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: "Övningsplats: Amerikansk high school"

Filmed:
1,409,864 views

Den unge poeten, utbildaren och aktivisten Malcolm London framför sin medryckande dikt om livet på frontlinjen i det amerikanska gymnasiet. Han berättar om "oceaner av ungdomar" som kommer till till skolan "men som aldrig lär sig att simma", om "härmad maskulinitet av män som som växte upp utan fäder." Vackert, poetiskt, skrämmande.
- 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 openöppen the doorsdörrar to a buildingbyggnad
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Kvart i åtta på morgonen
öppnar jag dörrarna till en byggnad
00:19
dedicatedtillägnad to buildingbyggnad, yetän only breaksraster me down.
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tillägnad utveckling, men som ändå
bara bryter ner mig.
00:24
I marchMars down hallwayskorridorer cleanedrengöras up after me everyvarje day
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Jag går i korridorerna,
som städas efter mig varje dag
00:28
by regularregelbunden janitorsvaktmästare,
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av Vanliga vaktmästare
00:31
but I never have the decencyanständighet to honorära theirderas namesnamn.
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men jag har aldrig haft anständigheten
att hedra deras namn.
00:36
LockersLåsbara skåp left openöppen like teenageTonårs boys'pojkarnas mouthsmunnar
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Skåp lämnade öppna
som tonårspojkars munnar
00:39
when teenageTonårs girlsflickor wearha på sig clotheskläder that coversomslag
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när tonårsflickor bär kläder som täcker
00:41
theirderas insecuritiesosäkerhet but exposesexponerar everything elseannan.
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deras osäkerhet men visar allt annat.
00:46
MasculinityManlighet mimickedhärmade by menmän who grewväxte up with no fathersfäder,
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Maskulinitet härmad av män
som växte upp utan fäder,
00:50
camouflagekamouflage wornslitna by bulliesmobbarna who are dangerouslyfarligt armedbeväpnade
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kamouflagekläder på mobbare
som är farligt beväpnade
00:54
but need hugskram.
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men behöver kramar.
00:55
TeachersLärare paidbetald lessmindre than what it costskostar them to be here.
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Lärare mindre betalda
än vad det kostar dem att vara här.
00:58
OceansOceanerna of adolescentsungdomar come here to receivemotta lessonslektioner
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Oceaner av ungdomar
kommer hit för att få lektioner
01:02
but never learnlära sig to swimsimma,
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men de lär sig aldrig att simma.
01:04
partdel like the RedRöd SeaHavet when the bellklocka ringsringar.
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Delar sig som Röda havet
när klockan ringer.
01:07
This is a trainingutbildning groundjord.
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Det här är en övningsplats.
01:09
My highhög schoolskola is ChicagoChicago,
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Mitt gymnasium är Chicago,
01:12
diverseolika and segregatedsegregerad on purposesyfte.
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skiftande och medvetet segregerat.
01:15
SocialSociala linesrader are barbedtaggig wiretråd.
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De sociala gränserna är av taggtråd.
01:18
LabelsEtiketter like "RegularsStammisar" and "HonorsUtmärkelser" resonateresonera.
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Etiketter som "Vanliga"
och "Elit" finns överallt.
01:24
I am an HonorsUtmärkelser but go home with RegularRegelbundna studentsstudenter
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Jag är Elit men går hem
med Vanliga studenter
01:28
who are soldierssoldater in territoryterritorium that ownsäger them.
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som är soldater i ett territorium
som äger dem.
01:31
This is a trainingutbildning groundjord to sortsortera out the RegularsStammisar
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Det här är en övningsplats
för att sortera ut de Vanliga
01:35
from the HonorsUtmärkelser, a reoccurringåterkommande cyclecykel
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från Eliten, ett återkommande kretslopp
01:37
builtbyggd to recycleåtervinna the trashskräp of this systemsystemet.
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byggt för att återvinna
detta systems avfall.
01:41
TrainedUtbildade at a youngung ageålder to capitalizekapitalisera,
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Tränad i ung ålder att kapitalisera.
01:44
lettersbrev taughtlärde now that capitalismkapitalism raiseshöjningar you
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Bokstäverna lär dig nu
att kapitalism tar dig uppåt
01:47
but you have to stepsteg on someonenågon elseannan to get there.
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men du måste trampa på någon annan
för att komma dit.
01:50
This is a trainingutbildning groundjord where one groupgrupp
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Det här är en övningsplats, där en grupp
01:53
is taughtlärde to leadleda and the other is madegjord to followFölj.
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lär sig att leda
och de andra tvingas följa.
01:56
No wonderundra so manymånga of my people spitspotta barsbarer,
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Inte konstigt att så många av de mina
spottar ur sig raptexter
01:59
because the truthsanning is hardhård to swallowsvälja.
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för sanningen är svår att svälja.
02:02
The need for degreesgrader has left so manymånga people frozenfrysta.
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Behovet av betyg har förstelnat
så många människor.
02:06
HomeworkLäxor is stressfulstressig,
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Läxor är stressande,
02:08
but when you go home everyvarje day and your home is work,
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men när man går hem varje dag
och ens hem är arbete,
02:11
you don't want to pickplocka up any assignmentsuppdrag.
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vill man inte ta fram någon skoluppgift.
02:13
ReadingLäsning textbooksläroböcker is stressfulstressig,
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Att läsa läroböcker är stressande,
02:14
but readingläsning does not mattermateria when you feel
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men läsande spelar ingen roll
när man känner att din berättelse
redan är skriven,
02:17
your storyberättelse is alreadyredan writtenskriven,
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02:19
eitherantingen deaddöd or getting bookedbokade.
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antingen Död eller Dömd.
02:21
TakingTar teststester is stressfulstressig,
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Att göra prov är stressande,
02:24
but bubblingbubblande in a ScantronScantron does not stop
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men att kryssa i flervalsfrågor
hindrar inte kulor från att explodera.
02:26
bulletskulor from burstingspricker.
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02:28
I hearhöra educationutbildning systemssystem are failingbrist,
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Jag hör att utbildningssystemen misslyckas
02:33
but I believe they're succeedingefterföljande at what they're builtbyggd to do --
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men jag tror att de lyckas med
vad de är byggda att göra:
02:36
to traintåg you, to keep you on trackspåra,
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Att träna dig, att hålla dig i spåret,
02:38
to trackspåra down an AmericanAmerikansk dreamdröm that has failedmisslyckades
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att följa en amerikansk dröm som svikit
02:41
so manymånga of us all.
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så många av oss... alla.
02:45
(ApplauseApplåder)
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(Applåder)
Translated by Stephanie Green
Reviewed by Annika Bidner

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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