ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa - Writer, youth worker, freedom fighter
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa is a storyteller, a truth-teller, a builder and breaker trying to figure out what it means to be human in a world that removes so much of our humanity in order to survive.

Why you should listen

Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa is a Kenyan Queer Womyn speaker and performer. Katwiwa is an award-winning, internationally touring poet, author, host, youth worker, social-justice speaker, teaching artist and workshop leader who has spent her life at the intersection of arts, education and activism. Her work in Reproductive Justice, the Movement for Black Lives, LGBTQ+ advocacy and poetry have been featured on Upworthy, OkayAfrica, the New York Times, For Harriet, Everyday Feminism and more.

As a writer, Katwiwa has always centered storytelling as an avenue to create change and believes in "speaking things into existence." Her work is heavily influenced by her heritage and her pan-African upbringing, and centers "the other" and "the in between," places she has often found herself occupying as a black, queer immigrant and emigrant. Her experience of the power of words and stories to impact the lives of those sharing and receiving has pushed her to share and teach the craft as a tool of resistance and advocacy.

More profile about the speaker
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa | Speaker | TED.com
TEDWomen 2017

Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa: Black life at the intersection of birth and death

溫蒂「自由昆西」卡提瓦: 黑人的性命在生死的十字路口

Filmed:
935,328 views

詩人兼自由鬥士溫蒂「自由昆西」卡提瓦說:「藝術家的工作就是要發掘故事,即使人們試圖用自滿與時間的鏟子來埋藏它們。」在表演了她的詩《母親身分的喜悅》之後,卡提瓦探究了美國黑人母親的經驗,並討論黑命貴運動的影響,因為她認為兩者是不可分的。
- Writer, youth worker, freedom fighter
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa is a storyteller, a truth-teller, a builder and breaker trying to figure out what it means to be human in a world that removes so much of our humanity in order to survive. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
My name名稱 is MwendeMwende KatwiwaKatwiwa
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我叫溫蒂卡提瓦,
00:15
and I am a poet詩人,
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我是詩人、
00:17
a Pan-Africanist泛非主義
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泛非主義者,
00:18
and a freedom自由 fighter戰鬥機.
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也是自由鬥士。
00:21
I was 23 years年份 old
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我 23 歲的時候,
00:22
when I first heard聽說
about Reproductive生殖 Justice正義.
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第一次聽到生殖正義一詞。
00:25
I was working加工 at Women婦女 with a Vision視力,
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當時我在
Women with a Vision 工作,
00:27
where I learned學到了 that Reproductive生殖 Justice正義
was defined定義 by Sister妹妹 Song歌曲 as:
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在那裡,我得知生殖正義被
「Sister Song」定義為:
00:31
One: A woman's女人的 right to decide決定
if and when she will have a baby寶寶
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一:女人有權可以決定
是否要/何時想要生孩子,
00:36
and the conditions條件
under which哪一個 she will give birth分娩.
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以及她想要在何種條件下生孩子。
00:38
Two: A woman's女人的 right
to decide決定 if she will not have a baby寶寶
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二:女人有權決定
她是否不要生孩子,
00:42
and her options選項 for preventing防止
or ending結尾 a pregnancy懷孕.
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且可以選擇避孕或墮胎。
00:45
And three: A woman's女人的 right
to parent the children孩子 she already已經 has
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三:女人有權在安全
且健康的環境中教養
00:49
in safe安全 and healthy健康 environments環境
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她已經擁有的孩子,
00:51
without fear恐懼 of violence暴力
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且不用害怕來自他人
00:53
from individuals個人 or the government政府.
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或政府的暴力行為。
00:56
I've always wanted to be a mother母親.
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我一直想成為母親。
00:59
Growing生長 up, I heard聽說
all about the joys歡樂 of motherhood母親.
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成長過程中,我聽到的
都是當媽媽的喜悅。
01:02
I used to dream夢想 of watching觀看 my womb子宮
weave編織 wonder奇蹟 into this world世界.
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我以前會夢到看著我的子宮
將奇蹟帶到世界上。
01:07
See, I knew知道 I was young年輕.
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我知道我當時還年輕。
01:08
But I figured想通,
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但我認為,
01:10
it couldn't不能 hurt傷害 to start開始 planning規劃
for something so big, so early.
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這麼重大的事情,現在
早點開始規劃也沒有害處。
01:15
But now,
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但現在,
01:17
I'm 26 years年份 old.
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我 26 歲了。
01:19
And I don't know if I have what it takes
to stomach motherhood母親 in this country國家.
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我不知道自己是否有足夠本事
承受在這個國家中當一名母親。
01:23
See, over the years年份, America美國
has taught me more about parenting育兒
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關於教養小孩,
這些年來美國所教我的,
01:26
than any book on the subject學科.
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遠多於這方面的書籍。
01:28
It has taught me how some women婦女
give birth分娩 to babies嬰兒
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美國教了我,
有些女人生的是寶寶,
01:31
and others其他 to suspects犯罪嫌疑人.
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其他女人生的則是嫌疑犯。
01:32
It has taught me
that this body身體 will birth分娩 kin親屬
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美國教了我,
這樣的身體所生出的親人
01:35
who are more likely容易
to be held保持 in prison監獄 cells細胞
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比較有可能被關進監獄,
01:38
than to hold保持 college學院 degrees.
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而非取得大學學位。
01:40
There is something
about being存在 Black黑色 in America美國
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身為在美國的黑人,有一項特點,
01:44
that has made製作 motherhood母親 seem似乎
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會讓擔任母親這件事
01:47
complicated複雜.
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看上去很複雜。
01:49
Seem似乎 like,
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就像是,
01:50
I don't know what to do
to raise提高 my kids孩子 right
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我不知道如何才能
正確地撫養我的孩子,
01:52
and keep them alive.
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讓他們活下去。
01:54
Do I tell my son兒子 not to steal
because it is wrong錯誤,
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我要教導兒子不可偷竊
是因為它錯誤的?
01:56
or because they will use it
to justify辯解 his death死亡?
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或因為別人可以
用偷竊之名來殺害他?
01:59
Do I tell him
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我該告訴他
02:01
that even if he pays支付
for his Skittles吃喝玩樂 and sweet tea
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即使他買彩虹糖和甜茶時有付錢,
02:03
there will still be those
who will watch him
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還是會有人緊盯著他,
02:05
and see a criminal刑事 before child兒童;
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把他當罪犯而非小孩;
02:08
who will call the police警察
and not wait for them to come.
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會叫警察,但不會等警察到來?
02:11
Do I even want the police警察 to come?
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我真的會希望警察來嗎?
02:13
Too many許多 Sean肖恩 Bells鐘聲 go off in my head
when I consider考慮 calling調用 911.
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我考慮要不要報警時,
滿腦子都是貝爾槍擊案的事。
02:17
I will not take it for Oscar奧斯卡 Grant-ed贈款-ed
that they will not come and kill my son兒子.
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我不會認定他們一定不會像殺了
奧斯卡葛蘭特一樣殺了我兒子。
02:21
So, we may可能 have gotten得到 rid擺脫
of the nooses套索,
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我們身上可能已經沒有了枷鎖,
02:24
but I still consider考慮 it lynching私刑
when they murder謀殺 Black黑色 boys男孩
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但我仍認為他們在動私刑,
謀殺了黑人男孩,
並將遺體曝在太陽下四小時。
02:27
and leave離開 their bodies身體
for four hours小時 in the sun太陽.
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02:30
As a historical歷史的 reminder提醒
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這是在提醒我們不要忘記歷史,
02:32
that there is something
about being存在 Black黑色 in America美國
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在美國身為黑人,有一項特點,
02:35
that has made製作 motherhood母親 sound聲音
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會讓擔任母親這件事,
02:37
like mourning.
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聽起來就像服喪。
02:39
Sound聲音 like one morning早上 I could wake喚醒 up
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聽起來就像某天早晨我醒來,
02:41
and see my son兒子 as a repeat重複
of last week's本週 story故事.
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看到上星期故事
再次發生在我兒子身上。
02:44
Sound聲音 like I could wake喚醒 up and realize實現
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聽起來就像是我可能起床醒來
02:46
the death死亡 of my daughter女兒
wouldn't不會 even be newsworthy新聞價值.
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就發現我女兒的死
甚至沒有新聞價值。
02:49
So you can't tell me that Sandra桑德拉 Bland布蘭德
is the only Black黑色 woman女人
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所以你不能告訴我,
受到暴力對待的黑人女性當中
02:52
whose誰的 violence暴力 deserves值得
more than our silence安靜.
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只有珊卓布蘭達
應該讓我們打破沉默。
02:55
What about our other
dark-skinned皮膚黝黑的 daughters女兒 in distress苦難
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那麼其他在痛苦中死去,
卻還沒被我們記得的
02:57
whose誰的 deaths死亡 we have yet然而 to remember記得?
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深色皮膚女兒們又該怎麼辦?
02:59
What about our children孩子
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那麼,那些人生不能完全符合
03:00
whose誰的 lives生活 don't fit適合 neatly整潔
between之間 the lives生活 of your genders性別?
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大眾兩性標準的那些孩子
又該怎麼辦?
03:03
See, apparently顯然地,
nothing is a great protector保護者
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很顯然,如果你是從
像這樣的身體生出來的,
03:05
if you come out of a body身體
that looks容貌 like this.
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你就無法得到很好的保護。
03:08
See, there is something
about being存在 Black黑色 in America美國
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身為在美國的黑人,有一項特點,
03:12
that has made製作 motherhood母親 sound聲音
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會讓擔任母親這件事,聽起來
03:14
like something I'm not sure
I look forward前鋒 to.
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像是我無法肯定
我會期待的一件事。
03:17
I've written書面 too many許多 poems
about dead Black黑色 children孩子 to be naïve已經
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我已經寫過太多首詩,
談到死去的黑人小孩有多天真,
03:23
about the fact事實 that there could one day
be a poem written書面 about my kids孩子.
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談到有天可能會有一首詩
內容是在描寫我的小孩。
03:28
But I do not want to be a mother母親
who gave birth分娩 to poems.
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但我不想當一個生出
「詩」的母親。
03:32
I do not want a stanza for a son兒子
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我不想要有關於
一個兒子的一節詩,
03:35
nor也不 a line for a little girl女孩
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或關於一個小女孩的一行句子,
03:37
nor也不 a footnote腳註 for a child兒童
who doesn't fit適合 into this world世界.
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或關於一個無法融入
這世界的孩子的一段註腳。
03:40
No.
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不要。
03:42
I do not want children孩子
who will live生活 forever永遠
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我不希望孩子會永遠活在
03:44
in the pages網頁 of poetry詩歌,
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詩集的頁面中,
03:46
yet然而 can't seem似乎 to outlive活得比
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真正活在世界上的時間
卻沒有比我長。
03:48
me.
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03:49
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
03:58
I was invited邀請 to the TEDWomenTEDWomen conference會議
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我受邀來 TEDWomen 大會,
04:01
to perform演出 a poem.
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是要來表演一首詩。
04:03
But for me, poetry詩歌 is not
about art藝術 and performance性能.
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但對我來說,詩的重點
不是藝術和表演。
04:07
It is a form形成 of protest抗議.
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它是一種抗議的形式。
04:10
Yesterday昨天,
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昨天,
04:11
during rehearsal排演,
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彩排的時候,
04:13
I was told that there had been
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有人告訴我最近有
04:15
two to three recent最近 TEDTED Talks會談
about Black黑色 Lives生活 Matter.
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兩、三場 TED 近期演說的主題
和「黑人命也是命」運動有關。
04:19
That maybe I should cut down my TEDTED Talk
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說也許我可以刪減
一些我的演說內容,
04:23
so it could "just" be
about Reproductive生殖 Justice正義.
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讓演說變成「正好」
與生殖正義有關就好。
04:27
But that poem and this talk
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但那首詩和這場演說
04:29
is fundamentally從根本上 about
my inability無力 to separate分離 the two.
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在根本上談的就是我無法
將這兩者區分開來。
04:33
I was 21 years年份 old --
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我 21 歲時——
04:35
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
04:43
I was 21 years年份 old
when Trayvon塔拉萬 Martin馬丁 was murdered謀殺.
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我 21 歲時,發生了
特雷文馬丁謀殺案。
04:47
Trayvon塔拉萬 Martin馬丁, a 17-year-old-歲 Black黑色 boy男孩,
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特雷文馬丁是個
17 歲的黑人男孩,
04:51
a Black黑色 child兒童,
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一個黑人小孩,
04:52
reminded提醒 me
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他提醒了我,
04:54
reminded提醒 us
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提醒了我們,
04:55
how little this nation國家
actually其實 values Black黑色 life.
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這個國家實際上有多麼
不珍視黑人的生命。
04:59
The hashtag井號 #BlackLivesMatterBlackLivesMatter
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「# 黑人命也是命」這個標籤
05:02
became成為 the most recognized認可 call
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成了最廣為人知的呼籲,
05:04
for Black黑色 people and our children孩子
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希望黑人和我們的小孩
05:07
to live生活 in safe安全 environments環境
and healthy健康 communities社區
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能在安全的環境
和健康的社區中生活,
05:09
without fear恐懼
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不必畏懼
05:11
from violence暴力 from individuals個人
or the state or government政府.
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來自個人、國家,或政府的暴力。
05:15
Months later後來,
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幾個月後,
05:17
when George喬治 Zimmerman齊默爾曼
was not held保持 responsible主管
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喬治季莫曼不用為
05:19
for murdering謀殺 Trayvon塔拉萬 Martin馬丁,
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謀殺馬丁負責時,
05:21
I heard聽說 SybrinaSybrina Fulton富爾頓,
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我聽到賽布琳娜佛爾頓,
05:23
Trayvon塔拉萬 Martin's馬丁 mother母親, speak說話.
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即馬丁的母親,所說的話。
05:26
Her testimony見證 so deeply impacted影響 me
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她的證詞深深地衝擊了我,
05:29
that I found發現 myself constantly經常 asking,
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造成我自己時常在問,
05:32
what would it mean to mother母親
in the United聯合的 Stated of America美國
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在美國,母親擁有這種膚色,
05:35
in this skin皮膚?
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代表什麼意義?
05:37
What does motherhood母親 really mean,
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母親身分真正的意義是什麼?
05:38
when for so many許多 who look like me
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因為對於許多外表像我這樣的人,
05:41
it is synonymous代名詞 with mourning?
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母親身分就等同服喪。
05:45
Without沒有 realizing實現 it,
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不知不覺間,
05:46
I had begun開始 to link鏈接
the Reproductive生殖 Justice正義 framework骨架
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我就開始將生殖正義的架構
05:49
and the Movement運動 for Black黑色 Lives生活.
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與「黑人命也是命」運動連結起來。
05:52
As I learned學到了 more
about Reproductive生殖 Justice正義
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隨著我在 Women With A Vision
05:54
at Women婦女 With A Vision視力,
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對於生殖正義有更多了解,
05:56
and as I continued繼續 to be active活性
in the Movement運動 for Black黑色 Lives生活,
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並隨著我持續進行
黑人命也是命相關活動,
06:00
I found發現 myself wanting希望 others其他
to see and feel these similarities相似之處.
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我越發現我自己希望他人
能看見並感受到這些相似之處。
06:04
I found發現 myself asking:
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我發現自己在問:
06:06
Whose誰的 job工作 is it in times like this
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在這樣的時刻,該由誰將想法、
06:09
to connect ideas思路 realities現實 and people?
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現實,與人連結在一起?
06:14
I want to dedicate奉獻 this talk and that poem
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我想將這場演講和那首詩
06:16
to Constance康斯坦斯 Malcolm馬爾科姆.
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獻給康絲坦斯馬爾康。
06:19
She is the mother母親 of RamarleyRamarley Graham格雷厄姆
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她是拉馬利格拉漢的母親,
06:21
who was another另一個 Black黑色 child兒童
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格拉漢是另一位命還不該絕
06:23
who was murdered謀殺 before their time.
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卻被殺害的黑人孩童。
06:26
She reminded提醒 me once一旦 over dinner晚餐,
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她讓我想起,有次晚餐時,
06:28
as I was struggling奮鬥的 to write that poem,
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我絞盡腦汁在寫那首詩,
06:30
that it is the artist's藝術家 job工作
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藝術家的工作
06:32
to unearth挖掘 stories故事 that people try to bury埋葬
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就是要發掘故事,
即使人們試圖用
06:34
with shovels of complacency自滿 and time.
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自滿與時間的鏟子來埋藏它們。
06:38
Recently最近,
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最近,
06:40
Toni托尼 Morrison莫里森 wrote,
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托妮莫里森寫道:
06:42
"In times of dread恐懼,
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「在懼怕的時代,
06:44
artists藝術家 must必須 never choose選擇
to remain silent無聲.
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藝術家永遠不能選擇保持沈默。
06:47
There is no time for self-pity自憐,
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沒有自憐的時間,
06:49
no room房間 for fear恐懼."
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沒有恐懼的空間。」
06:52
Yesterday昨天, during rehearsal排演,
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昨天,在彩排的時候,
06:54
when I was told that I should
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當有人告訴我說我應該
06:55
"maybe cut the Black黑色 Lives生活 Matter
portion一部分 from my talk,"
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「也許刪減一些我的演說中
關於黑人命也是命的內容」,
06:59
I found發現 myself fearful可怕 for a moment時刻.
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我發現自己在那一瞬間感到害怕。
07:01
Fearful可怕 that again
our stories故事 were being存在 denied否認
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害怕我們的故事會再次被拒絕,
07:04
the very stages階段
they deserve值得 to be told on.
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在應該要講述這些故事的
舞台上被拒絕。
07:07
And then I remembered記得
the words I had just spoken.
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接著,我記起了我剛說的話。
07:11
"In times of dread恐懼,
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「在懼怕的時代,
07:13
artists藝術家 must必須 never choose選擇
to remain silent無聲.
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藝術家永遠不能選擇保持沈默。
07:17
There is no time for self-pity自憐.
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沒有自憐的時間。」
07:19
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
07:27
There is no time for self-pity自憐.
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「沒有自憐的時間。
07:30
And no room房間 for fear恐懼."
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沒有恐懼的空間。」
07:32
And I have made製作 my choice選擇.
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而我已經做出了我的選擇。
07:34
And I am always choosing選擇.
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我一直在選擇。
07:37
Thank you.
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謝謝。
07:38
(Applause掌聲)
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Translated by Lilian Chiu
Reviewed by Helen Chang

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa - Writer, youth worker, freedom fighter
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa is a storyteller, a truth-teller, a builder and breaker trying to figure out what it means to be human in a world that removes so much of our humanity in order to survive.

Why you should listen

Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa is a Kenyan Queer Womyn speaker and performer. Katwiwa is an award-winning, internationally touring poet, author, host, youth worker, social-justice speaker, teaching artist and workshop leader who has spent her life at the intersection of arts, education and activism. Her work in Reproductive Justice, the Movement for Black Lives, LGBTQ+ advocacy and poetry have been featured on Upworthy, OkayAfrica, the New York Times, For Harriet, Everyday Feminism and more.

As a writer, Katwiwa has always centered storytelling as an avenue to create change and believes in "speaking things into existence." Her work is heavily influenced by her heritage and her pan-African upbringing, and centers "the other" and "the in between," places she has often found herself occupying as a black, queer immigrant and emigrant. Her experience of the power of words and stories to impact the lives of those sharing and receiving has pushed her to share and teach the craft as a tool of resistance and advocacy.

More profile about the speaker
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa | Speaker | TED.com

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