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"

Malkolm London (Malcolm London): "Poligon srednje škole"

Filmed:
1,409,864 views

Mladi pesnik, nastavnik i aktivista, Malkolm London, izvodi svoju uzbudljivu pesmu o životu na prvoj liniji srednje škole. Priča o "okeanima adolescenata" koji dolaze u školu "ali nikad ne nauče da plivaju", o "muževnosti koju imitiraju muškarci koji su odrasli bez očeva." Predivno, lirično, nadahnjujuće.
- 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 openотворен the doorsврата to a buildingзграде
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U 7:45 ujutru otvaram vrata zgrade
00:19
dedicatedпосвећен to buildingзграде, yetјош увек only breaksпауза me down.
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posvećene građenju,
ali me ona samo razara.
00:24
I marchмарш down hallwayshodnici cleanedочишћено up after me everyсваки day
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Marširam hodnicima koje za mnom
svakog dana čiste
00:28
by regularредовно janitorsDomari,
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obični domari,
00:31
but I never have the decencypristojnost to honorчаст theirњихова namesимена.
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ali nikad nemam dostojnosti
da poštujem njihova imena.
00:36
LockersOrmarići left openотворен like teenageтинејџери boys'Boys mouthsуста
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Ormari otvoreni poput usta tinejdžera
00:39
when teenageтинејџери girlsдевојке wearносити clothesОдећа that coversпокрива
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kada devojke nose odeću koja pokriva
00:41
theirњихова insecuritiesnesigurnost but exposesi izlaže everything elseдруго.
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njihove nesigurnosti ali izlaže sve ostalo.
00:46
MasculinityMuškosti mimickedмимицан by menмушкарци who grewрастао up with no fathersПравеве техничвеве,
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Muževnost koju imitiraju muškarci
koji su odrasli bez očeva,
00:50
camouflagekamuflažu wornnosio by bulliesnasilnike who are dangerouslyopasno armednaoružani
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kamuflaža koju nose siledžije
naoružane do zuba
00:54
but need hugsZagrljaji.
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ali kojima je potreban zagrljaj.
00:55
TeachersNastavnici paidплаћени lessмање than what it costsтрошкови them to be here.
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Nastavnici koji su plaćeni
manje nego što im treba da tu dođu.
00:58
OceansOkeani of adolescentsadolescenti come here to receiveпримити lessonsлекције
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Okeani adolescenata
koji ovde dođu da slušaju lekcije
01:02
but never learnучи to swimпливај,
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ali nikada ne nauče da plivaju,
01:04
partдео like the RedCrveni SeaMore when the bellзвоно ringsпрстенови.
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nestanu poput Crvenog mora
kada zazvoni.
01:07
This is a trainingобука groundземља.
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Ovo je poligon.
01:09
My highвисоко schoolшкола is ChicagoChicago,
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Moja srednja škola je Čikago,
01:12
diverseразнолика and segregatedсегрегатед on purposeсврха.
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namerno različit i odvojen.
01:15
SocialSocijalne linesлиније are barbedbodljikava wireжица.
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Društvene linije su bodljikava žica.
01:18
LabelsOznake like "RegularsStalni gosti" and "HonorsPriznanja" resonateрезонирати.
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Odjekuju epiteti poput
"običnih" i "naprednih".
01:24
I am an HonorsPriznanja but go home with RegularRedovne studentsстуденти
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Ja sam napredan ali idem kući
sa običnim učenicima
01:28
who are soldiersвојници in territoryтериторија that ownsпоседује them.
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koji su vojnici na teritoriji
koja ih poseduje.
01:31
This is a trainingобука groundземља to sortврста out the RegularsStalni gosti
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Ovo je poligon za rasvrstavanje običnih
01:35
from the HonorsPriznanja, a reoccurringnešto sasvim drugo cycleциклус
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od naprednih, ciklus koji se ponavlja,
01:37
builtизграђен to recycleрециклирати the trashсмеће of this systemсистем.
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napravljen da reciklira
smeće ovog sistema.
01:41
TrainedTrenirao at a youngмлади ageстарост to capitalizevelikim početnim slovom,
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Vaspitani od mladosti
da koriste velika slova,
01:44
lettersслова taughtнаучио now that capitalismкапитализам raisesподигне you
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koja vas sada uče
da vas kapitalizam odgaja,
01:47
but you have to stepкорак on someoneнеко elseдруго to get there.
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ali morate pregaziti nekog da dotle dođete.
01:50
This is a trainingобука groundземља where one groupгрупа
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Ovo je poligon gde jednu grupu
01:53
is taughtнаучио to leadолово and the other is madeмаде to followпратити.
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uče da vodi, a drugu da prati.
01:56
No wonderпитати се so manyмноги of my people spitpljunuti barsбарови,
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Nije ni čudo što toliko mog naroda
pljuje na mikrofonu,
01:59
because the truthистина is hardтешко to swallowпрогутати.
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jer je istina teška za progutati.
02:02
The need for degreesстепени has left so manyмноги people frozenсмрзнуто.
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Potreba za diplomama
zamrzla je mnogo ljudi.
02:06
HomeworkDomaći is stressfulстресно,
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Domaći zadaci su stresni,
02:08
but when you go home everyсваки day and your home is work,
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ali kada dođete do doma svakog dana,
i vaš dom je zadatak,
02:11
you don't want to pickпицк up any assignmentszadatke.
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ne želite da radite nikakve vežbe.
02:13
ReadingČitanje textbooksуџбеници is stressfulстресно,
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Čitanje udžbenika je stresno,
02:14
but readingчитање does not matterматерија when you feel
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ali čitanje nema veze kad osećate
02:17
your storyприча is alreadyвећ writtenнаписано,
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da je vaša priča već napisana
02:19
eitherили deadмртав or gettingдобијања bookedRezervisala.
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ili ste mrtvi ili iza rešetaka.
02:21
TakingUzimanje testsтестови is stressfulстресно,
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Testovi su stresni,
02:24
but bubblingChampagne in a ScantronScantron does not stop
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ali rađenje kompjuterskih testova
02:26
bulletsMeci from burstingkoje pucaju.
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ne zaustavlja metke.
02:28
I hearчујеш educationобразовање systemsсистема are failingнеуспех,
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Čujem da obrazovni sistemi podbacuju,
02:33
but I believe they're succeedingуспева at what they're builtизграђен to do --
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ali mislim da uspevaju
u onom za šta su napravljeni -
02:36
to trainвоз you, to keep you on trackтрацк,
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da vas obuče, drže na pravom putu,
02:38
to trackтрацк down an AmericanAmerikanac dreamсан that has failedније успео
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da uđu u trag američkom snu
koji je izneverio
02:41
so manyмноги of us all.
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toliko nas.
02:45
(ApplauseAplauz)
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(Aplauz)
Translated by Mile Živković
Reviewed by Dejan Vicai

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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