TED2015
Clint Smith: How to raise a black son in America
柯林特·史密斯: 如何在美國養育黑人下一代
Filmed:
Readability: 3.7
2,208,793 views
孩提時，我們常常會收到來自父母和老師的奇怪、令人不解的建議。直到某天夜晚，當小柯林特·史密斯和他的白人朋友在停車場玩水槍時，一切的困惑都被揭開了。在這個誠摯的故事中，詩人柯林特將父親當晚豐沛的情感與焦慮真實重現。
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
Growing up, I didn't always understand
0
890
2300
在成長的路上，我一直不懂，
00:15
why my parents made me
follow the rules that they did.
follow the rules that they did.
1
3190
2695
為什麼爸媽老要我聽他們的話。
00:17
Like, why did I really
have to mow the lawn?
have to mow the lawn?
2
5885
2790
比如說為什麼我一定要去除草？
00:20
Why was homework really that important?
3
8675
2668
寫作業有這麼重要嗎？
00:23
Why couldn't I put jelly beans
in my oatmeal?
in my oatmeal?
4
11343
3924
為什麼我不能把雷根糖放進燕麥裡？
我的童年充斥這類疑問。
00:27
My childhood was abound
with questions like this.
with questions like this.
5
15267
2856
關於當小孩的種種，
00:30
Normal things about being a kid
and realizing that sometimes,
and realizing that sometimes,
6
18123
4273
然後認識到：有時候，
00:34
it was best to listen to my parents
even when I didn't exactly understand why.
even when I didn't exactly understand why.
7
22396
4083
聽父母的話準沒錯，
哪怕不知道為什麼。
哪怕不知道為什麼。
00:38
And it's not that they didn't want
me to think critically.
me to think critically.
8
26479
3016
不是他們不想讓我獨立思考。
00:41
Their parenting always sought
to reconcile the tension
to reconcile the tension
9
29495
2601
他們的教育在天平兩端拉扯：
00:44
between having my siblings and I
understand the realities of the world,
understand the realities of the world,
10
32096
3451
一方面要讓孩子了解社會現況；
00:47
while ensuring that we never accepted
the status quo as inevitable.
the status quo as inevitable.
11
35547
4107
但又不希望我們輕易接受現狀。
00:51
I came to realize that this,
in and of itself,
in and of itself,
12
39654
3308
我漸漸了解這種教育本身，
00:54
was a very purposeful form of education.
13
42964
2366
是非常有深度的教育方式。
一位我最愛的教育專家，
巴西作家兼學者保羅弗雷勒，
巴西作家兼學者保羅弗雷勒，
00:58
One of my favorite educators,
Brazilian author and scholar Paulo Freire,
Brazilian author and scholar Paulo Freire,
14
46050
4120
01:02
speaks quite explicitly
about the need for education
about the need for education
15
50170
3099
清楚闡明了教育的必要，
01:05
to be used as a tool for critical
awakening and shared humanity.
awakening and shared humanity.
16
53269
3848
作為啟發批判性思維、共享人性的工具。
在他的名作《受壓迫者教育學》中，
01:09
In his most famous book,
"Pedagogy of the Oppressed,"
"Pedagogy of the Oppressed,"
17
57857
2785
01:12
he states, "No one can be
authentically human
authentically human
18
60642
4514
他說：「一個人如果不懂得尊重他人，
就稱不上真正的人。」
就稱不上真正的人。」
01:17
while he prevents others from being so."
19
65156
2231
我最近一直在想這句話，
01:20
I've been thinking a lot about this
lately, this idea of humanity,
lately, this idea of humanity,
20
68167
3820
這個關於人性的概念。
01:23
and specifically, who in this world
is afforded the privilege
is afforded the privilege
21
71987
3277
特別是那些有條件、
01:27
of being perceived as fully human.
22
75264
3016
可以有尊嚴活著的人。
01:30
Over the course of
the past several months,
the past several months,
23
78280
2330
在過去幾個月，
01:32
the world has watched
as unarmed black men, and women,
as unarmed black men, and women,
24
80610
3208
新聞報導手無寸鐵的黑人男女
01:35
have had their lives taken
at the hands of police and vigilante.
at the hands of police and vigilante.
25
83818
3937
被警察和自以為替天行道的人殺害。
這些事件和後續的發展，
01:39
These events and all that
has transpired after them
has transpired after them
26
87755
2893
讓我想到我的童年，
01:42
have brought me back to my own childhood
27
90648
2108
01:44
and the decisions that my parents made
about raising a black boy in America
about raising a black boy in America
28
92756
4344
和我爸媽當時選擇的
在美國養育黑人小孩的方式。
在美國養育黑人小孩的方式。
01:49
that growing up, I didn't always
understand in the way that I do now.
understand in the way that I do now.
29
97100
4107
我小時候不知道他們為什麼這樣，
但我現在終於理解了他們。
但我現在終於理解了他們。
我可以想像那有多難，
01:53
I think of how hard it must have been,
how profoundly unfair it must have felt
how profoundly unfair it must have felt
30
101977
4235
會感到多麼不捨、不公平，
01:58
for them to feel like they had
to strip away parts of my childhood
to strip away parts of my childhood
31
106212
4185
當他們要剝奪我童年的一部份——
只為了讓我每天平安回家。
02:02
just so that I could come home at night.
32
110409
2801
比如說有一天晚上，
02:05
For example, I think of how one night,
33
113210
2101
02:07
when I was around 12 years old, on an
overnight field trip to another city,
overnight field trip to another city,
34
115311
3902
我12歲，在另一個城市旅行。
02:11
my friends and I bought Super Soakers
35
119213
2346
我和我朋友買了水槍，
02:13
and turned the hotel parking lot
into our own water-filled battle zone.
into our own water-filled battle zone.
36
121559
4010
然後把飯店停車場變成溼答答的戰場。
我們躲在車子後，
02:18
We hid behind cars,
37
126102
1703
02:19
running through the darkness that
lay between the streetlights,
lay between the streetlights,
38
127805
3168
在街燈和夜色之間穿梭，
02:22
boundless laughter ubiquitous
across the pavement.
across the pavement.
39
130973
3411
我們的笑聲傳遍整條大街。
但不到十分鐘，
02:26
But within 10 minutes,
40
134384
2083
我爸衝出來，抓住我的手臂，
02:28
my father came outside,
grabbed me by my forearm
grabbed me by my forearm
41
136467
3013
極其反常地把我拖回房間。
02:31
and led me into our room
with an unfamiliar grip.
with an unfamiliar grip.
42
139480
3025
02:34
Before I could say anything,
43
142505
1864
我還來不及開口，
02:36
tell him how foolish he had
made me look in front of my friends,
made me look in front of my friends,
44
144369
3358
怪他讓我在同學面前丟臉，
02:39
he derided me for being so naive.
45
147727
3115
他就罵我怎麼這麼天真。
02:42
Looked me in the eye,
fear consuming his face,
fear consuming his face,
46
150842
4543
他看著我的雙眼，
恐懼爬上他的臉龐，
恐懼爬上他的臉龐，
02:47
and said, "Son, I'm sorry,
47
155385
2545
然後說：「兒子，對不起，
02:49
but you can't act the same
as your white friends.
as your white friends.
48
157930
3037
但你不能跟你的白人朋友一樣。
02:52
You can't pretend to shoot guns.
49
160967
2235
你不能假裝射擊手槍，
02:55
You can't run around in the dark.
50
163202
1886
你不能在暗處亂跑。
02:57
You can't hide behind anything
other than your own teeth."
other than your own teeth."
51
165088
3044
你全身上下可以躲起來的只有牙齒。」
03:00
I know now how scared he must have been,
52
168132
3003
我現在才知道他當時有多害怕、
我離死亡的距離又有多近。
03:03
how easily I could have fallen
into the empty of the night,
into the empty of the night,
53
171135
4013
會不會有人把水槍射出的水，
03:07
that some man would mistake this water
54
175148
2759
03:09
for a good reason to wash
all of this away.
all of this away.
55
177907
2247
誤認為子彈而傷害我。
這些影響了我往後的行為：
03:13
These are the sorts of messages I've been
inundated with my entire life:
inundated with my entire life:
56
181134
3412
03:16
Always keep your hands where they
can see them, don't move too quickly,
can see them, don't move too quickly,
57
184546
3499
永遠讓別人看得見雙手、
不要走太快、
不要走太快、
03:20
take off your hood when the sun goes down.
58
188045
2071
太陽下山就把帽子拿掉。
03:22
My parents raised me and my siblings
in an armor of advice,
in an armor of advice,
59
190116
3107
我的父母將一條條建議
穿在我們身上，
穿在我們身上，
03:25
an ocean of alarm bells so someone
wouldn't steal the breath from our lungs,
wouldn't steal the breath from our lungs,
60
193223
3631
滿滿的警告就為了讓我們活著，
03:28
so that they wouldn't make
a memory of this skin.
a memory of this skin.
61
196854
2312
不會為膚色付出慘痛代價，
03:31
So that we could be kids,
not casket or concrete.
not casket or concrete.
62
199166
2508
繼續當他們的孩子，
而不是棺材或墓碑。
而不是棺材或墓碑。
03:33
And it's not because they thought it
would make us better than anyone else
would make us better than anyone else
63
201674
3480
這樣做不是想讓我們過得比別人更好，
單純只想讓我們平安活著。
03:37
it's simply because they wanted
to keep us alive.
to keep us alive.
64
205154
2518
03:39
All of my black friends were raised
with the same message,
with the same message,
65
207672
2730
我的黑人朋友都在這種告誡中長大，
03:42
the talk, given to us
when we became old enough
when we became old enough
66
210402
2277
當我們長得夠大，
03:44
to be mistaken for a nail ready
to be hammered to the ground,
to be hammered to the ground,
67
212679
2945
當我們自衛的拳頭，
可能變成被追打的理由，
可能變成被追打的理由，
03:47
when people made our melanin
synonymous with something to be feared.
synonymous with something to be feared.
68
215624
4494
當我們的膚色，
成為別人眼中的恐懼。
成為別人眼中的恐懼。
03:52
But what does it do to a child
69
220118
2473
但這對孩子有什麼影響？
03:54
to grow up knowing that you
cannot simply be a child?
cannot simply be a child?
70
222591
3450
當你不能像個普通孩子
一樣單純地長大，
一樣單純地長大，
03:58
That the whims of adolescence
are too dangerous for your breath,
are too dangerous for your breath,
71
226041
3149
青春期的胡思亂想會害死你，
04:01
that you cannot simply be curious,
72
229190
1664
所以不能太好奇；
04:02
that you are not afforded the luxury
of making a mistake,
of making a mistake,
73
230854
2694
你沒有本錢犯錯，
04:05
that someone's implicit bias
74
233548
1768
別人的思想有偏差，
04:07
might be the reason you don't
wake up in the morning.
wake up in the morning.
75
235316
2510
可能會害你用生命付出代價。
04:10
But this cannot be what defines us.
76
238156
1715
但膚色不代表我們的全部。
04:11
Because we have parents
who raised us to understand
who raised us to understand
77
239871
2591
父母仍然想讓我們知道，
04:14
that our bodies weren't meant
for the backside of a bullet,
for the backside of a bullet,
78
242462
2776
我們的身體不是用來當彈靶的，
04:17
but for flying kites and jumping rope,
and laughing until our stomachs burst.
and laughing until our stomachs burst.
79
245238
3634
而應該去放風箏、跳跳繩、
開心地笑到肚子抽痛。
開心地笑到肚子抽痛。
04:20
We had teachers who taught us
how to raise our hands in class,
how to raise our hands in class,
80
248872
2984
上課時，老師教我們的是舉手發言，
04:23
and not just to signal surrender,
81
251856
1568
而不是舉手投降。
04:25
and that the only thing we should give up
82
253424
1966
我們唯一該放棄的，
04:27
is the idea that we
aren't worthy of this world.
aren't worthy of this world.
83
255390
2373
是「我們不配活著」的這種想法。
04:29
So when we say that black lives matter,
it's not because others don't,
it's not because others don't,
84
257763
3280
我們說黑人的生命很重要，
不代表別的人種不重要，
不代表別的人種不重要，
04:33
it's simply because we must affirm that we
are worthy of existing without fear,
are worthy of existing without fear,
85
261043
3708
只是想確認：
我們應當無所畏懼地活著。
我們應當無所畏懼地活著。
04:36
when so many things tell us we are not.
86
264751
2126
——哪怕種種跡象都在否定我們。
04:38
I want to live in a world where my son
87
266877
1962
我想活在一個
我兒子不會一出生
就揹著罪惡感的世界。
就揹著罪惡感的世界。
04:40
will not be presumed guilty
the moment he is born,
the moment he is born,
88
268839
2488
04:43
where a toy in his hand isn't mistaken
for anything other than a toy.
for anything other than a toy.
89
271327
3851
他手裡拿的玩具就是玩具，
不會被誤認為別的什麼東西。
不會被誤認為別的什麼東西。
04:47
And I refuse to accept that we can't
build this world into something new,
build this world into something new,
90
275178
3435
我不相信這種新世界
是我們無法達到的。
是我們無法達到的。
04:50
some place where a child's name
91
278613
1497
一定有某個世界，可以讓孩子的姓名，
04:52
doesn't have to be written
on a t-shirt, or a tombstone,
on a t-shirt, or a tombstone,
92
280110
2747
不再被印在T恤或墓碑上給人懷念；
04:54
where the value of someone's life
93
282857
1617
每個人生命的價值
04:56
isn't determined by anything other
than the fact that they had lungs,
than the fact that they had lungs,
94
284474
3799
不只是單純地呼吸、活著，
05:00
a place where every single
one of us can breathe.
one of us can breathe.
95
288273
4218
而是可以活出自我的世界。
05:04
Thank you.
96
292491
954
謝謝！
05:05
(Applause)
97
293445
2458
(掌聲)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Clint Smith - Poet, educatorClint Smith's work blends art and activism.
Why you should listen
Clint Smith is a writer, teacher and doctoral candidate at Harvard University studying education, incarceration and inequality. Previously, he taught high school English in Prince George’s County, Maryland where, in 2013, he was named the Christine D. Sarbanes Teacher of the Year by the Maryland Humanities Council.
Clint is a 2014 National Poetry Slam champion, an Individual World Poetry Slam Finalist, and author of the poetry collection Counting Descent. He has received fellowships from the National Science Foundation, Cave Canem and the Callaloo Creative Writing Workshop. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Guardian, Boston Review, American Poetry Review, Harvard Educational Review and elsewhere. He was born and raised in New Orleans, LA.
Clint Smith | Speaker | TED.com