ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Chinaka Hodge - Writer, educator
Poet, playwright, filmmaker and educator Chinaka Hodge uses her own life and experiences as the backbone of wildly creative, powerful works.

Why you should listen

Chinaka Hodge is a writer and educator from Oakland. She received her BA from NYU’s Gallatin School and studied Writing for Film and Television at  USC’s School of Cinematic Arts MFA program. Her work has been featured in Believer Magazine, Teen People Magazine, Newsweek, San Francisco Magazine, on PBS and NPR, and in two seasons of HBO’s Def Poetry. She was an Associate Producer on Simmons Lathan presents Brave New Voices for HBO.

She is a Cave Canem Graduate Fellow, was a playwright-in-residence at SF Playwrights Foundation and serves as a Visiting Editor at The California Sunday Magazine. She is an inaugural Senior Fellow at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

More profile about the speaker
Chinaka Hodge | Speaker | TED.com
TEDWomen 2016

Chinaka Hodge: What will you tell your daughters about 2016?

Chinaka Hodge: Que lles contaredes ás vosas fillas do 2016?

Filmed:
1,264,818 views

Con palabras coma fragmentos de vidro, Chinaka Hodge procede á disección do 2016; deixa que 12 meses de violencia, dor, medo, vergoña, carraxe e esperanza se derramen neste orixinal poema sobre un ano que ningún de nós olvidará facilmente.
- Writer, educator
Poet, playwright, filmmaker and educator Chinaka Hodge uses her own life and experiences as the backbone of wildly creative, powerful works. Full bio

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

Contádelle ás vosas fillas o deste ano,
00:12
Tell your daughters of this year,
0
984
2272
como nos erguiamos necesitando café
00:15
how we woke needing coffee
1
3280
2096
e atopábamos no seu lugar cadáveres
espallados nas páxinas dos xornais,
00:17
but discovered instead cadavers
strewn about our morning papers,
2
5400
3816
anegadas de copias das nosas irmás,
cónxuxes, fillos pequenos.
00:21
waterlogged facsimiles
of our sisters, spouses, small children.
3
9240
4800
Contádelle ao voso bebé o deste ano, cando
pregunte, que sen dúbida o fará,
00:26
Say to your baby of this year
when she asks, as she certainly should,
4
14600
3616
dicídelle que chegou demasiado tarde.
00:30
tell her it was too late coming.
5
18240
1576
00:31
Admit even in the year we leased freedom,
we didn't own it outright.
6
19840
4456
Admitide que, incluso no ano
no que alugamos a liberdade,
ésta non nos pertencía por completo.
00:36
There were still laws
for every way we used our privates
7
24320
2816
Aínda había leis para cada emprego que lle
dábamos ás nosas cousas
00:39
while they pawed at the soft folds of us,
8
27160
2496
mentres eles nos pateaban aos débiles,
nos collían sen ningunha preocupación,
00:41
grabbed with no concern for consent,
9
29680
2735
non había leis para os homes
que as impoñían.
00:44
no laws made for the men
that enforced them.
10
32439
2617
Adestráronnos para esquivar,
00:47
We were trained to dodge,
11
35080
2416
para esperar, para
encollernos e cubrirnos,
00:49
to wait, to cower and cover,
12
37520
2616
para esperar máis, e seguir esperando.
00:52
to wait more, still, wait.
13
40160
2896
00:55
We were told to be silent.
14
43080
1880
Dixeron que gardáramos silencio.
Faládelle ás vosas fillas deste
tempo de guerra,
00:57
But speak to your girls of this wartime,
15
45440
2256
un ano precedido por moitos outros iguais,
00:59
a year preceded by a score of the same,
16
47720
2576
coma cando dúas décadas antes,
01:02
so as in two decades before,
17
50320
2256
nos secamos os ollos,
01:04
we wiped our eyes,
18
52600
1536
atamos cadaleitos con bandeiras,
01:06
laced caskets with flags,
19
54160
1896
evacuamos a escena do crime do club,
01:08
evacuated the crime scene of the club,
20
56080
2176
berramos na rúa,
01:10
caterwauled in the street,
21
58280
1296
nos deitamos no formigón
contra os restos dos nosos caídos,
01:11
laid our bodies on the concrete
against the outlines of our fallen,
22
59600
3296
berramos,
"Por suposto que importamos"
01:14
cried, "Of course we mattered,"
23
62920
1935
cantamos aos nosos desaparecidos.
01:16
chanted for our disappeared.
24
64879
1377
As mulleres choraron este ano.
01:18
The women wept this year.
25
66280
1600
01:20
They did.
26
68440
1216
Fixérono.
01:21
In the same year, we were ready.
27
69680
2456
No mesmo ano, estabamos preparadas.
O ano no que perdemos as nosas inhibicións
e nos movemos con valente abandono
01:24
The year we lost our inhibition
and moved with courageous abandon
28
72160
3096
01:27
was also the year we stared down barrels,
29
75280
2496
foi tamén o ano no que
miramos fixamente aos canóns,
01:29
sang of cranes in skies,
ducked and parried,
30
77800
2336
cantamos sobre grúas nos ceos,
evadimos e esquivamos,
01:32
caught gold in hijab,
collected death threats,
31
80160
2456
collemos ouro no hijab,
recollemos ameazas de morte,
01:34
knew ourselves as patriots,
32
82640
1336
recoñecémonos como patriotas,
01:36
said, "We're 35 now, time we settled down
and found a running mate,"
33
84000
3216
dixemos, "Temos 35; é tempo de sentar a
cabeza e atopar un compañeiro"
01:39
made road maps for infant joy,
shamed nothing but fear,
34
87240
3136
fixemos mapas de estradas por diversión,
avergoñándonos de nada excepto do medo,
01:42
called ourselves fat and meant, of course,
35
90400
2256
chamámonos gordas querendo dicir,
por suposto, perfectas.
01:44
impeccable.
36
92680
1216
01:45
This year, we were women,
37
93920
1936
Este ano, fomos mulleres,
non esposas ou adornos,
01:47
not brides or trinkets,
38
95880
1776
non un sexo débil,
01:49
not an off-brand gender,
39
97680
1496
01:51
not a concession, but women.
40
99200
2136
non unha concesión; senón mulleres.
Ensinade aos vosos bebés.
01:53
Instruct your babies.
41
101360
1296
01:54
Remind them that the year has passed
to be docile or small.
42
102680
3376
Recordádeslles que pasou o ano de ser
dóciles ou pequenas.
Algunhas de nós dixemos por primeira vez
que éramos mulleres,
01:58
Some of us said for the first time
that we were women,
43
106080
2616
tomando este xuramento
de solidariedade en serio.
02:00
took this oath of solidarity seriously.
44
108720
2376
Algunhas tivemos fillos,
outras non,
02:03
Some of us bore children
and some of us did not,
45
111120
2256
e ningunha de nós cuestionou se isto
nos facía máis ou menos reais,
02:05
and none of us questioned
whether that made us real
46
113400
2416
ou apropiadas, ou verdadeiras.
02:07
or appropriate or true.
47
115840
1776
Cando vos pregunte sobre este ano,
02:09
When she asks you of this year,
48
117640
2136
a vosa filla, xa sexa descendente ou
herdeira do voso triunfo,
02:11
your daughter, whether your offspring
or heir to your triumph,
49
119800
2905
desde o seu confortable lado da historia
con respecto á muller,
02:14
from her comforted side of history
teetering towards woman,
50
122729
3007
fará preguntas de xeito incansable,
02:17
she will wonder and ask voraciously,
51
125760
2296
e aínda que non pode comprender
o voso sacrificio,
02:20
though she cannot fathom your sacrifice,
52
128080
1935
02:22
she will hold your estimation of it holy,
53
130039
2777
considerará a vosa estimación dos feitos
coma algo sagrado,
02:24
curiously probing, "Where were you?
54
132840
2496
preguntando con curiosidade,
"Onde estiveches?
02:27
Did you fight?
Were you fearful or fearsome?
55
135360
3016
Loitaches?
Fuches temerosa ou temible?
De que cor eran as paredes do teu
arrepentimento?
02:30
What colored the walls of your regret?
56
138400
1856
02:32
What did you do for women
in the year it was time?
57
140280
2656
Que fixeches polas mulleres nese ano?
Neste camiño que fixeches para min,
que ósos tiveches que romper?
02:34
This path you made for me,
which bones had to break?
58
142960
2896
02:37
Did you do enough, and are you OK, momma?
59
145880
2256
Fixeches o suficiente?
Estás ben, mamá?
02:40
And are you a hero?"
60
148160
1216
Es unha heroína?"
02:41
She will ask the difficult questions.
61
149400
2416
Ela fará as preguntas difíciles.
02:43
She will not care
about the arc of your brow,
62
151840
2176
Non lle importará
o arco da túa cella,
ou o peso co que cargas.
02:46
the weight of your clutch.
63
154040
1256
Non preguntará polas vosas mencións.
02:47
She will not ask of your mentions.
64
155320
1656
02:49
Your daughter, for whom you have
already carried so much, wants to know
65
157000
3376
A vosa filla, pola que
fixeches tanto, quere saber
que trouxeches, que agasallo,
que luz salvaches da extinción.
02:52
what you brought, what gift,
what light did you keep from extinction?
66
160400
3496
Cando viñan a por víctimas na noite,
02:55
When they came for victims in the night,
67
163920
1936
ficaches durmida ou espertaches?
02:57
did you sleep through it
or were you roused?
68
165880
2096
Cal foi o prezo de permanecer esperta?
03:00
What was the cost of staying woke?
69
168000
1656
Que, no ano no que dixemos basta,
que fixesches cos teus privilexios?
03:01
What, in the year we said time's up,
what did you do with your privilege?
70
169680
3466
Alimentácheste da miseria de outros?
03:05
Did you sup on others' squalor?
71
173170
1526
Apartaches a mirada ou ollaches
directamente as lapas?
03:06
Did you look away
or directly into the flame?
72
174720
2136
03:08
Did you know your skill
or treat it like a liability?
73
176880
2536
Coñecías as túas habilidades ou
considerábalas unha carga?
03:11
Were you fooled by the epithets
of "nasty" or "less than"?
74
179440
3336
Deixácheste enganar polos calificativos
"despreciable" ou "menos que"?
03:14
Did you teach with an open heart
or a clenched fist?
75
182800
2496
Ensinaches co corazón aberto ou
co puño pechado?
Onde estabas?
03:17
Where were you?
76
185320
1216
Dille a verdade.
Faino durante toda a vida.
03:18
Tell her the truth. Make it your life.
77
186560
1856
Demóstrao. Di,"Filla, eu mantívenme firme,
03:20
Confirm it. Say, "Daughter, I stood there
78
188440
1976
03:22
with the moment
drawn on my face like a dagger,
79
190440
2216
co momento marcado na miña cara
coma un puñal,
e lanceino,
03:24
and flung it back at itself,
80
192680
1336
facendo espazo para ti."
03:26
slicing space for you."
81
194040
1416
Dille a verdade, como viviches
contra todo pronóstico.
03:27
Tell her the truth, how you lived
in spite of crooked odds.
82
195480
2816
Dille que fuches valente,
03:30
Tell her you were brave,
83
198320
1256
03:31
and always, always
in the company of courage,
84
199600
2336
e sempre, sempre
na compaña da valentía,
especialmente nos días nos que só
te tiñas a ti mesma.
03:33
mostly the days
when you just had yourself.
85
201960
2296
Dicídelle que naceu coma vós,
03:36
Tell her she was born as you were,
86
204280
1976
coma as vosas nais e as
irmás xunto a elas,
03:38
as your mothers before,
and the sisters beside them,
87
206280
2616
na era das lendas, coma sempre.
03:40
in the age of legends, like always.
88
208920
2096
Dicídelle que naceu xusto a tempo,
03:43
Tell her she was born just in time,
89
211040
2696
xusto a tempo
03:45
just in time
90
213760
1280
03:47
to lead.
91
215520
1216
de liderar.
03:48
(Applause)
92
216760
7336
(Aplausos)
Translated by Enara Caride
Reviewed by Belén García Penerbosa

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Chinaka Hodge - Writer, educator
Poet, playwright, filmmaker and educator Chinaka Hodge uses her own life and experiences as the backbone of wildly creative, powerful works.

Why you should listen

Chinaka Hodge is a writer and educator from Oakland. She received her BA from NYU’s Gallatin School and studied Writing for Film and Television at  USC’s School of Cinematic Arts MFA program. Her work has been featured in Believer Magazine, Teen People Magazine, Newsweek, San Francisco Magazine, on PBS and NPR, and in two seasons of HBO’s Def Poetry. She was an Associate Producer on Simmons Lathan presents Brave New Voices for HBO.

She is a Cave Canem Graduate Fellow, was a playwright-in-residence at SF Playwrights Foundation and serves as a Visiting Editor at The California Sunday Magazine. She is an inaugural Senior Fellow at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

More profile about the speaker
Chinaka Hodge | Speaker | TED.com