Marlon Peterson: Am I not human? A call for criminal justice reform
Marlon Peterson: Czy nie jestem człowiekiem? Wezwanie do reformy sądownictwa karnego
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
wszystkim, że znam bohatera,
way to open a talk
na rozpoczęcie prelekcji
going through your head about that.
mówi o sobie takie rzeczy?
such a thing about himself?
skoro on sam uważa się za śmiecia?
when he sees himself as garbage?
than we do from answers.
z pytań niż z odpowiedzi.
some sort of new information,
nowych informacji
that makes us feel uncomfortable.
przez co czujemy się nieswojo.
jedynego akustycznego instrumentu
to the only acoustic instrument
of one of the ghettos in Trinidad,
jednego z gett w Trynidadzie,
of the American military ...
amerykańskiego wojska...
Amerykanie mieli bazy w Trynidadzie,
military bases set up in Trinidad,
with empty oil drums --
pustymi beczkami na ropę,
repurposed the old drums left behind
pozostawione beczki,
to Bob Marley to 50 Cent,
Beethovena, Boba Marleya, 50 Centa.
music out of garbage.
w brutalnej próbie kradzieży
in a violent robbery attempt
in a coffee shop,
of Trinidad and Tobago.
i miliony Amerykanów tak łatwo oczerniają.
and millions of Americans easily malign.
and seven days of a prison sentence.
10 lat, 2 miesiące i 7 dni.
in a correctional institution.
odsiadki w zakładzie karnym.
that a series of letters redeemed me,
uratowała mnie seria listów,
z ciemności i poczucia winy
the darkness and the guilt
moment of my young life.
momentem mojej młodości.
when I read those words.
a mentoring correspondence program
150 listów w programie
at a middle school in Brooklyn,
shared their stories with me,
dzielili się ze mną swoimi historiami,
of their favorite cartoon character
on my letters or my words of advice,
na moich listach i moich radach,
I could contribute to this planet.
przysłużyć się tej planecie.
and what they shared with me,
to admit to myself
ten dzień w październiku 1999 roku,
for that fateful day in October of 1999;
with living in a community
z życiem w społeczeństwie,
to get than sneakers;
raped at gunpoint at the age of 14;
ofiarą gwałtu w wieku 14 lat,
mattered so much to me,
with those folks
with some friends of mine
tą możliwością z przyjaciółmi,
with the young people as well,
mądrością z młodymi ludźmi,
of relevancy in return.
poczucie, że coś znaczą.
and youth program innovators
innowatorami programów młodzieżowych,
return of investment.
taught me was that when we sow,
of people no matter where they're at,
bez względu na to, gdzie się znajdują,
of criminal justice reform,
of nonviolent drug offenses
narkotykowe bez użycia przemocy
i poczucie człowieczeństwa.
to ludzka sprawiedliwość.
that amplify the relevancy of people
zwiększające znaczenie ludzi
getta w waszej okolicy,
the communities that we want.
in law enforcement as a resource,
w egzekwowanie prawa,
poczucia, że coś znaczymy,
a sense of relevancy
do so many harmful things
display of a lot of underlying traumas.
efekt wielu skrywanych urazów.
wartość poczucia, że się coś znaczy,
value of relevancy,
personal responsibility and healing.
to do the hard work,
undeserved kindness
w wyniku przemocy z użyciem broni.
while walking home.
podczas ulicznej strzelaniny.
while eating breakfast,
the redemptive value of relevancy
wartości poczucia, że się coś znaczy
of seeing the value in me.
żeby dostrzec ją we mnie.
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