ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Michelle Kuo - Teacher, writer, lawyer
Michelle Kuo believes in the power of reading to connect us with one another, creating a shared universe.

Why you should listen

Michelle Kuo is a teacher, lawyer, writer and passionate advocate of prison education. She has taught English at an alternative school for kids who were expelled from other schools in rural Arkansas, located in the Mississippi Delta. While at Harvard Law School, she received the National Clinical Association's award for her advocacy of children with special needs. Later, as a lawyer for undocumented immigrants in Oakland, Kuo helped tenants facing evictions, workers stiffed out of their wages and families facing deportation. She has also volunteered at a detention center in south Texas, helping families apply for asylum, and taught courses at San Quentin Prison. Currently, she teaches in the History, Law, and Society program at the American University of Paris, where she works to inspire students on issues of migrant justice and criminal justice. This fall, she is helping to start a prison education program in France.

In 2017, Kuo released Reading with Patrick, a memoir of teaching reading in a rural county jail in Arkansas. A runner-up for the Goddard Riverside Social Justice Prize and Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the book explores questions of what it is we owe each other and how starkly economic and racial inequality determine our life outcomes.

(Photo: Jasmine Cowen)

More profile about the speaker
Michelle Kuo | Speaker | TED.com
TEDxTaipei

Michelle Kuo: The healing power of reading

Michelle Kuo: Nguvu inayoponya katika kusoma

Filmed:
2,399,463 views

Kusoma na kuandika vinaweza kuwa vitendo vya ujasiri vinavyotuleta karibu na watu wengine na karibu na nafsi zetu pia. Mwandishi Michelle Kuo anashirikisha namna ambavyo kufundisha stadi za kusoma kwa wanafunzi wake kule Mississippi Delta kulivyofunua nguvu ya daraja la maneno yaliyoandikwa-- pamoja na mipaka ya nguvu hiyo.
- Teacher, writer, lawyer
Michelle Kuo believes in the power of reading to connect us with one another, creating a shared universe. Full bio

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

00:12
I want to talk todayleo
about how readingkusoma can changemabadiliko our livesanaishi
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Ninataka kuzungumza namna kusoma
kunavyoweza kubadilisha maisha yetu
00:18
and about the limitsmipaka of that changemabadiliko.
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na kuhusu mipaka ya mabadiliko hayo
00:21
I want to talk to you about how readingkusoma
can give us a shareableshareable worldulimwengu
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Ninataka kuzungumza na wewe namna kusoma
kunavyoweza kutupa ulimwengu wa ushirika
00:26
of powerfulnguvu humanbinadamu connectionuhusiano.
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wa muunganiko wenye nguvu wa kibinadamu
00:29
But alsopia about how that connectionuhusiano
is always partialsehemu.
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pia namna ambavyo muunganiko huo
ni sehemu tu mara zote
00:33
How readingkusoma is ultimatelyhatimaye
a lonelypeke yake, idiosyncraticidiosyncratic undertakingkufanya.
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Kusoma mwisho wa siku ni kitendo cha
upweke na kisicho cha kawaida.
00:39
The writermwandishi who changediliyopita my life
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Muandishi aliyebadilisha maisha yangu
00:42
was the great AfricanAfrika AmericanMarekani
novelistmwandishi JamesJames BaldwinBaldwin.
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Ni mmarekani mweusi na mwandishi
wa riwaya James Baldwin
00:46
When I was growingkukua up
in WesternMagharibi MichiganMichigan in the 1980s,
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Wakati ninakuwa katika eneo la
Magharibi mwa Michigan miaka ya 1980,
00:50
there weren'thawakuwa manywengi AsianAsia AmericanMarekani writerswaandishi
interestednia in socialkijamii changemabadiliko.
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hakukuwa na wamarekani wenye asili ya asia
wengi wanaoandika kuhusu mabadiliko ya kijamii
00:55
And so I think I turnedakageuka to JamesJames BaldwinBaldwin
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Na ndio maana nilimgeukia James Baldwin
00:58
as a way to fillkujaza this voidutupu,
as a way to feel raciallyracially consciousFahamu.
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kama namna ya kuliziba hili ombwe,
kama namna ya kuwamakini na rangi
01:03
But perhapslabda because I knewalijua
I wasn'thaikuwa myselfMimi mwenyewe AfricanAfrika AmericanMarekani,
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lakini haswa kwa sababu nilifahamu
mimi sikuwa mmarekani mweusi,
01:07
I alsopia feltwalihisi challengedchangamoto
and indictedulimfuta by his wordsmaneno.
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Pia nilisikia kupata changamoto na
kuthibitishwa na maneno yake.
01:12
EspeciallyHasa these wordsmaneno:
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Hasusani maneno haya:
01:15
"There are liberalsliberals
who have all the propersahihi attitudesmitazamo,
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"Ni watu huria walio na mitazamo sahihi,
01:19
but no realhalisi convictionsimani.
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lakini hawana misimamo halisi.
01:22
When the chipschips are down
and you somehowkwa namna fulani expectwanatarajia them to deliverkutoa,
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pale ambapo vipande vipo chini
na unawategemea kuleta matokeo,
01:26
they are somehowkwa namna fulani not there."
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na huenda hawako hapo kwa namna fulani".
01:28
They are somehowkwa namna fulani not there.
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Hawako hapo kwa namna fulani.
01:31
I tookalichukua those wordsmaneno very literallyhalisi.
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Nikayachukua hayo maneno nikitafakari.
01:33
Where should I put myselfMimi mwenyewe?
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Nijiweke wapi?
01:36
I wentakaenda to the MississippiMississippi DeltaDelta ya,
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Nilikwenda kwenye delta ya Mississippi,
01:38
one of the poorestmaskini zaidi regionsmikoa
in the UnitedMuungano StatesMarekani.
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mojawapo ya maeneo masikini sana ya
Marekani.
01:41
This is a placemahali shapedumbo
by a powerfulnguvu historyhistoria.
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Hii ni sehemu ambayo imejengwa
na historia yenye nguvu.
01:44
In the 1960s, AfricanAfrika AmericansWamarekani
riskedwalihatarishi theirwao livesanaishi to fightkupigana for educationelimu,
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Katika mwaka wa 1960, Wamarekani weusi
walijitoa maisha yao kupigania Elimu,
01:49
to fightkupigana for the right to votekupiga kura.
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kupigania haki ya kupiga kura.
01:52
I wanted to be a partsehemu of that changemabadiliko,
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Nilitaka kuwa sehemu ya badiliko hilo,
01:55
to help youngvijana teenagersvijana graduateHitimu
and go to collegechuo.
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kuwasaidia vijana wadogo wamalize shule
na kujiunga na vyuo.
02:00
When I got to the MississippiMississippi DeltaDelta ya,
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Nilipoenda kwenye Delta ya Mississipi,
02:03
it was a placemahali that was still poormaskini,
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Palikuwa ni mahali duni bado,
02:05
still segregatedimegawanyika,
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bado pametengwa,
02:07
still dramaticallykwa kasi in need of changemabadiliko.
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Bado panahitaji mabadiliko ya kasi.
02:10
My schoolshule, where I was placedimewekwa,
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Shule yangu, pale nilipokuwa nasoma,
02:14
had no librarymaktaba, no guidancemwongozo counselorMshauri wa,
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haikuwa na maktaba, hakuna mshauri,
02:18
but it did have a policepolisi officerafisa.
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lakini ilikuwa na afisa wa polisi.
02:21
HalfNusu the teacherswalimu were substitutesvibadala vya
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Nusu ya walimu walikuwa ni mbadala
02:24
and when studentswanafunzi got into fightsvita,
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na wanafunzi walipoingia kwenye ugomvi,
02:26
the schoolshule would sendtuma them
to the localmitaa countykata jailjela.
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Shule iliwapeleka kwenye jela ya
mahali hapo.
02:32
This is the schoolshule where I metalikutana PatrickPatrick.
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Hii ndiyo shule nilipokutana na Patrick.
02:35
He was 15 and helduliofanyika back twicemara mbili,
he was in the eighthnane gradedaraja.
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Alikuwa na miaka 15 na alikamatwa mara
mbili, alikuwa darasa la nane.
02:40
He was quietutulivu, introspectiveintrospective,
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Alikuwa ni mkimya na mndani,
02:42
like he was always in deepkina thought.
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ni kama kila wakati alikuwa mwenye mawazo.
02:45
And he hatedkuchukiwa seeingkuona other people fightkupigana.
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Na alichukia kuona wengine wakipigana.
02:49
I saw him oncemara moja jumpkuruka betweenkati two girlswasichana
when they got into a fightkupigana
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Nilimuona mara moja akiruka kati ya
mabinti wawili walipokuwa wakipigana
02:53
and he got himselfmwenyewe knockedknocked to the groundardhi.
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Na akajikuta akidondoka na kuanguka chini.
02:57
PatrickPatrick had just one problemtatizo.
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Patrick alikuwa na tatizo moja.
02:59
He wouldn'thakutaka come to schoolshule.
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Hakuwa akifika shuleni.
03:03
He said that sometimesmara nyingine
schoolshule was just too depressinghuzuni
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Alisema kuwa shule wakati mwingine humfanya kuwa na msongo
03:05
because people were always fightingmapigano
and teacherswalimu were quittingkuacha.
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Sababu wanafunzi hupigana mara zote na
walimu wanaondoka.
03:10
And alsopia, his mothermama workedkazi two jobskazi
and was just too tiredamechoka to make him come.
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Lakini pia, mama yake anafanya kazi mbili
na huwa anachoka kuweza kumfanya aje shule.
03:16
So I madealifanya it my jobkazi
to get him to come to schoolshule.
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Hivyo nikafanya iwe kazi yangu
kumfanya awe anakuja shule.
03:19
And because I was crazywazimu and 22
and zealouslykuushika optimisticmatumaini,
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Na sababu nilikuwa na wazimu na miaka 22
na mwenye bidii ya matumaini
03:23
my strategymkakati was
just to showonyesha up at his housenyumba
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Njia yangu ilikuwa ni
kwenda nyumbani kwao
03:25
and say, "Hey, why don't you
come to schoolshule?"
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na kusema "Eti, kwanini hauji
shuleni?"
03:28
And this strategymkakati actuallykwa kweli workedkazi,
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Na njia hii ilifanya kazi,
03:30
he startedilianza to come to schoolshule everykila day.
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akaanza kuja shuleni kila siku.
03:32
And he startedilianza to flourishkukua in my classdarasa.
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Na akaanza kufanikiwa katika darasa langu.
03:35
He was writingkuandika poetrymashairi,
he was readingkusoma booksvitabu.
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Aliandika mashairi,
alisoma vitabu.
03:38
He was comingkuja to schoolshule everykila day.
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Alikuja shuleni kila siku.
03:43
Around the samesawa time
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takriban muda ule ule
03:44
that I had figuredimeonekana out
how to connectkuungana to PatrickPatrick,
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Nilipogundua namna ya kushirikiana
na Patrick,
03:47
I got into lawsheria schoolshule at HarvardHarvard.
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Nilikwenda shule ya sheria Harvard.
03:51
I oncemara moja again facedwanakabiliwa this questionswali,
where should I put myselfMimi mwenyewe,
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Nilikutana tena na swali hili,
nijiweke wapi,
03:54
where do I put my bodymwili?
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niuweke wapi mwili wangu?
03:57
And I thought to myselfMimi mwenyewe
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Na nikawaza mwenyewe
04:00
that the MississippiMississippi DeltaDelta ya
was a placemahali where people with moneyfedha,
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Kuwa Mississipi Delta
ni mahali ambapo watu wenye fedha,
04:03
people with opportunitynafasi,
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watu wenye fursa,
04:05
those people leaveshika.
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watu hao huondoka.
04:07
And the people who staykaa behindnyuma
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Na watu wanaobakia
04:09
are the people who don't have
the chancenafasi to leaveshika.
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ni watu ambao hawana fursa ya kuondoka.
04:12
I didn't want to be a personmtu who left.
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Sikutaka kuwa mtu anayeondoka.
04:15
I wanted to be a personmtu who stayedwalikaa.
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Nilitaka kuwa mtu anayebakia.
04:18
On the other handmkono, I was lonelypeke yake and tiredamechoka.
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Kwa upande mwingine, nilikuwa mpweke
na mchovu.
04:21
And so I convincedwanaaminika myselfMimi mwenyewe
that I could do more changemabadiliko
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Na hivyo nilijishawishi mwenyewe
kuwa ninaweza kufanya mabadiliko
04:26
on a largerkubwa scalekiwango if I had
a prestigiouskifahari lawsheria degreeshahada.
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Kwa kiasi kikubwa kama ningekuwa
na shahada yenye heshima ya sheria.
04:31
So I left.
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Hivyo nikaondoka.
04:34
ThreeTatu yearsmiaka laterbaadae,
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Miaka mitatu baadaye,
04:36
when I was about
to graduateHitimu from lawsheria schoolshule,
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Nilipokaribia kuhitimu
shule ya sheria,
04:38
my friendrafiki calledaitwaye me
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rafiki yangu alinipigia simu
04:40
and told me that PatrickPatrick
had got into a fightkupigana and killedaliuawa someonemtu.
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na kuniambia kuwa Patrick
amepigana na kuua mtu.
04:47
I was devastatediliyoharibiwa.
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Nilitaharuki.
04:49
PartSehemu of me didn't believe it,
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Sehemu ya mimi haikuamini,
04:51
but partsehemu of me alsopia knewalijua that it was truekweli.
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na sehemu ya mimi pia iliamini kuwa
ni kweli.
04:55
I flewakaruka down to see PatrickPatrick.
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Nilisafiri kwenda kumuona Patrick.
04:58
I visitedalitembelea him in jailjela.
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Nilimtembelea gerezani.
05:02
And he told me that it was truekweli.
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Na aliniambia kuwa ilikuwa kweli.
05:06
That he had killedaliuawa someonemtu.
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Ya kwamba ameua mtu.
05:08
And he didn't want to talk more about it.
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Na asingependa kuzungumzia suala hilo.
05:11
I askedaliuliza him what had happenedkilichotokea with schoolshule
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Nilimuuliza nini kiliendelea kuhusu shule
05:13
and he said that he had droppedimeshuka out
the yearmwaka after I left.
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na akasema aliacha shule mwaka mooja
baada ya mimi kuondoka.
05:18
And then he wanted
to tell me something elsemwingine.
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Na alitaka kuniambia kuhusu kitu kingine
05:20
He lookedilionekana down and he said
that he had had a babymtoto daughterbinti
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Alitazama chini akasema
ya kwamba amepata mtoto wa kike
05:24
who was just bornalizaliwa.
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ambaye ndiye kwanza amezaliwa.
05:25
And he feltwalihisi like he had let her down.
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Na anahisi kuwa amemuangusha binti yake.
05:30
That was it, our conversationmazungumzo
was rushedalikimbia and awkwardkufedheheshwa.
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Hivyo ndivyo ilivyokuwa, mazungumzo yetu
yalikuwa ya haraka na mabaya.
05:35
When I steppedilipitiwa outsidenje the jailjela,
a voicesauti insidendani me said,
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Nilipotoka nje ya gereza,
sauti ndani yangu iliniambia,
05:40
"Come back.
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"Rudi.
05:41
If you don't come back now,
you'llutasikia never come back."
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Usiporudi sasa, hutarudi kamwe".
05:48
So I graduatedalihitimu from lawsheria schoolshule
and I wentakaenda back.
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Hivyo nikahitimu shule ya sheria na
nikarudi.
05:52
I wentakaenda back to see PatrickPatrick,
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Nikarudi kumuona Patrick,
05:54
I wentakaenda back to see if I could help him
with his legalkisheria casekesi.
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Nikarudi kuona kama ninaweza kumsaidia
na kesi yake ya sheria.
05:58
And this time,
when I saw him a secondpili time,
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Muda huu,
nilipomuona kwa mara ya pili,
06:02
I thought I had this great ideawazo, I said,
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Nilidhani nina hili wazo zuri,
nikamwambia,
06:04
"Hey, PatrickPatrick, why don't you
writeandika a letterbarua to your daughterbinti,
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"Hey, Patrick, kwanini usiandike barua
kwa binti yako,
06:08
so that you can keep her on your mindakili?"
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ili uweze kumuweka katika
fikra zako?"
06:12
And I handedmitupu him a penkalamu
and a piecekipande of paperkaratasi,
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Nikampatia kalamu na
kipande cha karatasi,
06:15
and he startedilianza to writeandika.
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na akaanza kuandika.
06:18
But when I saw the paperkaratasi
that he handedmitupu back to me,
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Lakini nilipoiona karatasi aliyonipatia,
06:21
I was shockedalishtuka.
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Nilipigwa na butwaa.
06:25
I didn't recognizekutambua his handwritingmwandiko wa mkono,
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Sikuutambua mwandiko wake,
06:27
he had madealifanya simplerahisi spellingtahajia mistakesmakosa.
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alikuwa amefanya makosa
machache ya matamshi.
06:31
And I thought to myselfMimi mwenyewe that as a teachermwalimu,
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na nikawaza mwenyewe kama mwalimu,
06:33
I knewalijua that a studentmwanafunzi
could dramaticallykwa kasi improvekuboresha
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Ninafahamu ya kuwa mwanafunzi
anaweza kufanya vizuri kwa kasi
06:37
in a very quickharaka amountkiasi of time,
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Kwa muda mfupi sana,
06:40
but I never thought that a studentmwanafunzi
could dramaticallykwa kasi regressTumeishafanya.
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lakini sikuwahi kuwaza kuwa mwanafunzi
anaweza kurudi nyuma kwa kasi.
06:46
What even painedhaina maumivu me more,
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kilichoniumiza zaidi,
06:48
was seeingkuona what he had writtenimeandikwa
to his daughterbinti.
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ni kuona kile alichokiandika
kwa binti yake.
06:51
He had writtenimeandikwa,
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aliandika,
06:52
"I'm sorry for my mistakesmakosa,
I'm sorry for not beingkuwa there for you."
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"Ninasikitika kwa makosa yangu,
ninasikitika kutokuwa pamoja nawe."
06:58
And this was all he feltwalihisi
he had to say to her.
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Na hiki ndicho alichojisikia
anataka kusema naye.
07:02
And I askedaliuliza myselfMimi mwenyewe how can I convincekuwashawishi him
that he has more to say,
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Nikajiuliza ni namna gani ninaweza
kumshawishi kuwa anaweza kumwambia zaidi,
07:06
partssehemu of himselfmwenyewe that
he doesn't need to apologizekuomba msamaha for.
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ile sehemu yake ambayo
hahitaji kuomba radhi kwayo.
07:10
I wanted him to feel
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Nilitaka yeye ajisikie
07:12
that he had something worthwhilethamani
to sharekushiriki with his daughterbinti.
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kuwa anakitu cha thamani
kumshirikisha binti yake.
07:17
For everykila day the nextijayo sevensaba monthsmiezi,
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Kwa kila siku kwa miezi saba iliyofuatia,
07:21
I visitedalitembelea him and broughtkuletwa booksvitabu.
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Nilimtembelea na kumpelekea vitabu.
07:23
My totetote bagmfuko becameikawa a little librarymaktaba.
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Mkoba wangu uligeuka kuwa maktaba ndogo.
07:27
I broughtkuletwa JamesJames BaldwinBaldwin,
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Nilimpelekea James Baldwin,
07:29
I broughtkuletwa WaltWalt WhitmanWhitman, C.S. LewisLewis.
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Nilipeleka Walt Whitman, C.S.Lewis.
07:34
I broughtkuletwa guidebooksvitabu vya lonely to treesmiti, to birdsndege,
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Nilileta vitabu vya mwongozo wa miti,
wa ndege,
07:39
and what would becomekuwa
his favoritefavorite bookkitabu, the dictionarykamusi.
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na kitabu alichotokea kukipenda zaidi,
kamusi.
07:43
On some dayssiku,
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Kwa baadhi ya siku,
07:45
we would sitkukaa for hoursmasaa in silencekimya,
bothwote wawili of us readingkusoma.
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tulikaa kimya kwa masaa,
wote wawili tukisoma.
07:50
And on other dayssiku,
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Na siku nyingine,
07:51
we would readsoma togetherpamoja,
we would readsoma poetrymashairi.
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tulisoma pamoja,
tulisoma mashairi.
07:55
We startedilianza by readingkusoma haikushaikus,
hundredsmamia of haikushaikus,
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tulianza kwa kusoma haikus,
mamia ya haikus,
07:59
a deceptivelymtihani simplerahisi masterpieceMASTERPIECE.
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ni kito rahisi na danganyifu.
08:02
And I would askkuuliza him,
"ShareKushiriki with me your favoritefavorite haikushaikus."
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Na ningemuuliza,
"Nishirikishe haiku zako unazozipenda".
08:05
And some of them are quitekabisa funnyfunny.
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Na baadhi yake ni za kufurahisha sana.
08:08
So there's this by IssaIssa:
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Kuna hii ya Issa:
08:10
"Don't worrywasiwasi, spidersbuibui,
I keep housenyumba casuallykwa kawaida."
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"Usijali, buibui,
ninaweka nyumba kikawaida."
08:14
And this: "NappedNapped halfnusu the day,
no one punishedkuadhibiwa me!"
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Na hii: "Nimelala nusu ya siku,
na hakuna aliyeniadhibu!"
08:20
And this gorgeousnzuri one, whichambayo is
about the first day of snowtheluji fallingkuanguka,
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Na hii nyingine ya kuvutia, inayohusu
siku ya kwanza barafu ilipodondoka,
08:25
"DeerKulungu lickinglicking first frostjalidi
from eachkila mmoja other'snyingine coatskanzu."
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"Kulungu wakilamba baridi ya kwanza
kutoka kwenye koti la kila mmoja wao."
08:31
There's something mysteriousajabu and gorgeousnzuri
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Kuna kitu cha ajabu na cha kuvutia
08:34
just about the way a poemshairi looksinaonekana.
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kuhusu namna shairi linavyoonekana.
08:36
The emptytupu spacenafasi is as importantmuhimu
as the wordsmaneno themselveswenyewe.
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Nafasi ya shairi ni muhimu
kama maneno yenyewe.
08:43
We readsoma this poemshairi by W.S. MerwinMerwin,
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Tunasoma shairi hili lililoandikwa na
W.S.Merwin,
08:45
whichambayo he wrotealiandika after he saw
his wifemke workingkufanya kazi in the gardenbustani
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ambalo aliliandika baada ya kumuona
mkewe akifanya kazi kwenye bustani
08:50
and realizedgundua that they would spendtumia
the restpumzika of theirwao livesanaishi togetherpamoja.
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na akakumbuka kuwa wataishi maisha
yao yote yaliyobaki wakiwa pamoja.
08:55
"Let me imaginefikiria that we will come again
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"Wacha nifikiri kuwa tutakuja tena
08:57
when we want to and it will be springspring
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tutakapotaka na itakuwa wakati wa masika
09:00
We will be no olderwakubwa than we ever were
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hatutakuwa na umri mkubwa
kuliko tulivyowahi kuwa
09:04
The wornhuvaliwa griefshali will have easedaliondoa
like the earlymapema cloudwingu
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na majonzi yatakuwa mepesi kama
mawingu ya mapema
09:08
throughkupitia whichambayo morningasubuhi
slowlypolepole comesinakuja to itselfyenyewe"
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ambayo kwayo asubuhi
huja yenyewe taratibu"
09:11
I askedaliuliza PatrickPatrick what his favoritefavorite
linemstari was, and he said,
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Nikamuuliza Patrick mstari alioupenda
zaidi ni upi, na akasema
09:15
"We will be no olderwakubwa than we ever were."
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"Hatutakuwa na umri mkubwa
kuliko tulivyokuwa."
09:20
He said it remindedalikumbushwa him
of a placemahali where time just stopsataacha,
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Alisema inamkumbusha
mahali ambapo muda husimama,
09:24
where time doesn't matterjambo anymoretena.
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pale ambapo muda haumaanishi
kitu chochote.
09:27
And I askedaliuliza him
if he had a placemahali like that,
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Na nikamuuliza kama amewahi kuwa
na mahali pa jinsi hiyo.
09:29
where time lastsinachukua forevermilele.
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pale ambapo muda hudumu milele.
09:32
And he said, "My mothermama."
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Na akasema, "Mama yangu".
09:35
When you readsoma a poemshairi
alongsidesambamba na someonemtu elsemwingine,
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Na pale unaposoma shairi
pamoja na mtu mwingine,
09:40
the poemshairi changesmabadiliko in meaningmaana.
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shairi hubadilika katika maana.
09:43
Because it becomesinakuwa personalbinafsi
to that personmtu, becomesinakuwa personalbinafsi to you.
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Kwa sababu huwa la kibinafsi kwa mtu huyo,
huwa la kibinafsi kwako.
09:49
We then readsoma booksvitabu, we readsoma so manywengi booksvitabu,
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Halafu tulisoma vitabu,
tulisoma vitabu vingi sana,
09:52
we readsoma the memoirmemoir of FrederickFrederick DouglassDouglass,
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tulisoma kumbukumbu za Frederick Douglass,
09:55
an AmericanMarekani slavemtumwa who taughtalifundishwa
himselfmwenyewe to readsoma and writeandika
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Mtumwa wa Marekani aliyejifunza mwenyewe
kusoma na kuandika
09:59
and who escapedalitoroka to freedomuhuru
because of his literacykusoma na kuandika.
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na aliyetoroka na kuwa huru
sababu ya kuelimika kwake.
10:03
I had grownmzima up thinkingkufikiri
of FrederickFrederick DouglassDouglass as a heroshujaa
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Nimekua nikimfikiria Frederick Douglass
kama shujaa
10:06
and I thought of this storyhadithi
as one of upliftkuinua and hopetumaini.
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na niliiona hii simulizi kama
iliyojaa matumaini na yenye kuinua
10:10
But this bookkitabu put PatrickPatrick
in a kindaina of panichofu.
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Lakini kitabu hiki kilimuweka Patrick
katika hofu.
10:14
He fixatedimefungwa on a storyhadithi DouglassDouglass told
of how, over ChristmasKrismasi,
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Alibakia katika simulizi aliyoielezea
Douglass jinsi ambavyo, katika Christmas,
10:19
mastersmabwana give slaveswatumwa ginGini
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Mabwana waliwapa watumwa jini(pombe kali)
10:23
as a way to provekuthibitisha to them
that they can't handlekushughulikia freedomuhuru.
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kama namna ya kuwaaminisha kuwa
hawawezi kuumudu uhuru.
10:26
Because slaveswatumwa would be
stumblingkujikwaa on the fieldsmashamba.
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Kwa sababu watumwa waliweweseka
katika mashamba.
10:31
PatrickPatrick said he relatedkuhusiana to this.
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Patrick alisema anajifananisha na hili.
10:34
He said that there are people in jailjela
who, like slaveswatumwa,
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Alisema kuwa kuna watu gerezani ambao,
kama watumwa,
10:37
don't want to think about theirwao conditionhali,
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hawataki kuwaza juu ya hali zao,
10:40
because it's too painfulchungu.
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kwa sababu inawaumiza sana.
10:41
Too painfulchungu to think about the pastzilizopita,
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Inaumiza sana kuwaza mambo ya nyuma,
10:44
too painfulchungu to think
about how farmbali we have to go.
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inaumiza sana kuwaza
kuhusu umbali gani tunapaswa kwenda.
10:48
His favoritefavorite linemstari was this linemstari:
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Mstari alioupenda sana ulikuwa huu:
10:51
"Anything, no matterjambo what,
to get ridOndoa of thinkingkufikiri!
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"Chochote kile, bila kujali chochote,
kujiondoa katika kuwaza!
10:55
It was this everlastingmilele thinkingkufikiri
of my conditionhali that tormentedakiteseka me."
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Ilikuwa ni huku kuwaza kusiko koma kuhusu
hali yangu ndiko kunako kipa mateso."
11:01
PatrickPatrick said that DouglassDouglass was bravejasiri
to writeandika, to keep thinkingkufikiri.
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Patrick alisema Douglass alikuwa jasiri
kuandika, ili aendelee kuwaza.
11:07
But PatrickPatrick would never know
how much he seemedilionekana like DouglassDouglass to me.
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Lakini Patrick hakufahamu kuwa alionekana
kufanana sana na Douglass kwangu.
11:12
How he keptimehifadhiwa readingkusoma,
even thoughingawa it put him in a panichofu.
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Namna alivyoendelea kusoma,
ijapokuwa ilimuweka katika hofu.
11:17
He finishedkumalizika the bookkitabu before I did,
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Alimaliza kitabu kabla yangu,
11:20
readingkusoma it in a concretesaruji
stairwayngazi with no lightmwanga.
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akisoma katika ngazi za
zege zisizo na taa.
11:25
And then we wentakaenda on
to readsoma one of my favoritefavorite booksvitabu,
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Halafu tukaendelea kusoma mojawapo
ya vitabu ninavyovipenda,
11:28
MarilynneMarilynne Robinson'sYa Robinson "GileadGileadi,"
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Cha Marilynne Robinson's "Gilead,"
11:30
whichambayo is an extendedkupanuliwa letterbarua
from a fatherbaba to his sonmwana.
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ambayo ni barua endelevu kutoka
kwa baba kwenda kwa mwanae.
11:34
He lovedkupendwa this linemstari:
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Alipenda mstari huu:
11:37
"I'm writingkuandika this in partsehemu to tell you
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"Ninaandika hii kwa sehemu kukuambia
11:39
that if you ever wonderajabu
what you've donekufanyika in your life ...
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ya kwamba kama umewahi kujiuliza
kile umekifanya katika maisha yako...
11:42
you have been God'sWa Mungu graceneema to me,
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umekuwa neema ya Mungu kwangu,
11:44
a miraclemuujiza, something more than a miraclemuujiza."
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muujiza, kitu ambacho ni zaidi
ya muujiza."
11:49
Something about this languagelugha,
its love, its longinghamu, its voicesauti,
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Kitu kimoja kuhusu hii lugha,
upendo wake, subira yake, sauti yake,
11:55
rekindledrekindled Patrick'sYa Patrick desirehamu to writeandika.
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iliamsha shauku ya Patrick katika kuandika.
11:58
And he would fillkujaza notebooksmadaftari uponjuu notebooksmadaftari
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Na alijaza daftari kwa daftari
12:01
with lettersbarua to his daughterbinti.
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na barua kwenda kwa binti yake.
12:04
In these beautifulnzuri, intricatenje lettersbarua,
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katika barua hizi nzuri na imara,
12:07
he would imaginefikiria him and his daughterbinti
going canoeingCanoeing down the MississippiMississippi riverMto.
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alijiwazia yeye na binti yake
wakipanda mtumbwi katika mto Mississipi
12:13
He would imaginefikiria them
findingkutafuta a mountainmlima streammkondo
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Alijiwazia yeye na binti yake
wakipata vijito vya milimani
12:16
with perfectlykikamilifu clearwazi watermaji.
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vikiwa na maji masafi bila kasoro.
12:20
As I watchedaliangalia PatrickPatrick writeandika,
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Nilipomtazama Patrick akiandika,
12:23
I thought to myselfMimi mwenyewe,
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Nilijiwazia mwenyewe,
12:25
and I now askkuuliza all of you,
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na sasa ninawaulizeni nyote,
12:27
how manywengi of you have writtenimeandikwa a letterbarua
to somebodymtu you feel you have let down?
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ni wangapi wenu mmewahi kuandika barua
kwa mtu unayehisi umemwangusha?
12:34
It is just much easierrahisi
to put those people out of your mindakili.
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Ni rahisi sana
kuwaweka hao watu nje ya fikra zako.
12:40
But PatrickPatrick showedilionyesha up everykila day,
facinginakabiliwa his daughterbinti,
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Lakini Patrick alijitokeza kila siku,
akimkabili binti yake,
12:44
holdingkushikilia himselfmwenyewe accountablekuwajibika to her,
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akijiwajibisha kwake,
12:47
wordneno by wordneno with intensekali concentrationmkusanyiko.
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neno kwa neno kwa umakini wa hali ya juu.
12:54
I wanted in my ownmwenyewe life
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Ningependa katika maisha yangu binafsi
12:58
to put myselfMimi mwenyewe at riskhatari in that way.
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kujiweka katika hatari kwa namna hiyo.
13:01
Because that riskhatari revealsyaonyesha
the strengthnguvu of one'sya mtu heartmoyo.
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Kwa sababu hatari hiyo inadhihirisha
nguvu za moyo wa mtu.
13:08
Let me take a stephatua back
and just askkuuliza an uncomfortablewasiwasi questionswali.
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Ngoja nirudi hatua moja nyuma na niulize
swali ambalo linaleta wasiwasi.
13:12
Who am I to tell this storyhadithi,
as in this PatrickPatrick storyhadithi?
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Mimi ni nani kusimulia simulizi hii,
hii simulizi ya Patrick?
13:18
Patrick'sYa Patrick the one who livedaliishi with this painmaumivu
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Patrick ndiye aliyeishi kwenye
maumivu haya
13:21
and I have never been hungrynjaa
a day in my life.
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na mimi sijawahi kukaa na njaa hata
kwa siku moja kwenye maisha yangu
13:27
I thought about this questionswali a lot,
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Ninawaza sana kuhusu swali hili,
13:29
but what I want to say is that this storyhadithi
is not just about PatrickPatrick.
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lakini ninachotaka kusema ni kuwa hii
simulizi sio tu kuhusu Patrick.
13:32
It's about us,
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Inatuhusu sisi,
13:34
it's about the inequalitykutofautiana betweenkati us.
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ni kuhusu tofauti kati yetu.
13:37
The worldulimwengu of plentymengi
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Ulimwengu wa vingi
13:40
that PatrickPatrick and his parentswazazi
and his grandparentsbabu
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ambao Patrick na wazazi wake
na mababu zake
13:44
have been shutfunga out of.
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hawajawahi kuuona.
13:45
In this storyhadithi, I representkuwakilisha
that worldulimwengu of plentymengi.
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Katika simulizi hii, mimi ninawakilisha
huo ulimwengu wa vingi.
13:49
And in tellingkuwaambia this storyhadithi,
I didn't want to hidekujificha myselfMimi mwenyewe.
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Na katika kueleza simulizi hii
sikutaka kujificha mwenyewe.
13:53
HideFicha the powernguvu that I do have.
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Kuficha nguvu ambazo ninazo.
13:57
In tellingkuwaambia this storyhadithi,
I wanted to exposewazi that powernguvu
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Katika kueleza simulizi hii,
ninataka kuifichua nguvu hiyo
14:00
and then to askkuuliza,
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halafu kuuliza,
14:03
how do we diminishkupunguza
the distanceumbali betweenkati us?
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tunawezaje kuipunguza
umbali kati yetu?
14:08
ReadingKusoma is one way to closekaribu that distanceumbali.
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Kusoma ni njia mojawapo ya kuipunguza
hiyo nafasi.
14:11
It givesanatoa us a quietutulivu universeulimwengu
that we can sharekushiriki togetherpamoja,
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Kunatuma ulimwengu wa ukimya
ambao tunaweza kuushiriki pamoja,
14:16
that we can sharekushiriki in equallysawa.
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ambao tunaweza kuushiriki kwa usawa.
14:20
You're probablylabda wonderingwanashangaa now
what happenedkilichotokea to PatrickPatrick.
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Inawezekana unajiuliza sasa kuwa
ni nini kilitokea kwa Patrick.
14:23
Did readingkusoma savesalama his life?
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Je kusoma kuliokoa maisha yake?
14:26
It did and it didn't.
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Kuliyaokoa na hakukuyaokoa.
14:29
When PatrickPatrick got out of prisonjela,
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Patrick alipotoka gerezani,
14:32
his journeysafari was excruciatingakitambua.
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safari yake ilikuwa ya maumivu.
14:36
EmployersWaajiri turnedakageuka him away
because of his recordrekodi,
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Waajiri hawakumkubali kwa sababu
ya historia yake,
14:39
his bestbora friendrafiki, his mothermama,
diedalikufa at ageumri 43
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rafiki yake mpenzi, mama yake,
alifariki katika umri wa miaka 43
14:42
from heartmoyo diseaseugonjwa and diabeteskisukari.
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kwa ugonjwa wa moyo na kisukari.
14:45
He's been homelesswasio na makazi, he's been hungrynjaa.
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Alikuwa hana pa kuishi,
amekuwa hana chakula.
14:50
So people say a lot of things
about readingkusoma that feel exaggeratedchumvi to me.
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Kwa hiyo watu wanasema mengi kuhusu kusoma
ambayo kwangu ninahisi wanazidisha chumvi.
14:55
BeingKuwa literatewanaojua kusoma na kuandika didn't stop him
formfomu beingkuwa discriminatedkuwawezesha againstdhidi.
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Uwezo wa kusoma haukumzuia yeye
asitengwe na jamii.
14:59
It didn't stop his mothermama from dyingkufa.
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Hakukumzuia mama yake asifariki.
15:03
So what can readingkusoma do?
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Kwa hiyo kusoma kunaweza kufanya nini?
15:07
I have a fewwachache answersmajibu to endmwisho with todayleo.
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Nina majibu machache ninapomalizia leo.
15:12
ReadingKusoma chargedkushtakiwa his innerndani life
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Kusoma kulibadili utu wake wa ndani
15:17
with mysterysiri, with imaginationmawazo,
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kwa mambo yaliyofichika na uwezo wa
kuwaza kwa picha.
15:20
with beautyuzuri.
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kwa uzuri.
15:22
ReadingKusoma gavealitoa him imagesPicha that gavealitoa him joyfuraha:
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Kusoma kulimpa taswira zilizompa furaha:
15:27
mountainmlima, oceanBahari, deerkulungu, frostjalidi.
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milima, bahari, kulungu, theluji.
15:33
WordsManeno that tasteladha of a freebure, naturalasili worldulimwengu.
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Maneno yenye ladha ya ulimwengu huru
na halisi.
15:39
ReadingKusoma gavealitoa him a languagelugha
for what he had lostpotea.
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Kusoma kulimpa lugha kwa yale aliyopoteza.
15:43
How preciousthamani are these linesmistari
from the poetmshairi DerekDerek WalcottWalcott?
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Ni jinsi gani yalivyo mazuri haya maneno
kutoka kwa mshairi Derek Walcott?
15:47
PatrickPatrick memorizedkukariri this poemshairi.
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Patrick alilikariri hili shairi.
15:50
"DaysSiku that I have helduliofanyika,
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"Siku ambazo nilizishikilia,
15:52
dayssiku that I have lostpotea,
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siku ambazo nilizipoteza,
15:54
dayssiku that outgrowoutgrow, like daughtersbinti,
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siku ambazo zinakuwa kupitiliza,
kama mabinti,
15:57
my harboringharboring armssilaha."
264
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mikono yangu inayoshikilia."
16:00
ReadingKusoma taughtalifundishwa him his ownmwenyewe courageujasiri.
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Kusoma kulimfundisha ujasiri wake
mwenyewe.
16:03
RememberKumbuka that he keptimehifadhiwa readingkusoma
FrederickFrederick DouglassDouglass,
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Kumbuka kwamba aliendelea kusoma
Frederick Douglass,
16:07
even thoughingawa it was painfulchungu.
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ijapokuwa ilikuwa ya kuumiza.
16:09
He keptimehifadhiwa beingkuwa consciousFahamu,
even thoughingawa beingkuwa consciousFahamu hurtshuumiza.
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Aliendelea kuwa makini,
ijapokuwa kuwa makini kunauma.
16:14
ReadingKusoma is a formfomu of thinkingkufikiri,
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Kusoma ni aina ya kutafakari,
16:16
that's why it's difficultvigumu to readsoma
because we have to think.
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ndio maana ni vigumu sana kusoma
kwa sababu tunataka kutafakari.
16:20
And PatrickPatrick chosealichagua to think,
ratherbadala than to not think.
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Na Patrick alichagua kutafakari,
badala ya kutokutafakari.
16:28
And last, readingkusoma gavealitoa him a languagelugha
to speaksema to his daughterbinti.
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Na mwishoni, kusoma kulimpa lugha
ya kuongea na binti yake.
16:33
ReadingKusoma inspiredaliongoza him to want to writeandika.
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Kusoma kulimpa shauku ya kutaka kuandika.
16:36
The linkkiungo betweenkati readingkusoma
and writingkuandika is so powerfulnguvu.
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Muunganiko kati ya kusoma na
kuandika ni wenye nguvu sana.
16:40
When we beginkuanza to readsoma,
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Tunapoanza kusoma,
16:42
we beginkuanza to find the wordsmaneno.
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tunaanza kupata maneno.
16:45
And he foundkupatikana the wordsmaneno
to imaginefikiria the two of them togetherpamoja.
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Na alipata maneno ya kutafakari
wao wawili wakiwa pamoja.
16:50
He foundkupatikana the wordsmaneno
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Alipata maneno
16:53
to tell her how much he lovedkupendwa her.
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ya kumwelezea ni namna gani anampenda.
16:58
ReadingKusoma alsopia changediliyopita
our relationshipuhusiano with eachkila mmoja other.
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Kusoma pia kulibadilisha
mahusiano baina yetu.
17:02
It gavealitoa us an occasiontukio for intimacyurafiki,
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Kunatupa nyakati za kuwa karibu,
17:04
to see beyondzaidi our pointspointi of viewmtazamo.
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kuweza kuona zaidi ya mitazamo yetu.
17:07
And readingkusoma tookalichukua an unequalusawa relationshipuhusiano
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Na kusoma kulichukua mahusiano ya
kutokuwa sawa
17:09
and gavealitoa us a momentarykitambo kidogo tu equalityusawa.
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na kulitupa usawa wa muda mfupi.
17:14
When you meetkukutana somebodymtu as a readermsomaji,
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Ukikutana na mtu kama msomaji,
17:17
you meetkukutana him for the first time,
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unakutana naye kwa mara ya kwanza,
17:19
newlywapya, freshlyfreshly.
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kwa upya kabisa.
17:21
There is no way you can know
what his favoritefavorite linemstari will be.
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Hakuna namna unaweza kufahamu mstari
anaoupenda sana ni upi.
17:26
What memorieskumbukumbu and privatePrivat griefshali he has.
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Ni kumbukumbu zipi na huzuni zipi za
siri alizonazo.
17:30
And you faceuso the ultimatemwisho privacyFaragha
of his innerndani life.
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Na unakutana na sitara ya hali ya juu
ya utu wake wa ndani.
17:35
And then you startkuanza to wonderajabu,
"Well, what is my innerndani life madealifanya of?
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Na halafu unaanza kushangaa,
"Eti,utu wangu wa ndani umejengwa na nini?
17:39
What do I have that's worthwhilethamani
to sharekushiriki with anothermwingine?"
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Ni kitu gani nilichonacho cha thamani
cha kumshirikisha mwingine?"
17:45
I want to closekaribu
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Ninataka kufunga
17:48
on some of my favoritefavorite linesmistari
from Patrick'sYa Patrick lettersbarua to his daughterbinti.
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kwa mistari yangu ninayoipenda
kutoka kwa barua za Patrick kwa bintiye.
17:53
"The riverMto is shadowykivuli in some placesmaeneo
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"Mto una kivuli kwenye baadhi ya maeneo
17:56
but the lightmwanga shineshuangaza
throughkupitia the cracksnyufa of treesmiti ...
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lakini mwanga unaangaza
kupitia mianya ya miti...
17:59
On some branchesmatawi
hangpanga plentymengi of mulberriesmulberries.
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Kwenye baadhi ya matawi
muliberi nyingi zimening'inia.
18:03
You stretchkunyoosha your armmkono
straightsawa out to grabkunyakua some."
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Unanyoosha mkono wako
ili uweze kuyachukua baadhi".
18:08
And this lovelynzuri letterbarua, where he writesanaandika,
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Na barua hii ya upendo, anapoandika,
18:10
"CloseFunga your eyesmacho and listen
to the soundssauti of the wordsmaneno.
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"Fumba macho yako na usikilize
sauti ya maneno.
18:14
I know this poemshairi by heartmoyo
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Ninafahamu shairi hili kwa moyo
18:17
and I would like you to know it, too."
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na ningependa pia wewe ulifahamu."
18:21
Thank you so much everyonekila mtu.
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Ninawashukuruni nyote.
18:23
(ApplauseMakofi)
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(Makofi)
Translated by MIRIAM ELISHA
Reviewed by Nelson Simfukwe

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Michelle Kuo - Teacher, writer, lawyer
Michelle Kuo believes in the power of reading to connect us with one another, creating a shared universe.

Why you should listen

Michelle Kuo is a teacher, lawyer, writer and passionate advocate of prison education. She has taught English at an alternative school for kids who were expelled from other schools in rural Arkansas, located in the Mississippi Delta. While at Harvard Law School, she received the National Clinical Association's award for her advocacy of children with special needs. Later, as a lawyer for undocumented immigrants in Oakland, Kuo helped tenants facing evictions, workers stiffed out of their wages and families facing deportation. She has also volunteered at a detention center in south Texas, helping families apply for asylum, and taught courses at San Quentin Prison. Currently, she teaches in the History, Law, and Society program at the American University of Paris, where she works to inspire students on issues of migrant justice and criminal justice. This fall, she is helping to start a prison education program in France.

In 2017, Kuo released Reading with Patrick, a memoir of teaching reading in a rural county jail in Arkansas. A runner-up for the Goddard Riverside Social Justice Prize and Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the book explores questions of what it is we owe each other and how starkly economic and racial inequality determine our life outcomes.

(Photo: Jasmine Cowen)

More profile about the speaker
Michelle Kuo | Speaker | TED.com