Marlon Peterson: Am I not human? A call for criminal justice reform
مارلون بيترسون: ألست إنساناً؟ نداء لإصلاح قانون العدالة الجنائية
Marlon Peterson is a writer, youth development expert and human justice advocate. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
I will tell everyone
way to open a talk
going through your head about that.
ذهنكم حيال ذلك.
such a thing about himself?
عن نفسه؟
when he sees himself as garbage?
نفسه قمامة؟
than we do from answers.
مما نتعلم من الإجابات.
some sort of new information,
that makes us feel uncomfortable.
to the only acoustic instrument
الوحيدة
of one of the ghettos in Trinidad,
في (ترينيداد)،
of the American military ...
military bases set up in Trinidad,
قواعد عسكرية في (ترينيداد)،
with empty oil drums --
براميل نفط فارغة --
repurposed the old drums left behind
براميل النفط القديمة المتروكة
to Bob Marley to 50 Cent,
بـ (بوب مارلي) إلى (فيفتي سنت)،
music out of garbage.
موسيقى من القمامة.
in a violent robbery attempt
in a coffee shop,
أربعة أشخاص.
of Trinidad and Tobago.
and millions of Americans easily malign.
بالمؤذين.
وسبع أيام كعقوبة سجن
and seven days of a prison sentence.
in a correctional institution.
that a series of letters redeemed me,
كانت خلال سنوات السجن
the darkness and the guilt
moment of my young life.
when I read those words.
a mentoring correspondence program
الإرشادية
at a middle school in Brooklyn,
shared their stories with me,
of their favorite cartoon character
الكرتونية المفضلة
on my letters or my words of advice,
وكلماتي الناصحة،
I could contribute to this planet.
لهذا الكوكب.
and what they shared with me,
to admit to myself
for that fateful day in October of 1999;
في أكتوبر 1999
with living in a community
مجتمع
to get than sneakers;
شراء حذاء رياضي.
raped at gunpoint at the age of 14;
بعمر الـ 14
mattered so much to me,
with those folks
with some friends of mine
with the young people as well,
هؤلاء الشباب أيضاً،
of relevancy in return.
and youth program innovators
للشباب
return of investment.
taught me was that when we sow,
أنه عندما رأينا،
of people no matter where they're at,
كان موقعهم،
of criminal justice reform,
إصلاح العدالة الجنائية
of nonviolent drug offenses
لم يستخدم فيها العنف
that amplify the relevancy of people
بالقرب منكم،
the communities that we want.
in law enforcement as a resource,
تطبيق القانون كمصدر وحيد،
a sense of relevancy
do so many harmful things
يقوم بأفعال مؤذية
display of a lot of underlying traumas.
لما يختبئ تحتها من الصدمات.
value of relevancy,
في تخليص هذه القيمة من الإنتماء،
personal responsibility and healing.
الشخصية وبدء الشفاء.
to do the hard work,
بالعمل الشاق،
undeserved kindness
while walking home.
كان يمشي نحو منزله
while eating breakfast,
the redemptive value of relevancy
الخلاص في الإنتماء
of seeing the value in me.
لأراها في نفسي
our own capacity
easily choose not to see,
بسهولة أن نختار أن لا نراهم،
to be recognized,
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