Danielle R. Moss: How we can help the "forgotten middle" reach their full potential
Danielle R. Moss: Cómo ayudar a la olvidada "franja del medio" a alcanzar su máximo potencial.
Danielle R. Moss is chief executive officer of Oliver Scholars, helping it prepare high-potential Black and Latinx students from underserved New York City communities for success. Full bio
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about the forgotten middle.
de la olvidada franja del medio.
coworkers and plain old regular folks
de trabajo, y gente común y corriente
as neither exceptional nor problematic.
excepcionales ni problemáticos.
que podemos ignorar
don't seem particularly urgent.
de manera particularmente urgente.
of our organizations running,
de nuestras organizaciones funcionando,
who drive excellence.
innovadores que impulsan la excelencia.
the folks in the middle
a las personas del medio
up awake at night
they're going to come up with next.
de cuál será su próxima locura.
to rely on their complacency
a confiar en su conformismo
about the forgotten middle.
de esa olvidada franja del medio.
I hung out in the middle.
pasé un buen tiempo en ese lugar.
I had been a good student.
había sido una buena estudiante.
fue un punto de inflexión.
chismes, pasando notas,
el tiempo con mis amigos.
reviewing each day's events.
repasando lo ocurrido en el día.
a typical 12-year-old girl,
una típica niña de 12 años,
led to pretty average grades.
me significó tener calificaciones promedio.
something important,
entendió algo importante:
was not my destination.
no era mi destino.
and an educator,
de investigación y educadora,
of accomplishing a lot more.
capaz de lograr mucho más.
joven negra en EE. UU.,
black woman in America,
out of the middle
fuera de la franja media
about creating them.
activities in my neighborhood.
de liderazgo en el barrio,
I could aspire to.
de carreras a las que podía aspirar.
out of the middle was pretty simple.
de esa franja del medio era muy simple.
how to set me up for success.
cómo prepararme para el éxito.
she convinced me that I had the power
de que yo tenía el poder
get out of my seventh grade slump --
del pozo que fue mi séptimo grado,
en la ciudad de Nueva York,
who had a lot of potential,
que tenían mucho potencial,
to go to and complete college.
para ir la universidad y graduarse.
to additional resources,
and into the world
y los introduce en el mundo,
on college applications.
para ingresar a la universidad.
those kinds of opportunities for everyone.
ese tipo de oportunidades para todos.
that some kids miss out.
que algunos niños quedan fuera,
sociedad, quedamos fuera.
about the folks in the middle.
sobre las personas de la franja del medio.
winning lottery tickets in the middle.
de lotería ganadores no reclamados.
and the path to world peace
y el camino hacia la paz mundial
is suddenly going to become an A student.
se convertirán alumnos sobresalientes.
that most folks in the middle
de la gente en esa franja del medio
because that's where we relegated them to
porque ahí es donde los relegamos
where they're kind of chilling
un poco mientras resuelven cosas.
accelerations, losses and wins.
aceleraciones, derrotas y victorias.
and socioeconomic identity
y la identidad socioeconómica
access out of the middle.
a alguien salir de la franja del medio.
mi madre conmigo,
with my young people.
hacia mis jóvenes.
"Hey, do you want to go to college?"
"Oye, ¿quieres ir a la universidad?".
a lot of vague possibilities open.
muchas posibilidades inciertas.
my young people were capable of.
capaces de hacer cosas.
graduate from high school successfully.
de la secundaria con buen rendimiento.
the kinds of academic records
and university admissions.
ingresar a la universidad.
that the high expectations worked.
las expectativas altas funcionaron.
de color y los latinos en EE. UU.
in six years or less,
en seis años o menos,
por el comité universitario
get kids into college
de ayudarlos a entrar en la universidad
that high expectations are great,
las altas expectativas están bien,
to bake a cake without an oven.
que hornee un pastel sin horno.
the folks in the middle to make the leap
del medio que den el salto
strategies and support they deserve
las estrategias y el apoyo que merecen
mentoring for a long time, Nicole,
mentora por mucho tiempo, Nicole,
looked at her pretty strong transcript
mirara su buen desempeño académico
in going to college.
interesada en ir a la universidad.
was that through her community,
es que a través de su comunidad,
to college prep work,
de preparación para la universidad,
travel programs.
e hizo viajes de estudio.
estaba en su futuro,
went on to earn two master's degrees
que Nicole obtuvo dos maestrías
de la Universidad de Purdue.
to hold our young people accountable,
asumieran responsabilidades,
of accountability in those young people
el sentido de la responsabilidad
to their families and their communities.
hacia sus familias y sus comunidades.
on asset-based youth development.
basados en las capacidades,
and low ropes courses
con distintos niveles de desafío
questions together.
las principales cuestiones de la vida.
really bought into the notion
realmente aceptaron la idea
for achieving these college degrees.
de lograr estos títulos universitarios.
calling each other and texting each other
llamándose y enviándose mensajes
for SAT prep?"
tarde a la preparación de SAT?",
for the college tour tomorrow?"
de la universidad mañana?".
college the thing to do.
la universidad sea su objetivo.
on college campuses
en los campus universitarios
to really visualize themselves
visualizarse a sí mismos
y graduados universitarios.
rocked our own college gear
nuestras propias estrategias
about whose school was better than whose.
sana sobre cuál escuela era mejor.
was possible for their lives.
era posible en sus vidas.
at that college-going community
a esa comunidad universitaria
from the same backgrounds
de su misma condición,
fue realmente clave,
beautiful way one day
de una manera notable y hermosa
waiting to go through customs
Johannesburgo, esperando pasar por aduana
for a service learning trip.
en un viaje de voluntariado.
kind of huddled in a circle.
that means something's going on.
significa que algo pasa.
para averiguar de qué hablaban.
talking about.
about all the other countries
con todos los otros países
from New York City
de la ciudad de Nueva York
en estudiantes universitarios
in study abroad programs
de estudio en el extranjero
fue increíblemente gratificante.
teachers, social workers,
profesores, trabajadores sociales,
in New York City,
rincón en Nueva York,
of what would have happened
en lo que habría pasado
en esa franja del medio.
that their communities and the world
sus comunidades y el mundo
doesn't just work with young people.
no solo funciona con la gente joven.
our organizations as well.
nuestras organizaciones.
that inspires everyone.
una misión que inspire a todos.
invite our colleagues to the table
colegas a la mesa
to meet the mission.
que permita cumplir con la misión.
to folks along the way,
a la gente sobre la marcha
for everyone's contributions.
a todos los que han contribuido.
aimed high for themselves
aspiraciones altas para sí mismos,
to do for young people
para los jóvenes.
and see all of my former colleagues
atrás y ver a todos mis antiguos colegas
in other organizations.
en otras organizaciones.
and uplift the folks in the middle.
inspirar y apoyar a la franja del medio.
to the people in the middle.
a esa gente que está en el medio.
about who deserves a hand-up, and how.
prejuicios de quién merece ayuda, y cómo.
communities and institutions
nuestras organizaciones,
and that uphold principles of equity.
y respeten el principio de equidad.
what is often mistaken for a period
a menudo se confunde con un punto final
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Danielle R. Moss - Social activistDanielle R. Moss is chief executive officer of Oliver Scholars, helping it prepare high-potential Black and Latinx students from underserved New York City communities for success.
Why you should listen
Dr. Danielle R. Moss is Chief Executive Officer of Oliver Scholars, an organization committed to preparing high-potential Black and Latinx students from underserved New York City communities for success at top independent schools, prestigious colleges and careers. She is also a member of The New York Women's Foundation board of directors and serves as an NYC Commissioner of Gender Equity. She began her career as a middle school teacher in the Bronx and Brooklyn, building a distinguished career as an academic and a leader in the education and the social sector. Dr. Moss's contributions to education and the social sector have been recognized by the New York State Education Department, The New York Women's Foundation, The New York Coalition for 100 Black Women, The College Board, The Network Journal's 25 Most Influential Black Women in Business and The Council of Urban Professionals.
Moss has been featured in the New York Times "Corner Office" and in Crain's New York for her leadership in the movement toward intersectional gender equity. Her writing has been featured by The Daily Beast, The Huffington Post, Edutopia, The Amsterdam News, City Limits Magazine, Ms. Magazine online and the Feminist Wire. She's appeared on WABC-TV's Here and Now and New York Viewpoint, on WNBC's Positively Black, Fox 5's Street Talk, Bronx Net's Perspectives and NY1's Inside City Hall. Stanley Crouch, formerly of the New York Daily News, once dubbed her one of the most important players in public education for her ability to respectfully meet young people and families where they are and to give them the tools and agency to transform their own lives.
Danielle R. Moss | Speaker | TED.com