Marlon Peterson: Am I not human? A call for criminal justice reform
מרלון פטרסון: האם אני לא אנושי? קריאה לרפורמה במערכת המשפט הפלילי.
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
אני אספר לכולם
way to open a talk
going through your head about that.
שרצות בראש לגבי מה שאמרתי.
such a thing about himself?
when he sees himself as garbage?
כשהוא רואה את עצמו כזבל?
than we do from answers.
משאנו למדים מתשובות.
some sort of new information,
that makes us feel uncomfortable.
שגורמת לנו להרגיש לא בנוח.
to the only acoustic instrument
כלי הנגינה האקוסטי היחידי
of one of the ghettos in Trinidad,
של אחד הגטאות בטרינידד,
of the American military ...
military bases set up in Trinidad,
החזיקה בסיסים צבאיים בטרינידד,
with empty oil drums --
בחביות נפט ריקות --
repurposed the old drums left behind
חביות הנפט שהושארו מאחור
הכרומטי המלא שלהן:
to Bob Marley to 50 Cent,
החל מבטהובן ועד בוב מרלי ו50 סנט,
music out of garbage.
עשו מוזיקה מזבל.
in a violent robbery attempt
בניסיון שוד אלים
in a coffee shop,
of Trinidad and Tobago.
and millions of Americans easily malign.
אמריקאים משמיצים כל כך בקלות.
and seven days of a prison sentence.
חודשיים, ושבעה ימים מתקופת המאסר שלי.
in a correctional institution.
that a series of letters redeemed me,
סדרת מכתבים היא שגאלה אותי,
the darkness and the guilt
moment of my young life.
when I read those words.
כשקראתי את המילים האלו.
a mentoring correspondence program
שלקחתי חלק בתוכנית חונכות והתכתבות
at a middle school in Brooklyn,
shared their stories with me,
שיתפו אותי בסיפורים שלהם,
of their favorite cartoon character
של הדמות האהובה עליהם
on my letters or my words of advice,
במכתבים שלי או בעצות שלי,
I could contribute to this planet.
מה אני יכול לתרום לעולם הזה.
and what they shared with me,
ומה שהם שיתפו איתי,
to admit to myself
for that fateful day in October of 1999;
באוקטובר של 1999;
with living in a community
to get than sneakers;
raped at gunpoint at the age of 14;
שחוויתי בגיל 14;
mattered so much to me,
with those folks
with some friends of mine
with the young people as well,
of relevancy in return.
and youth program innovators
יזמים של תוכניות חברתיות לנוער,
return of investment.
taught me was that when we sow,
היא שממה שאנחנו זורעים,
of people no matter where they're at,
לא משנה איפה הם נמצאים,
of criminal justice reform,
of nonviolent drug offenses
היא רפורמה של צדק לבני אדם.
that amplify the relevancy of people
את תחושת השייכות של בני אדם
או בגטו הקרוב אליכם,
the communities that we want.
את הקהילות שאנחנו רוצים.
in law enforcement as a resource,
מלהשקיע אך ורק באכיפת חוק כמשאב,
a sense of relevancy
do so many harmful things
עושים כל כך הרבה דברים נוראיים
display of a lot of underlying traumas.
של כל כך הרבה טראומות יסודיות.
value of relevancy,
personal responsibility and healing.
גם אחריות עצמית וגם הבראה.
to do the hard work,
undeserved kindness
לאלו שלא זכאים לה
while walking home.
בזמן שהוא הלך ברגל הביתה.
while eating breakfast,
the redemptive value of relevancy
את הערך הגואל של שייכות
of seeing the value in me.
our own capacity
easily choose not to see,
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