TED Residency
Marlon Peterson: Am I not human? A call for criminal justice reform
马龙·彼得森: 难道我不是人吗？刑事司法改革势在必行
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马龙·彼得森在20多岁时犯了罪，被法院判处监禁10年，他说，他的生命顿时失去了意义。彼得森在服刑期间参加了一项指导计划，与来自布鲁克林的学生通信，让他找到了救赎。他在这场演讲中勇敢地提醒我们，为什么我们还是应该投资在那些被社会忽视和抛弃的人的人性上。
Marlon Peterson - Human justice advocate
Marlon Peterson is a writer, youth development expert and human justice advocate. Full bio
Marlon Peterson is a writer, youth development expert and human justice advocate. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
She wrote:
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她写道：
“我成名后，就会告诉所有人，
00:14
"When I become famous,
I will tell everyone
I will tell everyone
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00:17
that I know a hero named Marlon Peterson."
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我认识一位名叫马龙·彼得森的英雄。”
00:20
Heroes rarely look like me.
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英雄很少长得像我这样。
00:22
In fact,
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事实上，
00:24
I'm what garbage looks like.
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我的模样像极了垃圾。
00:26
No, not the most appealing
way to open a talk
way to open a talk
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不，以这样的方式开始演讲或对话
是毫无吸引力的。
是毫无吸引力的。
00:29
or start a conversation,
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00:30
and perhaps you have some questions
going through your head about that.
going through your head about that.
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也许你心里正在纳闷着：
00:34
Why would this man say
such a thing about himself?
such a thing about himself?
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这个人怎么会这样说自己呢？
00:36
What does he mean?
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他这么说是什么意思呢？
00:38
How can someone view him as a hero
when he sees himself as garbage?
when he sees himself as garbage?
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他把自己看作是垃圾，别人怎么会
把他视为英雄呢？
把他视为英雄呢？
00:43
I believe we learn more from questions
than we do from answers.
than we do from answers.
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我相信，问题比起答案能让
我们学到更多。
我们学到更多。
00:46
Because when we're questioning something,
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因为当我们在质疑某件事时，
00:48
we're invested in taking in
some sort of new information,
some sort of new information,
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我们就是在为学习一些新信息
进行投资，
进行投资，
或者因为某种无知带来的不安而挣扎。
00:52
or grappling with some sort of ignorance
that makes us feel uncomfortable.
that makes us feel uncomfortable.
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00:56
And that's why I'm here:
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这就是我站在这里的原因：
00:58
to push us to question,
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我要鼓励我们发问，
即使是在发问令我们感到不安的时候。
00:59
even when it makes us uncomfortable.
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01:02
My parents are from Trinidad and Tobago,
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我的父母来自特立尼达和多巴哥，
01:05
the southernmost island in the Caribbean.
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它是加勒比海最南端的岛屿。
01:07
Trinidad is also home
to the only acoustic instrument
to the only acoustic instrument
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唯一一个在20世纪发明的原声乐器
也来自此地：
也来自此地：
01:10
invented in the 20th century:
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这个乐器就是钢鼓。
01:12
the steel pan.
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01:14
Deriving from the African drums
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它由非洲鼓衍生而来，
01:16
and evolving from the genius
of one of the ghettos in Trinidad,
of one of the ghettos in Trinidad,
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是由特立尼达某个贫民区的聪明人
改进而来的。
改进而来的。
01:20
a city called Laventille,
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这个地方是一个叫做拉芬蒂勒的城市，
还有美国军方对我们的漠视...
01:21
and the disregard
of the American military ...
of the American military ...
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01:25
Well, I should tell you,
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我应该告诉你，
01:26
America, during WWII, had
military bases set up in Trinidad,
military bases set up in Trinidad,
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在二战时期，美国在特立尼达
设立了军事基地。
设立了军事基地。
01:30
and when the war ended,
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战争结束后，
他们把空油桶丢弃在全岛各地——
01:31
they left the island littered
with empty oil drums --
with empty oil drums --
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01:35
their trash.
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也就是他们的垃圾。
01:36
So people from Laventille
repurposed the old drums left behind
repurposed the old drums left behind
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于是，拉芬蒂勒人将这些被遗留下来的
旧油桶重新使用，
旧油桶重新使用，
01:41
into the full chromatic scale:
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用在整个伴音音阶上：
钢鼓就诞生了。
01:43
the steel pan.
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01:45
Playing music now from Beethoven
to Bob Marley to 50 Cent,
to Bob Marley to 50 Cent,
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他们用钢鼓弹奏贝多芬、鲍勃·马利、
50 Cent的音乐，
50 Cent的音乐，
01:49
those people literally made
music out of garbage.
music out of garbage.
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可说是利用垃圾来制作音乐。
01:54
Twelve days before my 20th birthday,
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我20岁生日前的12天，
01:57
I was arrested for my role
in a violent robbery attempt
in a violent robbery attempt
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我在曼哈顿下城试图暴力抢劫，
结果被捕。
结果被捕。
02:01
in lower Manhattan.
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02:03
While people were sitting
in a coffee shop,
in a coffee shop,
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当时人们坐在咖啡厅里，
02:06
four people were shot.
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四个人被枪击。
02:09
Two were killed.
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两个人遭杀害。
02:11
Five of us were arrested.
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我们五人被逮捕。
02:14
We were all the products
of Trinidad and Tobago.
of Trinidad and Tobago.
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我们都是特立尼达和多巴哥的产物。
02:16
We were the "bad immigrants,"
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我们是“坏移民”，是“下锚婴儿“
（母亲非法入境美国后产下的孩子），
（母亲非法入境美国后产下的孩子），
02:18
or the "anchor babies" that Trump
and millions of Americans easily malign.
and millions of Americans easily malign.
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特朗普与数百万美国人总爱污蔑我们。
02:23
I was discarded, like waste material --
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我就像废料一样被丢弃——
02:26
and justifiably so to many.
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许多人认为这是应该的。
最终，我坐了10年2个月又7天的监狱。
02:29
I eventually served 10 years, two months
and seven days of a prison sentence.
and seven days of a prison sentence.
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02:34
I was sentenced to a decade of punishment
in a correctional institution.
in a correctional institution.
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我被判在一个惩教机构服刑10年，
02:39
I was sentenced to irrelevance --
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生命失去了意义，
人性被剥夺。
02:42
the opposite of humanity.
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02:45
Interestingly,
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有趣的是，
02:46
it was during those years in prison
that a series of letters redeemed me,
that a series of letters redeemed me,
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正是在坐牢的那些年里
我被一系列信件救赎，
我被一系列信件救赎，
02:51
helped me move beyond
the darkness and the guilt
the darkness and the guilt
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它们让我克服了我在年少时
最糟糕时期
最糟糕时期
02:54
associated with the worst
moment of my young life.
moment of my young life.
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所经历的黑暗与愧疚。
02:58
It gave me a sense that I was useful.
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这些信件让我感觉到我还是有用的。
03:00
She was 13 years old.
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她当年13岁。
03:03
She had wrote that she saw me as a hero.
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她写说，她把我看作是英雄。
03:06
I remember reading that,
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我还记得，我读这封信的时候，
03:07
and I remember crying
when I read those words.
when I read those words.
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看到了这些话，哭泣了起来。
03:11
She was one of over 50 students
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我在一项指导通信计划中给50多名
学生写了150封信件，
学生写了150封信件，
03:13
and 150 letters that I wrote during
a mentoring correspondence program
a mentoring correspondence program
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她就是其中一名学生，
03:17
that I co-designed with a friend
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这个计划是我和朋友联合设计的，
03:19
who was a teacher
at a middle school in Brooklyn,
at a middle school in Brooklyn,
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他是我的家乡布鲁克林一间中学的教师。
03:21
my hometown.
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03:23
We called it the Young Scholars Program.
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我们把计划称为“年轻学者计划”。
03:25
Every time those young people
shared their stories with me,
shared their stories with me,
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每当这些年轻人与我分享
他们的故事，
他们的故事，
他们的挣扎，
03:29
their struggles,
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03:31
every time they drew a picture
of their favorite cartoon character
of their favorite cartoon character
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每当他们画了自己喜欢的卡通人物，
03:35
and sent it to me,
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把图画寄给我的时候，
每当他们说，他们依赖我的信件
或者忠告的时候，
或者忠告的时候，
03:36
every time they said they depended
on my letters or my words of advice,
on my letters or my words of advice,
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我的自我价值感就会提高。
03:40
it boosted my sense of worthiness.
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03:43
It gave me a sense of what
I could contribute to this planet.
I could contribute to this planet.
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这让我感受到了我可以为
这个世界做出的贡献。
这个世界做出的贡献。
03:47
It transformed my life.
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这改变了我的生命。
03:49
Because of those letters
and what they shared with me,
and what they shared with me,
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因为这些信件，
因为他们与我分享自己青少年时期
的生活故事，
的生活故事，
03:52
their stories of teen life,
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他们允许了我，
03:54
they gave me the permission,
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03:56
they gave me the courage
to admit to myself
to admit to myself
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让我有勇气对自己承认，
有原因——而不是借口——
03:58
that there were reasons -- not excuses --
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可以解释1999年10月的那一天所发生的事；
04:01
but that there were reasons
for that fateful day in October of 1999;
for that fateful day in October of 1999;
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04:06
that the trauma associated
with living in a community
with living in a community
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在一个枪比运动鞋更容易取得
的社区里生活所带来的创伤；
的社区里生活所带来的创伤；
04:09
where guns are easier
to get than sneakers;
to get than sneakers;
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04:12
that the trauma associated with being
raped at gunpoint at the age of 14;
raped at gunpoint at the age of 14;
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14岁那年被人持枪强奸所导致的创伤；
04:19
that those are reasons for me
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这些理由解释了我为什么做出了这个决定，
04:22
why making that decision,
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这个致命的决定，
04:24
that fatal decision,
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这种说法不是不可能成立的。
04:25
was not an unlikely proposition.
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04:28
Because those letters
mattered so much to me,
mattered so much to me,
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这些信件对我非常重要，
04:30
because writing and receiving
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给这些人写信、收到他们的信
与这些人沟通
与这些人沟通
04:32
and having that communication
with those folks
with those folks
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04:34
so hugely impacted my life,
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大大地影响了我的生活，
04:36
I decided to share the opportunity
with some friends of mine
with some friends of mine
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于是我决定与监狱里的一些朋友
分享这个机会。
分享这个机会。
04:39
who were also inside with me.
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我的朋友比尔、科里、阿洛克斯，
04:40
My friends Bill and Cory and Arocks,
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04:42
all in prison for violent crimes also,
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他们也因为犯了暴力罪行而入狱。
04:44
shared their words of wisdom
with the young people as well,
with the young people as well,
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他们也与年轻人分享了他们的智慧，
也因此得到了意义感。
04:47
and received the sense
of relevancy in return.
of relevancy in return.
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04:50
We are now published writers
and youth program innovators
and youth program innovators
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现在，我们都出过书，也是青年人计划创新者
04:53
and trauma experts
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也是创伤专家，
也是预防枪支暴力倡导者，
04:55
and gun violence prevention advocates,
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也是TED演讲者，
04:57
and TED talkers and --
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（笑声）
04:58
(Laughter)
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也是好父亲。
04:59
and good daddies.
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这才叫做正面投资回报。
05:01
That's what I call a positive
return of investment.
return of investment.
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05:04
Above all else,
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最重要的是，
05:05
what building that program
taught me was that when we sow,
taught me was that when we sow,
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我在建立这项计划时学到，
当我们进行耕耘
投资在各种处境的人的人性上，
投资在各种处境的人的人性上，
05:09
when we invest in the humanity
of people no matter where they're at,
of people no matter where they're at,
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我们就可能得到巨大的收获。
05:13
we can reap amazing rewards.
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05:16
In this latest era
of criminal justice reform,
of criminal justice reform,
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在刑事司法改革的这个新时代里，
05:19
I often question and wonder why --
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我经常会问自己——
为什么有那么多人相信，
05:22
why is it that so many believe
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05:24
that only those who have been convicted
of nonviolent drug offenses
of nonviolent drug offenses
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只有那些犯过非暴力毒品罪的人
才是值得同情、还存在人性的呢？
05:28
merit empathy and recognized humanity?
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05:33
Criminal justice reform is human justice.
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刑事司法改革是人类的正义。
05:35
Am I not human?
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难道我不是人吗？
05:38
When we invest in resources
that amplify the relevancy of people
that amplify the relevancy of people
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当我们投资在
增加人们意义感的资源上，
增加人们意义感的资源上，
05:43
in communities like Laventille
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在拉芬蒂勒这样的社区，
布鲁克林的一些地区，
或者离你不远的贫民区的时候，
或者离你不远的贫民区的时候，
05:44
or parts of Brooklyn or a ghetto near you,
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05:47
we can literally create
the communities that we want.
the communities that we want.
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我们就可以真正创造我们所要的社区。
05:50
We can do better.
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我们可以做得更好。
05:51
We can do better than investing solely
in law enforcement as a resource,
in law enforcement as a resource,
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比起只把执法当成是资源来投资，
因为这些无法给我们意义感，
05:55
because they don't give us
a sense of relevancy
a sense of relevancy
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05:58
that is at the core of why so many of us
do so many harmful things
do so many harmful things
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而我们许多人正是为了追求意义感，
才会做出那么多有害的事。
06:01
in the pursuit of mattering.
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06:05
See, gun violence is just a visible
display of a lot of underlying traumas.
display of a lot of underlying traumas.
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枪支暴力只不过是许多
隐藏创伤的表现。
隐藏创伤的表现。
06:10
When we invest in the redemptive
value of relevancy,
value of relevancy,
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当我们向意义感的救赎价值投资时，
06:13
we can render a return of both
personal responsibility and healing.
personal responsibility and healing.
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我们就可以再次为自己负责
再次得到治愈。
再次得到治愈。
06:18
That's the people work I care about,
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这就是我所关心的人际工作，
06:20
because people work.
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因为人是有用的。
06:23
Family, I'm asking you
to do the hard work,
to do the hard work,
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家人们，我请求你们去做一些
艰苦的工作，
艰苦的工作，
困难的工作，
06:27
the difficult work,
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令人难受的工作，
06:28
the churning work of bestowing
undeserved kindness
undeserved kindness
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把善心给那些我们认为不配的人，
06:31
upon those who we can relegate as garbage,
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给那些我们可能视为垃圾的人，
给这些我们很容易忽略、抛弃的人。
06:34
who we can disregard and discard easily.
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06:37
I'm asking myself.
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我在问自己。
06:39
Over the past two months,
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过去的两个月，
我的两个朋友因为枪支暴力失去性命，
06:41
I've lost two friends to gun violence,
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06:44
both innocent bystanders.
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他们都是无辜的旁人。
06:46
One was caught in a drive-by
while walking home.
while walking home.
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一个在走路回家时遭到行车枪击，
06:51
The other was sitting in a café
while eating breakfast,
while eating breakfast,
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另一个遇害时正坐在咖啡厅吃早餐，
他当时在迈亚密度假。
06:54
while on vacation in Miami.
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06:57
I'm asking myself to see
the redemptive value of relevancy
the redemptive value of relevancy
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我要求自己在谋杀了我的朋友的人身上
看到意义感的救赎价值。
07:01
in the people that murdered them,
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07:03
because of the hard work
of seeing the value in me.
of seeing the value in me.
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因为别人在我身上，
看到这种价值是很困难的。
看到这种价值是很困难的。
我要鼓励大家
07:06
I'm pushing us to challenge
our own capacity
our own capacity
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挑战自己完全体验自身人性的能力，
07:11
to fully experience our humanity,
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了解那些我们可能选择
视而不见的人的全部经历，
视而不见的人的全部经历，
07:13
by understanding the full biography
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07:15
of people who we can
easily choose not to see,
easily choose not to see,
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07:19
because heroes are waiting
to be recognized,
to be recognized,
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因为英雄是等着被认可的。
音乐是等着被创造出来的。
07:23
and music is waiting to be made.
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Thank you.
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谢谢。
（掌声）
07:27
(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Marlon Peterson - Human justice advocateMarlon Peterson is a writer, youth development expert and human justice advocate.
Why you should listen
Marlon Peterson is the host of the podcast, Decarcerated, which highlights the journeys of resilience, redemption and success of formerly incarcerated people.
Since his release from prison in 2009, after serving 10 years, Peterson has spearheaded the creation of two youth development programs in New York City, How Our Lives Link Altogether (H.O.L.L.A!) and Youth Organizing to Save Our Streets (YO SOS). With a focus on gun violence prevention and youth advocacy, both programs have provided programming for hundreds of young people.
In 2015 Peterson left his full-time work in the nonprofit sector to create The Precedential Group, a social justice consultancy that works to address the trauma revolving around the intersections of race, gender, violence, police violence and community violence. His work through the Precedential Group has allowed him to provide support for organizations throughout the United States and Trinidad & Tobago, W.I.
As a writer, advocate, program developer and public speaker Peterson has been recognized as a Soros Justice Fellow, Aspen Ideas Festival Scholar, Ebony Magazine Power 100 Honoree and TED Resident. His writings have appeared and been cited in The Nation, Gawker, The Atlantic, Huff Post, Black Press USA, Ebony and the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian. He has contributed to Kiese Laymon's aaward-winning novel, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America and Love Lives Here, Too by former New York Times columnist, Sheila Rule.
Peterson is Brooklyn born and bred with a Trinidadian heart. He is a graduate of New York University and is currently working on his first Pulitzer, a memoir.
Marlon Peterson | Speaker | TED.com