Ruby Sales: How we can start to heal the pain of racial division | TED

Translator: Ivana Korom Reviewer: Joanna Pietrulewicz

Translator: Doris Mangalu Reviewer: Nelson Simfukwe

I want to share with you

Nataka niwashirikishe

a moment in my life

kipindi cha maisha yangu

when the hurt and wounds of racism

ambapo maumivu na majeraha ya ubaguzi wa rangi

were both deadly and paralyzing for me.

yalikua yanaua na yanapoozesha kwangu.

And I think what I've learned

Na nafikiri nilichojifunza

can be a source of healing for all of us.

kinaweza kua chanzo cha uponyaji kwetu sote.

When I was 17 years old,

Nilipokua na miaka 17,

I was a college student at Tuskegee University,

nilikua mwanafunzi wa chuo cha Tuskegee,

and I was a worker in the Southern freedom movement,

na nilikua mfanyakazi wa harakati ya Uhuru wa Kusini,

which we call the Civil Rights Movement.

ambao tunaita Harakati ya Haki za Kiraia.

During this time,

Kwenye kipindi hiki,

I met another young 26-year-old,

nilikutana na kijana mwingine wa miaka 26,

white seminary and college student

mweupe wa seminari na mwanafunzi wa chuo

named Jonathan Daniels, from Cambridge, Massachusetts.

aitwae Jonathan Daniels, kutoka Cambridge, Massachusetts.

He and I

Yeye na mimi

were both part of a generation of idealistic young people,

tulikua wote sehemu ya kizazi cha vijana wenye mitazamo,

whose life has been ignited

ambao maisha yao yamemulikiwa

by the freedom fire

na moto wa uhuru

that ordinary black people were spreading around the nation

ambao watu weusi wa kawaida walikua wakisambaa nchini

and throughout the South.

na kupitia Kusini.

We had come to Lowndes County

Tulikuja Jimbo la Lowndes

to work in the movement.

kufanya kazi kwenye harakati.

And it was a nonviolent movement

Na ilikua harakati isiyo na fujo

to redeem the souls of America.

kukomboa nafsi ya Marekani.

We believe that everyone,

Tuliamini kua kila mtu,

both black and white,

wote weusi kwa weupe,

people in the South,

watu wa Kusini,

could find a redemptive pathway

wanaweza kupata njia ya ukombozi

out of the stranglehold of racism

toka kwenye ukandamizi wa ubaguzi

that had gripped them for more than 400 years.

ambao ulikua umewakamata kwa zaidi ya miaka 400.

And on a hot, summer day in August,

Na kwenye siku yenye joto ya Agosti,

Jonathan and I joined a demonstration

Jonathan na mimi tuliunga maandamano

of local young black people,

ya vijana weusi wa mtaani,

who were protesting the exploitation

waliokua wakilalamikia dhuluma

[of] black sharecroppers

[za] wagawanya mavuno weusi

by rich land holders who cheated them out of their money.

na matajiri wa ardhi ambao waliwalaghai hela zao.

We decided to demonstrate alongside them.

Tuliamua kuandamana pamoja nao.

And on the morning that we showed up for the demonstration,

Na asubuhi ambayo tulijitokeza kwa ajili ya maandamano,

we were met with a mob of howling white men

tulikutana na kundi la wanaume weupe wakipiga kelele

with baseball bats, shotguns

na bao za mpira, bunduki

and any weapon that you could imagine.

na silaha yeyote unayoweza kuwaza.

And they were threatening to kill us.

Na walikua wanatutishia kutuua.

And the sheriff, seeing the danger that we faced,

Na polisi, akiona hatari tuliyonayo,

arrested us and put us on a garbage truck

alitukamata na kutuweka kwenye gari la taka

and took us to the local jail,

na kutupeleka kwenye jela ya mtaani,

where we were put in cells

ambapo tuliwekwa kwenye vyumba

with the most inhumane conditions you can imagine.

vyenye hali zisio za kibinaadamu unazoweza kuwaza.

And we were threatened by the jailers

Na tulitishiwa na wafungwa

with drinking water that came from toilets.

na maji ya kunywa yaliyotoka chooni.

We were finally released on the sixth day,

Hatimae tuliachiwa siku ya sita,

without any knowledge, without any forewarning.

bila ujuzi wowote, bila onyo lolote.

Just out of the clear blue sky,

Ilitokea tu,

we were made to leave.

tulitolewa.

And we knew that this was a dangerous sign,

Na tulijua hii ilikua ishara ya hatari,

because Goodman, Schwerner and Chaney had also been forced to leave jail

kwa sababu Goodman, Schwermer na Chaney walilazimishwa pia kutoka jela

and were murdered because no one knew what had happened to them.

na waliuwawa kwa sababu hakuna aliejua kilichowatokea.

And so, despite our fervent resistance,

Hivyo, licha ya ukinzani wetu,

the sheriff made us leave the jail,

polisi alitufanya tutoke jela,

and of course, nobody was waiting for us.

na hakika, hakuna aliekua anatungoja.

It was hot,

Ilikua joto,

one of those Southern days

moja ya zile siku za Kusini

where you could literally feel the pavement --

ambapo ungeweza kuhisi lami kabisa --

the vapor seeping out of the pavement.

mvuko ukipenya nje ya lami.

And the group of about 14 of us

Na kundi la karibia watu 14,

selected Jonathan Daniels,

likamchagua Jonathan Daniels,

Father Morrisroe, who had recently come to the county,

Padre Morrisroe, ambae alikuja kwenye jimbo hivi karibuni,

Joyce Bailey, a local 17-year-old girl

Joyce Bailey, binti wa miaka 17

and I to go and get the drinks.

na mimi kwenda kufuata vinywaji.

When we got to the door,

Tulipofika mlangoni,

a white man was standing in the doorway with a shotgun,

mwanaume mweupe alikua amesimama njia ya mlango na bunduki,

and he said, "Bitch, I'll blow your brains out!"

na akasema, "Malaya nitalipua ubongo wako!"

And before I could even react,

Na kabla hata sijajibu,

before I could even process what was going on,

kabla hata sijaelewa kinachoendelea,

Jonathan intentionally pulled my blouse,

Jonathan akavuta nguo yangu kwa makusudi,

and I fell back, thinking that I was dead.

na nikaanguka nyuma, nikifikiri nimekufa.

And in that instant, when I looked up,

Na mara moja, nilipoangalia juu,

Jonathan Daniels was standing in the line of fire,

Jonathan Daniels alikua amesimama mbele ya risasi,

and he took the blast,

na akachukua mlipuko,

and he saved my life.

na akaokoa maisha yangu.

I was so traumatized

Nilikua kwenye mshtuko mkubwa

and paralyzed by that event,

na kupooza kwa tukio hilo,

where Tom Coleman deliberately,

ambapo Tom Coleman kwa makusudi,

with malicious intent,

na nia ya kudhuru,

killed my beloved friend and colleague,

alimuua rafiki yangu mpendwa na mwenzangu,

Jonathan Myrick Daniels.

Jonathan Myrick Daniels.

On that day,

Siku hiyo,

which was one of the most important days in my life,

ambayo ilikua moja ya siku muhimu kwenye maisha yangu,

I saw both love and hate

niliona vyote upendo na chuki

coming from two very different white men

vikitoka kwa wanaume weupe wawili tofauti

that represented the best and the worst of white America.

ambayo ilionyesha ubora na ubaya wa Marekani nyeupe.

So deep was my hurt

Kwa kina sana ulikua uchungu wangu

at seeing Tom Coleman murder Jonathan before my eyes,

wa kumuona Tom Coleman akimuua Jonathan mbele ya macho yangu,

that I became a silent person,

mpaka mikawa mtu mkimya,

and I did not speak

na sikuongea

for six months.

kwa miezi sita.

I finally learned to touch that hurt in me

Hatimae nikajifunza kugusa maumivu ndani yangu

as I became older

kadri nilivyokua mkubwa

and began to talk about the Southern freedom movement,

na nikaanza kuongelea kuhusu maandamano ya uhuru ya Kusini,

and began to connect my stories

na nikaanza kuunganisha hadithi zangu

with the stories of my other colleagues and freedom fighters,

na hadithi za wenzangu na wapigania uhuru,

who, like me, had faced deadly trauma of racism,

ambao, kama mimi, waliona madhara hatari vya ubaguzi wa rangi,

and who had lost friends along the way,

na mabao walipoteza marafiki njiani,

and who themselves have been beaten and thrown in jail.

na ambao wenyewe walipigwa na kutupwa jela.

It is 50 years later.

Ni miaka 50 baadae.

Many people were beaten and thrown in jail.

Watu wengi wanapigwa na kutupwa jela.

Others were murdered like Jonathan Daniels.

Wengine wanauliwa kama Jonathan Daniels.

And yet, we are still, as a nation,

Na bado, sisi bado, kama taifa,

mired down

tumezama chini

in the quicksand of racism.

kwenye udongo wa ubaguzi wa rangi.

And everywhere I go around the nation,

Na kila mahali ninapoenda kuzunguka nchi,

I see and hear the hurt.

ninaona na kusikia yale maumivu.

And I ask people everywhere,

Na ninauliza watu kila mahali,

"Tell me, where does it hurt?"

"Niambie, wapi panauma?"

Do you see and feel the hurt

Unaona na kusikia maumivu

that I see and feel?

ambayo ninaona na kusikia?

I feel and see the hurt in black and brown people

Ninasikia na kuona yale maumivu kwa watu weusi na wa maji ya kunde

who every day feel the vicious volley of racism

ambao kila siku wanasikia gharika la hatari la ubaguzi wa rangi

and every day have their civil and human rights stripped away.

na kila siku haki zao za kiraia na kibinadamu zinachukuliwa.

And the people who do this use stereotypes and myths

Na watu waliofanya hivi wanatumia unyanyapaaji na dhana

to justify doing it.

kuhalalisha kufanya hivyo.

Everywhere I go,

Kila ninapoenda,

I see and hear women

ninaona na kusikia wanawake

who speak out against --

wanaoongelea dhidi --

who speak out against men who invade our bodies.

wanaoongelea dhidi ya wanaume wanaoingilia miili yao.

These same men who then turn around --

Hawa hawa wanaume ambao tena wanageuka --

the same men who promote racism

hawa hawa wanaume wanaochochea ubaguzi wa rangi

and then turn around and steal our labor and pay us unequal wages.

na kisha wanageuka na kutuibia kazi zetu na kutulipa mishahara isiyo na haki.

I hear and feel the hurt of white men

Ninasikia na kuhisi maumivu ya wanaume weupe

at the betrayal by the same powerful white men

waliosalitiwa na wale wale wanaume weupe wenye nguvu

who tell them that their skin color

wanaowaambia kua rangi ya ngozi zao

is their ticket to a good life and power,

ni tiketi ya maisha bora na yenye nguvu,

only to discover,

kuja kugundua,

as the circle of whiteness narrows,

kadri duara la uweupe linavyokua dogo,

that their tickets have expired

ndipo tiketi zao zinapoharibika

and no longer carry first-class status.

na hawabebi tena hadhi ya daraja la kwanza.

Now that we've touched the hurt,

Sasa kwa kua tumegusa maumivu,

we must ask ourselves,

tunalazimika kujiuliza,

"Where does it hurt

"Wapi panapouma

and what is the source of the hurt?"

na nini chanzo cha maumivu hayo?"

I propose that we must look

Ninapendekeza kua ni lazima kuangalia

deeply into the culture of whiteness.

kwa kina kwenye utamaduni wa uweupe.

That is a river that drowns out all of our identities

Ambao ni mto unaozamisha utambulisho wetu wote

and drowns us in false uniformity to protect the status quo.

na inatuzamisha kwenye umoja wa uwongo kulinda hadhi iliopo.

Notice, everybody, I said culture of whiteness,

Tazama, kila mtu, nimesema utamaduni wa uweupe,

and not white people.

na sio watu weupe.

Because in my estimation,

Kwa sababu kwenye makadirio yangu,

the problem is not white people.

tatizo sio watu weupe.

Instead, it is the culture of whiteness.

Badala yake, ni utamaduni wa uweupe.

And by culture of whiteness,

Na kwa utamaduni wa uweupe,

I mean a systemic and organized set of beliefs,

ninamaanisha mfumo na mpangilio wa aina za imani,

values, canonized knowledge and even religion,

thamani, maarifa yenye kanuni na hata dini,

to maintain a hierarchical, over-and-against power structure

kuendeleza uongozi, muundo wa nguvu iliyopitiliza na inayopinga

based on skin color, against people of color.

kulingana na rangi ya ngozi, dhidi ya watu wa rangi.

It is a culture

Ni utamaduni

where white people are seen as necessary and friendly insiders,

ambapo watu weupe wanaonekana kama wa ulazima na urafiki wa ndani,

while people of color, especially black people,

wakati watu wenye rangi, haswa watu weusi,

are seen as dangerous

wanaonekana kama ni hatari

and threatening outsiders,

na wakutishia wa nje,

who pose a clear and present danger

wanaoweka hatari ya wazi na ya sasa

to the safety and the efficacy

kwenye usalama na matokeo

of the culture of whiteness.

ya utamaduni wa uweupe.

Listen to me and see if you can imagine

Nisikilize na uone kama unaweza kuwaza

the culture of whiteness as a dehumanizing process

utamaduni wa uweupe kama harakati inayoondoa utu

that melts away

inayoyeyusha mbali

all of our multiple and interlocking identities,

utambulisho wetu wote wa utofauti na unaofungana,

such as race, class, gender and sexualities,

kama vile taifa, daraja, na jinsia,

so that ...

ilimradi ...

so that unity is maintained for power.

ili umoja uendelee kwa ajili ya nguvu.

I believe, because I know

Ninaamini, kwa sababu ninajua

and believe that the culture of whiteness

na kuamini kua utamaduni wa uweupe

is a social construct.

ni muundo wa kijamii.

Each of us, from birth to death,

Kila mmoja wetu, tunapozaliwa mpaka tunakufa,

are socialized in this culture.

tumejumuika kwenye huu utamaduni.

And it marks people of color also.

Na inaathiri watu wa rangi pia.

And it makes people of color, like white people,

Na inafanya watu wa rangi, kama watu weupe,

vote against our interests.

kuchagua kinyume na mapendeleo yetu.

Some of you might ask --

Baadhi yenu mnaweza kuuliza --

and my students always tell me I give hard assignments --

na wanafunzi wangu wananiambia ninatoa kazi ngumu --

some of you might ask, and rightfully so,

baadhi yenu mnaweza kuuliza, na kwa usahihi kabisa,

"How do we fix this?

"Tunawezaje kurekebisha hili?

It seems so all-powerful and overwhelming."

Inaonekana ina nguvu sana na inatutawala."

I believe that we must fix it,

Ninaamini kua ni lazima kuirekebisha,

because we cannot humanize our future

kwa sababu hatuwezi kuwa na utu mbeleni

if we continue to be complicit

kama tutaendelea kukubaliana

with the culture of whiteness.

na utamaduni wa uweupe.

Each of us must connect with our authentic selves,

Kila mmoja wetu ni lazima aungane na asili yetu wenyewe,

with our authentic ethnic selves.

na asili yetu ya kiutamaduni.

And we must connect with the other aspects of our identities.

Na ni lazima tuungane na mambo mengine ya utambulisho wetu.

And we must move out of the constructs

Na ni lazima tutoke kwenye muundo

of whiteness, brownness and blackness

wa uweupe, umaji-ya-kunde na uweusi

to become who we are at our fullest.

kua jinsi tulivyo kikamili.

How do we do this?

Tunafanyaje hivi?

I believe that we do this through our collective narratives.

Ninaamini tunafanya hivi kwa simulizi zetu kwa pamoja.

And our collective narratives must contain our individual stories,

Na simulizi zetu kwa pamoja zinatakiwa kuwa na hadithi zetu binafsi,

the arts,

sanaa,

spiritual reflections,

tafakari za dini,

literature,

maandiko

and yes, even drumming.

na ndio, hata ngoma.

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

It must be a collective telling,

Inatakiwa iwe misemo ya pamoja,

because individual stories just create a paradigm

kwa sababu hadithi binafsi hutengeneza namna

where we are pitting one story against another story.

ambapo tutashindanisha hadithi moja dhidi ya nyingine.

These different models that I have talked about tonight

Hii mitindo tofauti niliyoyaongelea usiku wa leo

I think are essential to providing us a pathway

ninafikiri ni muhimu kutupatia njia

out of the quagmire of racism.

nje ya bwawa la ubaguzi wa rangi.

And I want to talk about another very important model.

Na nataka niongelee kuhusu mtindo mwingine wa muhimu sana.

And that is redemption.

Na huo ni ukombozi.

I believe that movements for racial justice

Nina imani kua maandamano ya haki za kirangi

must be redemptive rather than punitive.

zinalazimika kua za ukombozi na sio uhalifu.

And yes, I believe

Na ndio, ninaamini

that we must provide the possibility of redemption for everyone.

kua tunatakiwa kutoa uwezekano wa ukombozi kwa kila mtu.

And we must be willing,

Na tunatakiwa kuwa tayari,

despite some of the vitriolic language

licha ya baadhi ya lugha kali

that might come from those very people who oppress us,

zinazotoka kwa hao hao watu wanaotukandamiza,

I think that we must listen to them

nafikiri ni lazima tuwasikilize

and try to figure out where do they hurt.

na kujaribu kuelewa wapi wanapoumia.

We must do this, I believe,

Ni lazima tufanye hivi, ninaamini,

because our redemption is tied into their redemption,

kwa sababu ukombozi wetu umefungana na ukombozi wao.

And we will not be free

Na hatutakua huru

until we've all been redeemed from unredemptive anger.

mpaka tuwe tumekombolewa kutoka kwenye hasira ya kukosa ukombozi.

The challenge is not easy.

Changamoto sio rahisi.

And in a technological society, it grows even more complicated,

Na kwenye jamii ya teknolojia, inakua ina utata zaidi,

because often we use technologies

kwa sababu mara nyingi tunatumia teknolojia

to perpetuate the very values of racism that we indulge in every day.

kudumisha thamani za ubaguzi wa rangi ambazo tunaruhusu kila siku.

We use technology to bully,

Tunatumia teknolojia kuonea,

to perpetuate hate speech

kuendeleza maongezi ya chuki

and to degrade each other's humanities.

na kushushiana utu wetu.

And so I believe that if we're going to humanize the future,

Na hivyo ninaamini kua kama tutaenda kujenga utu mbeleni,

we must design ways to use technology

ni lazima tupange njia za kutumia teknolojia

not to degrade us, but to elevate us

bila kutushusha, lakini kutuinua

so that we can live into the fullest of our capacities.

ili tuweze kuishi kwa ukamili wa uwezo wetu.

And I believe that technology

Na ninaamini kua teknolojia

must provide us larger vistas

lazima itupatie mandhari makubwa zaidi

so that we might engage with each other

ili tuweze kuhusiana wenyewe kwa wenyewe

and move beyond the segregated spaces that we live in, every day of our lives.

na kusogea zaidi ya maeneo yaliyojitenga ambayo tunaishi, kila siku ya maisha yetu.

I believe

Ninaamini

that we can achieve this if we set our minds

kua tunaweza kupata haya kama tukiweka akili zetu

and hopes on the prize.

na matumaini kwenye tuzo.

The question before us tonight

Swali mbele yetu usiku wa leo

is very serious.

ni la muhimu sana.

It is: "Do you want to be healed?

Nalo ni: "Unataka kupona?

Do you want to be healed?"

Unataka kupona?"

Do you want to become whole and live into all of your identities?

Unataka kua mzima na kuishi kwenye utambulisho wako wote?

Or do you want to continue to cannibalize your multiple identities

Au unataka kuendelea kubagua utambulisho wako mwingi

and privilege one identity over the other?

na kupendelea utambulisho mmoja juu ya mwingine?

Do you want to join a long line

Unataka kuunga mstari mrefu

of generations of people

wa vizazi vya watu

who believed in the promise of America

walioamini kwenye ahadi ya Marekani

and had the faith to upbuild democracy?

na walikua na imani ya kujenga zaidi demokrasia?

Do you want to live into the fullest of your potential?

Unataka kuishi kwenye uwezo wako kamili?

I certainly do.

Ndio kabisa.

And I believe you do, too.

Na ninaamini ungependa pia.

Let me just say, quite seriously,

Wacha niseme tu, kwa uzito kabisa,

I believe in you.

ninakuamini.

And despite everything,

Na licha ya kila kitu,

I still believe in America.

bado ninaamini Marekani.

I hope that this offering that I've given to you tonight,

Ninatumaini kua hii sadaka niliyowapa usiku wa leo,

that I've shared with you tonight,

niliyowashirikisha usiku wa leo,

will provide redemptive pathways

italeta njia za ukombozi

so that you might claim the fullest of your identity

ili uweze kudai utambulisho wako kikamilifu

and become a major participant

na kua mshiriki mkubwa

in humanizing not only the future for yourselves,

kujenga utu sio tu wa kwetu mbeleni,

but also for our democracy.

lakini pia kwa demokrasia

Thank you.

Asanteni.

(Applause)

(Makofi)