TED2018
Paul Rucker: The symbols of systemic racism -- and how to take away their power
Paul Rucker: Los símbolos del racismo sistémico y cómo eliminar su poder
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El artista multidisciplinario y miembro destacado de TED Raul Rucker deconstruye el legado del racismo sistémico en Estados Unidos. Coleccionista de objetos relacionados con la historia del racismo, desde hierros de marcar hasta grilletes y postales que muestran linchamientos, Rucker no conseguía una túnica del Ku Klux Klan en buen estado para su colección, así que decidió fabricar una. El resultado son prendas creadas con géneros poco tradicionales, como el tejido kente, telas de camuflaje y seda, que desafían la normalización del racismo sistémico en Estados Unidos. "Si nosotros como sociedad analizamos estos objetos y aceptamos que son parte de nuestra historia, entonces lograremos evitar que su poder nos afecte", nos dice Rucker. (Esta charla contiene imágenes que pueden herir la susceptibilidad del espectador)
Paul Rucker - Visual artist, cellist
Paul Rucker creates art that explores issues related to mass incarceration, racially-motivated violence, police brutality and the continuing impact of slavery in the US. Full bio
Paul Rucker creates art that explores issues related to mass incarceration, racially-motivated violence, police brutality and the continuing impact of slavery in the US. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
[This talk contains graphic images
Viewer discretion is advised]
Viewer discretion is advised]
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[Esta charla contiene imágenes que pueden
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herir la sensibilidad del espectador]
00:17
I collect objects.
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Colecciono objetos.
00:19
I collect branding irons that were used
to mark slaves as property.
to mark slaves as property.
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Colecciono hierros de marcar que se usaban
para identificar esclavos como propiedad.
para identificar esclavos como propiedad.
00:25
I collect shackles for adults
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Colecciono grilletes para adultos
00:29
and restraints for adults
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y elementos para subyugar a adultos
00:31
as well as children.
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y también a niños.
00:37
I collect lynching postcards.
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Colecciono postales de linchamientos.
00:40
Yes, they depict lynchings.
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Sí, muestran linchamientos.
00:42
They also depict the massive crowds
that attended these lynchings,
that attended these lynchings,
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También muestran las hordas
de espectadores en estos linchamientos,
de espectadores en estos linchamientos,
00:46
and they are postcards
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y son postales
00:48
that were also used for correspondence.
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que se usaban también como correspondencia.
00:52
I collect proslavery books
that portray black people as criminals
that portray black people as criminals
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Colecciono libros
que defienden la esclavitud
que defienden la esclavitud
y describen a los negros como criminales
00:58
or as animals without souls.
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o animales sin alma.
01:02
I brought you something today.
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Les traje algo hoy.
01:07
This is a ship's branding iron.
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Este es un hierro de marcar
encontrado en un barco.
encontrado en un barco.
01:10
It was used to mark slaves.
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Se usaba para marcar a los esclavos.
Bueno, no eran esclavos aún
cuando los marcaban.
cuando los marcaban.
01:15
Well, they actually were not slaves
when they were marked.
when they were marked.
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Estaban en África.
01:17
They were in Africa.
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01:19
But they were marked with an "S"
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Pero se les marcaba con una "S"
01:21
to designate that they
were going to be slaves
were going to be slaves
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para indicar que serían esclavos
01:23
when they were brought to the US
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una vez que llegaran a EE. UU.
01:25
and when they were brought to Europe.
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o Europa.
01:32
Another object or image that captured
my imagination when I was younger
my imagination when I was younger
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Otro de los objetos que capturaron
mi imaginación de joven
mi imaginación de joven
01:35
was a Klan robe.
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fue la túnica del Klan.
01:37
Growing up in South Carolina, I would see
Ku Klux Klan rallies occasionally,
Ku Klux Klan rallies occasionally,
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Por vivir en Carolina del Sur, me tocó
presenciar actos del Ku Klux Klan
presenciar actos del Ku Klux Klan
01:41
actually more than occasionally,
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en más de una ocasión,
01:43
and the memories of those events
never really left my mind.
never really left my mind.
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y el recuerdo de esos eventos
nunca se borró de mi memoria.
nunca se borró de mi memoria.
01:46
And I didn't really do anything
with that imagery until 25 years later.
with that imagery until 25 years later.
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No supe qué hacer con esas imágenes
hasta 25 años más tarde.
hasta 25 años más tarde.
01:51
A few years ago,
I started researching the Klan,
I started researching the Klan,
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Hace unos años comencé
a investigar sobre el Klan,
a investigar sobre el Klan,
01:53
the three distinct waves of the Klan,
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sobre sus tres encarnaciones
01:56
the second one in particular.
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y en particular la segunda.
01:58
The second wave of the Klan
had more than five million active members,
had more than five million active members,
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La segunda encarnación del Klan tuvo
más de 5 millones de miembros activos,
más de 5 millones de miembros activos,
02:03
which was five percent
of the population at the time,
of the population at the time,
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lo cual representaba el 5 %
de la población en ese entonces,
de la población en ese entonces,
02:06
which was also the population
of New York City at the time.
of New York City at the time.
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o la población total
de Nueva York en aquel momento.
de Nueva York en aquel momento.
La fábrica de túnicas del Klan situada
en Buckhead, Georgia, tenía tanta demanda
en Buckhead, Georgia, tenía tanta demanda
02:10
The Klan robe factory in the Buckhead
neighborhood of Georgia was so busy
neighborhood of Georgia was so busy
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02:14
it became a 24-hour factory
to keep up with orders.
to keep up with orders.
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que funcionaba 24 horas para poder
atender a todos los pedidos.
atender a todos los pedidos.
02:18
They kept 20,000 robes on hand at all time
to keep up with the demand.
to keep up with the demand.
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Siempre tenían 20 000 túnicas listas
para poder satisfacer la demanda.
para poder satisfacer la demanda.
02:24
As a collector of artifacts
and as an artist,
and as an artist,
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Como coleccionista de objetos
y como artista
y como artista
02:26
I really wanted a Klan robe
to be part of my collection,
to be part of my collection,
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realmente quería una túnica
del Klan para mi colección
del Klan para mi colección
02:29
because artifacts
and objects tell stories,
and objects tell stories,
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porque los objetos cuentan historias,
02:33
but I really couldn't find one
that was really good quality.
that was really good quality.
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pero no podía conseguir ninguna
que fuera realmente de buena calidad.
que fuera realmente de buena calidad.
02:36
What is a black man to do in America
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¿Qué puede hacer un negro en EE. UU.
02:38
when he can't find the quality
Klan robe that he's looking for?
Klan robe that he's looking for?
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cuando no consigue
una túnica de calidad del Klan?
una túnica de calidad del Klan?
02:41
(Laughter)
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(Risas)
02:45
So I had no other choice.
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No tenía otra opción.
02:47
I decided I was going to make
the best quality Klan robes in America.
the best quality Klan robes in America.
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Me propuse fabricar las mejores
túnicas del Klan en EE. UU.
túnicas del Klan en EE. UU.
02:53
These are not your traditional Klan robes
you would see at any KKK rally.
you would see at any KKK rally.
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Estas no son las tradicionales túnicas
que se ven los actos del KKK.
que se ven los actos del KKK.
02:57
I used kente cloth,
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Usé tejido kente,
02:59
I used camouflage,
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tela de camuflaje,
03:01
spandex, burlap, silks,
satins and different patterns.
satins and different patterns.
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espándex, arpillera, seda, satén,
géneros de distintos estampados.
géneros de distintos estampados.
03:07
I make them for different age groups;
I make them for young kids
I make them for young kids
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Las fabrico para gente de
diferentes edades, jovencitos
diferentes edades, jovencitos
03:10
as well as toddlers.
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e incluso niños pequeños.
03:12
I even made one for an infant.
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Hasta hice una túnica para bebé.
Después de fabricar tantas
túnicas me di cuenta
túnicas me di cuenta
03:19
After making so many robes,
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03:21
I realized that the policies
the Klan had in place
the Klan had in place
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de que las políticas que el Klan promovía
03:25
or wanted to have in place
a hundred years ago
a hundred years ago
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o que ellos querían
implementar cien años atrás
implementar cien años atrás
03:28
are in place today.
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existen hoy en día.
03:30
We have segregated schools,
neighborhoods, workplaces,
neighborhoods, workplaces,
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Tenemos escuelas, vecindarios y sitios
de trabajos segregados racialmente
de trabajos segregados racialmente
03:35
and it's not the people wearing hoods
that are keeping these policies in place.
that are keeping these policies in place.
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pero quienes mantienen vivas estas
políticas no llevan estas capuchas.
políticas no llevan estas capuchas.
Mi trabajo tiene que ver con el impacto
de la esclavitud a largo plazo.
de la esclavitud a largo plazo.
03:41
My work is about
the long-term impact of slavery.
the long-term impact of slavery.
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03:44
We're not just dealing
with the residue of systemic racism.
with the residue of systemic racism.
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No solo estamos lidiando
con los restos de un racismo sistémico.
con los restos de un racismo sistémico.
03:47
It's the basis
of every single thing we do.
of every single thing we do.
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Es la base de todo lo que hacemos.
03:50
Again we have intentionally
segregated neighborhoods,
segregated neighborhoods,
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Otra vez estamos segregando
intencionalmente vecindarios,
intencionalmente vecindarios,
03:53
workplaces and schools.
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sitios de trabajo y escuelas.
03:56
We have voter suppression.
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Suprimimos a los votantes.
03:57
We have disproportionate representation
of minorities incarcerated.
of minorities incarcerated.
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Hay una representación desproporcionada
de minorías en las cárceles.
de minorías en las cárceles.
04:03
We have environmental racism.
We have police brutality.
We have police brutality.
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Tenemos racismo ambiental,
brutalidad policial.
brutalidad policial.
04:08
I brought you a few things today.
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Les traje un par de cosas hoy.
04:13
The stealth aspect of racism
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La naturaleza encubierta del racismo
04:16
is part of its power.
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es parte de su poder.
04:19
When you're discriminated against,
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Cuando eres discriminado
04:21
you can't always prove
you're being discriminated against.
you're being discriminated against.
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no siempre puedes demostrar
que te están discriminando.
que te están discriminando.
04:25
Racism has the power to hide,
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El racismo tiene el poder de esconderse,
04:28
and when it hides, it's kept safe
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y cuando se esconde está seguro
04:31
because it blends in.
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porque no se nota.
04:34
I created this robe to illustrate that.
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Hice esta túnica para ilustrar esta idea.
04:38
The basis of capitalism
in America is slavery.
in America is slavery.
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La base del capitalismo
en EE. UU. es la esclavitud.
en EE. UU. es la esclavitud.
04:46
Slaves were the capital in capitalism.
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Los esclavos fueron
el capital del capitalismo.
el capital del capitalismo.
04:50
The first Grand Wizard in 1868,
Nathan Bedford Forrest,
Nathan Bedford Forrest,
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El primer líder oficial del KKK
en 1868, Nathan Bedford Forrest,
en 1868, Nathan Bedford Forrest,
04:54
was a Confederate soldier
and a millionaire slave trader.
and a millionaire slave trader.
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era un soldado de la Confederación
que se enriqueció con la trata de esclavos.
que se enriqueció con la trata de esclavos.
05:07
The wealth that was created
from chattel slavery --
from chattel slavery --
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La riqueza como producto de la esclavitud,
05:10
that's slaves as property --
would boggle the mind.
would boggle the mind.
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de tratar al esclavo
como propiedad, era increíble.
como propiedad, era increíble.
05:14
Cotton sales alone in 1860
equalled 200 million dollars.
equalled 200 million dollars.
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Solo la venta de algodón en 1860
equivalía a USD 200 millones.
equivalía a USD 200 millones.
05:18
That would equal
five billion dollars today.
five billion dollars today.
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Hoy en día eso equivale
a USD 5 mil millones.
a USD 5 mil millones.
05:23
A lot of that wealth can be seen today
through generational wealth.
through generational wealth.
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Gran parte de la riqueza
que vemos hoy es riqueza heredada.
que vemos hoy es riqueza heredada.
05:28
Oh, I forgot the other crops as well.
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Ah, y se me olvidaban los otros productos.
05:30
You have indigo, rice and tobacco.
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Tenemos índigo, arroz y tabaco.
05:38
In 2015, I made one robe a week
for the entire year.
for the entire year.
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En el 2015 fabriqué una túnica
a la semana durante todo el año.
a la semana durante todo el año.
05:43
After making 75 robes, I had an epiphany.
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Después de fabricar 75 túnicas
tuve una revelación.
tuve una revelación.
05:45
I have a realization
that white supremacy is there,
that white supremacy is there,
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Me di cuenta de que existe
la supremacía blanca,
la supremacía blanca,
05:51
but the biggest force
of white supremacy is not the KKK,
of white supremacy is not the KKK,
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pero su mayor promotora no es el KKK
05:55
it's the normalization of systemic racism.
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sino la normalización
del racismo sistémico.
del racismo sistémico.
05:59
There was something else I realized.
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También me di cuenta de algo más.
06:01
The robes had no more power
over me at all.
over me at all.
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Las túnicas ya no tienen
el poder de afectarme.
el poder de afectarme.
06:05
But if we as a people collectively
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Pero si nosotros, como sociedad,
06:09
look at these objects --
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analizamos estos objetos,
06:11
branding irons, shackles, robes --
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hierros de marcar, grilletes, túnicas,
06:13
and realize that they
are part of our history,
are part of our history,
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y aceptamos que son
parte de nuestra historia,
parte de nuestra historia,
06:16
we can find a way to where they have
no more power over us.
no more power over us.
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entonces lograremos evitar
que su poder nos afecte.
que su poder nos afecte.
06:21
If we look at systemic racism
and acknowledge
and acknowledge
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Si analizamos el racismo sistémico
y reconocemos que está arraigado
en nuestra identidad como país,
en nuestra identidad como país,
06:26
that it's sown into the very fabric
of who we are as a country,
of who we are as a country,
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06:31
then we can actually do something
about the intentional segregation
about the intentional segregation
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entonces podremos hacer algo
sobre la segregación racial intencional
sobre la segregación racial intencional
06:35
in our schools,
neighborhoods and workplaces.
neighborhoods and workplaces.
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en nuestras escuelas,
vecindarios y sitios de trabajo.
vecindarios y sitios de trabajo.
06:40
But then and only then
can we actually address
can we actually address
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Solo entonces podremos realmente abordar
06:43
and confront this legacy of slavery
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y afrontar el legado de la esclavitud
06:45
and dismantle this ugly legacy of slavery.
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y desmantelar este horrible legado.
06:49
Thank you very much.
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Muchas gracias.
06:50
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Paul Rucker - Visual artist, cellistPaul Rucker creates art that explores issues related to mass incarceration, racially-motivated violence, police brutality and the continuing impact of slavery in the US.
Why you should listen
Paul Rucker is a visual artist, composer, and musician who often combines media, integrating live performance, sound, original compositions and visual art. His work is the product of a rich interactive process, through which he investigates community impacts, human rights issues, historical research and basic human emotions surrounding particular subject matter. Much of his current work focuses on the Prison Industrial Complex and the many issues accompanying incarceration in its relationship to slavery. He has presented performances and visual art exhibitions across the country and has collaborated with educational institutions to address the issue of mass incarceration. Presentations have taken place in schools, active prisons and also inactive prisons such as Alcatraz.
His largest installation to date, REWIND, garnered praise from Baltimore Magazine awarding Rucker "Best Artist 2015." Additionally, REWIND received "Best Solo Show 2015" and "#1 Art Show of 2015" from Baltimore City Paper, reviews by The Huffington Post, Artnet News, Washington Post, The Root and The Real News Network. Rucker has received numerous grants, awards and residencies for visual art and music. He is a 2012 Creative Capital Grantee in visual art as well as a 2014 and 2018 MAP (Multi-Arts Production) Fund Grantee for performance. In 2015 he received a prestigious Joan Mitchell Painters & Sculptors Grant as well as the Mary Sawyer Baker Award. In 2016 Paul received the Rauschenberg Artist as Activist fellowship and the Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship, for which he is the first artist in residence at the new National Museum of African American Culture.
Residencies include MacDowell Colony, Blue Mountain Center, Ucross Foundation, Art OMI, Banff Centre, Pilchuck Glass School, Rauschenberg Residency, Joan Mitchell Residency, Hemera Artist Retreat, Air Serembe, Creative Alliance and the Rockefeller Foundation Study Center in Bellagio, Italy. In 2013-2015, he was the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation Artist in Residence and Research Fellow at the Maryland Institute College of Art. He was most recently awarded a 2017 John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, a 2018 TED Fellowship and the 2018 Arts Innovator Award from the Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation and Artist Trust. Rucker is an iCubed Visiting Arts Fellow embedded at the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Rucker's latest work, Storm in the Time of Shelter, an installation of 52 custom Ku Klux Klan robes and related artifacts, is featured in the exhibition "Declaration," on view at the new Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia through September 9, 2018.
Paul Rucker | Speaker | TED.com