststeste is stressfulstresant,
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Testele sunt stresante
02:24
but bubblingbarbotare in a ScantronScantron does not stop
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dar încercuirea răspunsurilor într-un test Scantron nu oprește
02:26
bulletsgloanţe from burstingde rupere.
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gloanțele de la a exploda.
02:28
I hearauzi educationeducaţie systemssisteme are failingîn lipsa,
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Aud că sistemele educaționale eșuează
02:33
but I believe they're succeedingreușind at what they're builtconstruit to do --
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dar cred că au succes în ceea ce sunt construite să facă --
02:36
to traintren you, to keep you on trackurmări,
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să te antreneze, să te țină pe drumul cel bun
02:38
to trackurmări down an AmericanAmerican dreamvis that has faileda eșuat
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să urmărească un Vis American ce ne-a dezamăgit
02:41
so manymulți of us all.
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pe mulți dintre noi.
02:45
(ApplauseAplauze)
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(Aplauze)
Translated by Doinita Spuza
Reviewed by Ariana Bleau Lugo

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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