James A. White Sr.: The little problem I had renting a house
老詹姆士.懷特: 我租房子時碰到的小問題
James A. White Sr. believes that every person and organization has incredible potential. He works to help them understand it — and communicate it to others. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
joined the United States Air Force
Air Force Base
the first goal that I had
and my new baby, Melanie,
the personnel office,
an apartment in Mountain Home, Idaho.
找間公寓,不會有問題。
because they know if they have an airman
因為他們知道只要是空軍,
one of their apartments,
of people that you can call,
to select the apartment that you want."
and I told her what I wanted.
自己想要找怎樣的住處。
available right now."
a one-bedroom or two-bedroom?"
select the apartment that you want.
to get your family out here right away."
這樣很快就能把家人接過來了。」
and knocked on the door.
the woman came to the door,
"Can I help you?"
「有什麼需要幫忙的嗎?」
who called about the apartments.
to make my selection."
I'm really sorry,
and didn't tell me about them."
但卻沒告訴我。」
all five of them in one hour?"
租出去5間公寓?」
and what she said was this:
leave your number,
I'll give you a call?"
I did not get a call from her.
from the other people
說我可以從他們租到公寓。
where I could get apartments.
and feeling rejected,
to the squadron commander.
and here's what he said to me:
that they don't want to rent to.
with people in the community
what you should do.
that you get a 30-day leave.
spend 30 days and then come on back."
resonate for me.
I went back to personnel,
solution for you.
and he has a trailer.
all over the place.
許多活動屋拖車停在那裡。
and you'd probably get a really good deal
價格很可能非常便宜,
as soon as possible.
the solution for you."
went downtown, saw the trailer --
我看到那輛活動屋拖車——
best thing that I could do.
"Can I just leave the trailer here,
of all my problems,
another trailer park?"
I need to check with management."
才能確定可不可以。」
to some other people."
other slots that were open,
had promised that slot to someone else.
because there are a lot of trailer parks."
因為拖車停車場多的是。」
of going to trailer parks.
after another.
for the apartment.
that they made to me,
didn't have any slots open,
why we can't rent to you,
in the trailer park."
because I like you people."
I chuckled, too.
will move out
that kind of a hit."
it didn't stop me.
of the town in Mountain Home,
from other trailer slots.
at that moment
a lot of other options.
"We're going to make this one work."
「我們一定要好好地住得這裡。」
in Mountain Home, Idaho.
有了自己的房子。
things settled down.
to move from Mountain Home, Idaho
要我從愛德荷州蒙恩荷馬市
It was another great location. (Laughter)
from Mountain Home, Idaho
從愛德荷州蒙恩荷馬市
had just purchased a brand-new automobile.
and said she'll fly out.
she'll help us manage the children.
她會幫我們照顧孩子。
put a lot of food together for the trip.
準備了很多食物。
good conversation.
we got a little bit tired,
a motel so that we can rest
「要不我們找一個汽車旅館休息一晚,
in the morning?"
of the motels as we drove down the road,
big, bright flashing light that said,
它有一個閃亮的字招牌上寫,
I went inside.
one contract with some folks,
were coming in behind me.
for the evening for my family."
I just rented the last one.
until the morning."
about an hour, 45 minutes,
或者45分鐘,
'Vacancies' light on, and it's flashing."
and turned the light off.
No one said anything.
and went outside to the parking lot.
走到停車場。
and also Melanie, and I said,
drive a little bit further down the road
and pulled out of the parking lot,
Vacancies, Vacancies."
but it was secure and it was clean.
但是至少那裡很安全,也乾淨。
kinds of experiences
to Pennsylvania,
motels and restaurants.
餐廳都遭到拒絕。
Everyone was glad to see the kids.
大家都很高興看到孩子。
to Goose Bay, Labrador,
two great-grandchildren.
one in medical school.
其中一個是醫學院的,
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
in college now for eight years.
but he wants to be a comedian.
但他想成為一個喜劇演員。
to stay in school.
does not make you a comedian, right?
你也不一定可成為喜劇演員,對嗎?
they're all good kids --
in high school, no crime.
and all the hullabaloo that was going on.
commentators got on the air and she said,
white homeowners, or white citizens."
it just all hit me.
它大大地震撼了我。
to do these kinds of things?"
what they said on TV?"
but it seems that driving while black,
好像身為黑人開車,
it's just dangerous.
that you told us to do.
我們只是做你教我們做的。
at the 12 o'clock position.
into the glove compartment to get my I.D.'
手套箱裡拿我的身份證明。」
because we know, you've told us,
因為我們知道,你告訴過我們,
be the ones to challenge."
我們會去做抗爭。」
that really bugs me:
we kind of hang together.
of things happening to us, they say,
You need to challenge.
for their identification.'"
taught to tell them:
but please do not do that
但是當我們在車子裡的時候,
are significantly different
what do I tell my grandsons?
我如何給孫子們一個交代?
How do I keep them alive?
我如何讓他們安然無恙?
come to me and said,
of being enraged."
energy and my ideas and my experiences
at any point in time,
like it might be racist.
to do is to educate,
is to unveil racism,
is do everything within my power
我要竭盡所能,
by any means necessary.
在此生消滅種族歧視。
to their dignity,
heinous crimes in an adverse manner.
有不利的反應。
of societal knowledge,
and societal consciousness
all of us come together,
所有我們一起,
and we challenge any kind of insanity,
挑戰任何形式的瘋狂行為,
okay to kill unarmed people,
It doesn't make any sense.
那些完全不合理智。
is through a collective.
就是透過大家一起來,
亞洲人和西班牙裔,
and Asian and Hispanic
that kind of behavior anymore."
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
James A. White Sr. - ConsultantJames A. White Sr. believes that every person and organization has incredible potential. He works to help them understand it — and communicate it to others.
Why you should listen
James A. White Sr. is an executive coach and management consultant. The owner and president of Performance Consulting Services in Columbus, Ohio, he helps individuals, groups and organizations recognize their potential, fine-tune their strategic messages and present them effectively.
James is dedicated to sharing his energy, passion and insight into how to overcome life’s obstacles with others. As a dyslexic student in the inner city, he dropped out of high school — and after getting his G.E.D. jumpstarted his career by joining the U.S. Air Force. He went on to positions at Xerox, Wang Laboratories and Digital Equipment Corporation and has spent the past 25 as a consultant and educator. He also aims to share his experiences of racism in order to stress the message that all races, genders and backgrounds must come together to challenge the status quo.
James A. White Sr. | Speaker | TED.com