TED@NYC
Clint Smith: The danger of silence
Filmed:
Readability: 3.7
5,033,082 views
"We spend so much time listening to the things people are saying that we rarely pay attention to the things they don't," says poet and teacher Clint Smith. A short, powerful piece from the heart, about finding the courage to speak up against ignorance and injustice.
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
0
1100
1650
Dokta. Martin Luther King Jr.
00:14
in a 1968 speech where he reflects
upon the Civil Rights Movement,
upon the Civil Rights Movement,
1
2750
3886
mnamo mwaka 1968 katika hotuba yake akiongelea haki za kiraia
00:18
states, "In the end,
2
6636
2694
alisema," Wakati wa mwisho,
00:21
we will remember not the words of our enemies
3
9330
3083
hatutakumbuka maneno ya adui zetu
00:24
but the silence of our friends."
4
12413
2867
bali tutakumbuka ukimya wa marafiki zetu"
00:27
As a teacher, I've internalized this message.
5
15280
2520
Kama mwalimu, nimetazama ujumbe huu kiundani.
00:30
Every day, all around us,
6
17800
1980
Kila,miongoni mwetu,
00:31
we see the consequences of silence
7
19780
1676
tunayaona madhara ya ukimya
00:33
manifest themselves in the form of discrimination,
8
21456
2437
yakijionyesha katika hali ya kutengwa,
00:36
violence, genocide and war.
9
23893
3808
vurugu,mauaji ya kimbari na vita.
00:39
In the classroom, I challenge my students
10
27701
2196
Darasani, huwa nawapa changamoto wanafunzi wangu
00:42
to explore the silences in their own lives
11
29897
2431
kuchunguza ukimya uliopo katika maisha yao
00:44
through poetry.
12
32328
1850
kupitia ushairi
00:46
We work together to fill those spaces,
13
34178
1852
Tunafanya kazi pamoja kuziba mapengo,
00:48
to recognize them, to name them,
14
36030
3278
kuweza kutambua,kupatia majina,
00:51
to understand that they don't
have to be sources of shame.
have to be sources of shame.
15
39308
3432
kuelewa kwamba hawahitaji kuwa chanzo cha aibu.
00:54
In an effort to create a culture within my classroom
16
42740
2463
Katika juhudi za kutengeneza utamaduni katika darasa langu
00:57
where students feel safe sharing the intimacies
17
45203
2098
ambapo wanafunzi hujisikia salama kusema yale yaliyo ndani ya mioyo yao
00:59
of their own silences,
18
47301
1834
katika ukimya wao
01:01
I have four core principles posted on the board
19
49135
2081
Nina kanuni nne kuu nilizozibandika ukutani
01:03
that sits in the front of my class,
20
51216
2093
mbele ya darasa langu,
01:05
which every student signs
at the beginning of the year:
at the beginning of the year:
21
53309
3061
ambapo kila mwanafunzi hutia saini mwanzo wa mwaka.
01:08
read critically, write consciously,
22
56370
2173
kusoma kwa makini,kuandika kwa utambuzi,
01:10
speak clearly, tell your truth.
23
58543
3865
kuongea kwa ufasaha,kusema ukweli.
01:14
And I find myself thinking a lot about that last point,
24
62408
2564
Ninajikuta ninawaza sana kuhusu pointi ya mwisho,
01:17
tell your truth.
25
64972
1899
kusema ukweli wako.
01:19
And I realized that
26
66871
1794
Nikatambua ya kwamba
01:20
if I was going to ask my students to speak up,
27
68665
2211
kama ningewaambia wanafunzi wangu waongee,
01:23
I was going to have to tell my truth
28
70876
2138
Nilitakiwa kusema ukweli wangu
01:25
and be honest with them about the times
29
73014
2266
na kuwa mkweli kuhusu nyakati
01:27
where I failed to do so.
30
75280
1568
nilizowahi shindwa kufanya hivyo.
01:29
So I tell them that growing up,
31
76848
2060
Huwa nawaambia kwamba kukua,
01:31
as a kid in a Catholic family in New Orleans,
32
78908
2668
katika familia ya Kikatoliki jiji la New Orleans,
01:33
during Lent I was always taught
33
81576
2862
wakati wa majivu nilikuwa siku zote nikifundishwa
01:36
that the most meaningful thing one could do
34
84438
1808
kwamba kitu cha maaana ambacho mtu anaweza kufanya
01:38
was to give something up,
35
86246
1542
ni kutoa kitu kwa wengine,
01:39
sacrifice something you typically indulge in
36
87788
2292
kutoa sadaka kwa kile unachokijali sana
01:42
to prove to God you understand his sanctity.
37
90080
2399
kudhihirisha kwa Mungu kwamba unaelewa wema wake.
01:44
I've given up soda, McDonald's, French fries,
38
92479
2802
Nimetoa soda,McDonald's,French fries,
01:47
French kisses, and everything in between.
39
95281
2902
Busu, na kila kitu.
01:50
But one year, I gave up speaking.
40
98183
3888
Lakini mwaka fulani, nilitoa sauti yangu.
01:54
I figured the most valuable thing I could sacrifice
41
102071
2603
Nilitambua ya kuwa kitu pekee cha maana sana ambacho ningetoa kama sadaka
01:56
was my own voice, but it was like I hadn't realized
42
104674
3701
ilikuwa ni sauti yangu,lakini ilikuwa kama sijatambua
02:00
that I had given that up a long time ago.
43
108375
2911
kama nilishawahi kutoa muda mrefu sana uliopita.
02:03
I spent so much of my life
44
111286
1819
Nimetumia muda wangu mwingi katika maisha
02:05
telling people the things they wanted to hear
45
113105
2177
kuwaambia watu vitu walivyotaka kusikia
02:07
instead of the things they needed to,
46
115282
1476
badala ya vitu walivyovihitaji,
02:08
told myself I wasn't meant to be anyone's conscience
47
116758
2416
nikaiambia nafsi yangu sikuhitajika kuwa dhamira ya mtu yoyote
02:11
because I still had to figure out being my own,
48
119174
2295
kwa sababu natakiwa kutambua kuwa mwenyewe,
02:13
so sometimes I just wouldn't say anything,
49
121469
3232
kwa hivyo muda mwingine siwezi sema chochote,
02:16
appeasing ignorance with my silence,
50
124701
2449
kuukubali ujinga kwa ukimya wangu,
02:19
unaware that validation doesn't need words
51
127150
2397
bila kujua ya kwamba ukweli hauhitaji maneno
02:21
to endorse its existence.
52
129547
1620
ili kusaidia uwepo wake.
02:23
When Christian was beat up for being gay,
53
131167
1788
Wakistro walipopigwa kwa kuwa mashoga,
02:25
I put my hands in my pocket
54
132955
1268
Niliweka mikono yangu mfukoni
02:26
and walked with my head
down as if I didn't even notice.
down as if I didn't even notice.
55
134223
2777
na nikaondoka kichwa chini kama vile sijaona kilichotokea.
02:29
I couldn't use my locker for weeks
because the bolt on the lock
because the bolt on the lock
56
137000
2535
Sikutumia kabati langu kwa wiki kadhaa kwa sababu bolt katika kufuli
02:31
reminded me of the one I had put on my lips
57
139535
2261
inanikumbusha kama ile niliyoweka katika mdomo wangu
02:33
when the homeless man on the corner
58
141796
1744
wakati mwanaume mmoja asiye na sehemu ya kuishi
02:35
looked at me with eyes up merely searching
59
143540
1780
aliponiangalia kwa macho ya kuonyesha ya kuashiria
02:37
for an affirmation that he was worth seeing.
60
145320
2182
anahitaji nimuangalie.
02:39
I was more concerned with
touching the screen on my Apple
touching the screen on my Apple
61
147502
2105
Nilijali sana kutumia kifaa changu cha kielectroniki cha Apple
02:41
than actually feeding him one.
62
149607
1563
kuliko kumlisha mtu yule asiye na makazi.
02:43
When the woman at the fundraising gala
63
151170
1687
Pale mwanamke mmoja katika tafrija ya kuchangisha harambee
02:45
said "I'm so proud of you.
64
152857
1192
aliposema"Ninajisikia fahari sana kwako"
02:46
It must be so hard teaching
those poor, unintelligent kids,"
those poor, unintelligent kids,"
65
154049
3071
Itakuwa ngumu sana kufundisha
02:49
I bit my lip, because apparently
we needed her money
we needed her money
66
157120
2599
Niling'ata mdomo wangu,kwa sababu muda huo tulikuwa tukihitaji mchango wake
02:51
more than my students needed their dignity.
67
159719
1980
zaidi ya wanafunzi wanavyohitaji heshima yao.
02:53
We spend so much time
68
161699
1941
Tunatumia muda mwingi
02:55
listening to the things people are saying
69
163640
3900
kusikiliza vitu ambavyo watu wanasema
02:59
that we rarely pay attention to the things they don't.
70
167540
3338
lakini hatutilii maanani katika vitu ambavyo hawasemi.
03:03
Silence is the residue of fear.
71
170878
3261
Ukimya ni mabaki ya uoga.
03:06
It is feeling your flaws
72
174139
1550
Ni hali ya kuhisi mapungufu yako
03:07
gut-wrench guillotine your tongue.
73
175689
1926
yakinyonga ulimi wako.
03:09
It is the air retreating from your chest
74
177615
1822
Hewa inatoka katika kifua chako
03:11
because it doesn't feel safe in your lungs.
75
179437
1992
kwa sababu inahisi haipo salama katika mapafu yako.
03:13
Silence is Rwandan genocide. Silence is Katrina.
76
181429
3124
Ukimya ni sawa na mauaji ya kimbari ya Rwanda. Ukimya ni kimbunga cha Katrina.
03:16
It is what you hear when there
aren't enough body bags left.
aren't enough body bags left.
77
184553
3108
Ni kile unachosikia pale mifuko ya maiti inapokuwa imeisha.
03:19
It is the sound after the noose is already tied.
78
187661
2401
Ni sauti unayosikia pale kamba inapokazwa.
03:22
It is charring. It is chains. It is privilege. It is pain.
79
190062
3347
Ni minyororo,kipaumbele na maumivu.
03:25
There is no time to pick your battles
80
193409
1755
Hakuna muda wa kuchagua mpambano wako
03:27
when your battles have already picked you.
81
195164
1733
wakati ambapo mpambano umeisha kuchagua
03:29
I will not let silence wrap itself around my indecision.
82
196897
3063
Sitaruhusu ukimya unizunguke pale ambapo ninakosa kipi cha kuamua.
03:32
I will tell Christian that he is a lion,
83
199960
1967
Nitamuambia mkristo kwamba yeye ni simba,
03:34
a sanctuary of bravery and brilliance.
84
201927
2360
hifadhi takatifu ya ushujaa na makini.
03:36
I will ask that homeless man what his name is
85
204287
2396
Nitamuuliza yule mtu asiye na makazi jina lake ni nani
03:38
and how his day was, because sometimes
86
206683
1710
na siku yake ilikuwaje, kwa sababu nyakati zingine
03:40
all people want to be is human.
87
208393
1947
watu wote wanataka kuwa wanadamu.
03:42
I will tell that woman that my students can talk about
88
210340
2486
Nitamwambia yule mwanamke kwamba wanafunzi wangu wanaweza kuongelea
03:45
transcendentalism like their last name was Thoreau,
89
212826
2565
kwenda mbali zaidi kama vile jina lao la mwisho ni Thoreau,
03:47
and just because you watched
one episode of "The Wire"
one episode of "The Wire"
90
215391
2035
na kwa sababu umeangalia sehemu moja ya kipindi cha "The Wire"
03:49
doesn't mean you know anything about my kids.
91
217426
2239
haimaanishi kwamba unajua chochote kuhusu watoto wangu.
03:51
So this year,
92
219665
1673
Mwaka huu,
03:53
instead of giving something up,
93
221338
2147
badala ya kutoa kitu,
03:55
I will live every day as if there were a microphone
94
223485
2412
Nitaishi kila siku kama vile kuna kipaza sauti
03:58
tucked under my tongue,
95
225897
1923
kilichofungwa chini ya ulimi wangu,
04:00
a stage on the underside of my inhibition.
96
227820
4005
jukwaa chini ya nilipo.
04:04
Because who has to have a soapbox
97
231825
2143
Nani anatakiwa kuwa juu
04:06
when all you've ever needed is your voice?
98
233968
4239
wakati mnachohitaji ni sauti zenu?
04:10
Thank you.
99
238207
2505
Asante.
04:12
(Applause)
100
240712
4000
(Makofi)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Clint Smith - Poet, educatorClint Smith's work blends art and activism.
Why you should listen
Clint Smith is a writer, teacher and doctoral candidate at Harvard University studying education, incarceration and inequality. Previously, he taught high school English in Prince George’s County, Maryland where, in 2013, he was named the Christine D. Sarbanes Teacher of the Year by the Maryland Humanities Council.
Clint is a 2014 National Poetry Slam champion, an Individual World Poetry Slam Finalist, and author of the poetry collection Counting Descent. He has received fellowships from the National Science Foundation, Cave Canem and the Callaloo Creative Writing Workshop. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Guardian, Boston Review, American Poetry Review, Harvard Educational Review and elsewhere. He was born and raised in New Orleans, LA.
Clint Smith | Speaker | TED.com