Marlon Peterson: Am I not human? A call for criminal justice reform
马龙·彼得森: 难道我不是人吗?刑事司法改革势在必行
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
way to open a talk
是毫无吸引力的。
going through your head about that.
such a thing about himself?
when he sees himself as garbage?
把他视为英雄呢?
than we do from answers.
我们学到更多。
some sort of new information,
进行投资,
that makes us feel uncomfortable.
to the only acoustic instrument
也来自此地:
of one of the ghettos in Trinidad,
改进而来的。
of the American military ...
military bases set up in Trinidad,
设立了军事基地。
with empty oil drums --
repurposed the old drums left behind
旧油桶重新使用,
to Bob Marley to 50 Cent,
50 Cent的音乐,
music out of garbage.
in a violent robbery attempt
结果被捕。
in a coffee shop,
of Trinidad and Tobago.
(母亲非法入境美国后产下的孩子),
and millions of Americans easily malign.
and seven days of a prison sentence.
in a correctional institution.
that a series of letters redeemed me,
我被一系列信件救赎,
the darkness and the guilt
最糟糕时期
moment of my young life.
when I read those words.
学生写了150封信件,
a mentoring correspondence program
at a middle school in Brooklyn,
shared their stories with me,
他们的故事,
of their favorite cartoon character
或者忠告的时候,
on my letters or my words of advice,
I could contribute to this planet.
这个世界做出的贡献。
and what they shared with me,
的生活故事,
to admit to myself
for that fateful day in October of 1999;
with living in a community
的社区里生活所带来的创伤;
to get than sneakers;
raped at gunpoint at the age of 14;
mattered so much to me,
与这些人沟通
with those folks
with some friends of mine
分享这个机会。
with the young people as well,
of relevancy in return.
and youth program innovators
return of investment.
taught me was that when we sow,
投资在各种处境的人的人性上,
of people no matter where they're at,
of criminal justice reform,
of nonviolent drug offenses
that amplify the relevancy of people
增加人们意义感的资源上,
或者离你不远的贫民区的时候,
the communities that we want.
in law enforcement as a resource,
a sense of relevancy
do so many harmful things
display of a lot of underlying traumas.
隐藏创伤的表现。
value of relevancy,
personal responsibility and healing.
再次得到治愈。
to do the hard work,
艰苦的工作,
undeserved kindness
while walking home.
while eating breakfast,
the redemptive value of relevancy
of seeing the value in me.
看到这种价值是很困难的。
our own capacity
视而不见的人的全部经历,
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