4 Ways to Have Healthy Conversations About Race | Afrika Afeni Mills | TED

翻译人员: Yiyang Hong 校对人员: Sue Lu

My name is Afrika Afeni.

我叫阿飞丽卡 ·阿芬尼 （Afrika Afeni)。

Afrika, spelled with a K, and Afeni, after Afeni Shakur,

阿飞丽卡是 K，不是Africa的C； 阿芬尼，取自阿芬尼·沙库尔，

a member of the Black Panther Party and mother of Tupac Shakur.

她是黑豹党 (Black Panther Party) 成员， 图帕克·沙库尔（Tupac Shakur) 的母亲。

As you might imagine, I grew up talking about race with my family.

如你所想，我从小和家人谈论种族话题。

My father built bookshelves

父亲在我们布鲁克林公寓建了书架，

in the living room of our Brooklyn apartment,

and my parents filled those shelves with the books of Black authors

父母在书架上放满了黑人作家书籍，

whose words we were unfortunately unlikely to encounter outside of our home.

他们的文字在我家之外就很难遇到。

I have Alex Haley's autograph.

我有亚历克斯·黑利的亲笔签名。

Alex Haley, writer of "Roots,"

亚历克斯·黑利是《根》的作者，

and transcriber of "The Autobiography of Malcolm X."

也是《马尔科姆·X自传》的誊写者。

As you can see in the picture,

正如你在照片中所见，

Alex Haley referred to me as his “little sister.”

亚历克斯·黑利称我为他的“小妹妹”。

Talking and reading with my family about race was commonplace,

和家人谈论阅读种族话题是司空见惯的，

and many of the children in my community

而且我所在社区的许多孩子

and students in my schools look just like me.

以及同校的学生长得都很像我。

Even though my parents taught me as much as they could about race,

虽然父母尽力教育我有关种族的知识，

I had not experienced having these conversations

但我从未有机会

和不同种族的人进行种族对话。

with people who were racially different from me.

When I went away to a predominantly white college,

当我去到一个以白人为主的大学时， 我对这些对话所引发的情感毫无准备。

I was not prepared for the emotions that I experienced

when having these conversations.

For example, when another student asked,

例如，当另一个学生问道：

"Why do you need a Black History Month

“为什么你们需要黑人历史月，

and why isn't there a White History Month,"

而为什么没有白人历史月”时，

I found myself feeling very frustrated.

我发现自己感到非常沮丧。

Learning to have conversations with people about race

学习与不同种族的人进行有关种族的交流

across racial difference

has been a part of my own deepening learning journey.

已成为我个人学习深化历程的一部分。

Though it can be hard, let me encourage you.

尽管这可能很困难，但我要鼓励你。

Having conversations about race is just another hard thing we can learn to do.

就种族问题进行对话 只是我们能学会的另一件难事。

I know this because I'm an educator.

我懂这个，因为我是教育工作者。

I have been for over 20 years.

我已经从事这个工作超过 20 年了。

I have supported teachers and students around the country

我支持全国各地的教师和学生

to teach and learn in ways that honor the dignity and worth of all people.

以尊重所有人的尊严 和价值的方式进行教育和学习。

In this work, it is clear that having conversations about race,

在这项工作中，很明显，谈论种族问题，

particularly with our students,

特别是与我们的学生谈论种族问题，

is not a luxury but a necessity.

不是一种奢侈，而是一件必要的事。

And there's no better place to begin having these conversations

而开始进行这些对话的最佳地点

than with our students.

就是我们学生的所在。

It's not that adults can't learn to have healthy conversations about race,

这并非说成年人学不会 就种族问题进行健康对话，

but the minds of children are more malleable.

而是因为儿童的思维更具有可塑性。

This is why it's easier to learn to do challenging things

年轻时更易学会具挑战性的事情，

like play an instrument, ride a bike, play a sport

例如弹奏乐器、骑自行车、参加体育运动

or to become fluent in a new language when we're young.

或熟练掌握一门新语言等。

If we teach children to be comfortable talking about race from the beginning,

如果我们从一开始就教育 儿童自如地谈论种族问题，

they will likely have fewer falls and missteps, less baggage,

他们可能会遭遇较少的困惑和错误，

less to unlearn, and biased ideas will be less likely to take hold.

更少思想包袱，也不太可能产生偏见。

We can then imagine a future where we can have productive dialogue

然后我们可以设想一个未来， 在那里

我们跨越分歧进行有效对话和讨论。

and discussions across our differences.

Today, I'm going to share with you four steps you can take

今天，我将与你分享四个步骤，

to do challenging things,

去帮助你完成具有挑战性的事情，

particularly having conversations about race:

尤其是进行种族对话：

identify your challenge;

确定你的挑战；

find your support network; prepare; and begin.

找到支持你的网络，准备就绪，开始。

In my work with educators around the country,

在我与全国各地的教育工作者的合作中，

when we explore what's challenging

当我们探索种种挑战，

about having conversations with students about race,

关于如何与学生讨论种族问题等，

they often say things like,

人们经常会说，

"I don't have the resources to have these conversations."

“我没有资源去展开这些对话。”

In fact, in EdWeek Research Center's 2020 special report,

在教育周刊研究中心 2020 年特别报告

"Big Ideas for Confronting Racism in Education,"

“对抗教育中种族主义的伟大构想”中，

though 81 percent of the more than 800 educators surveyed

接受调查的800多位教育者，

identified as anti-racist educators,

有81 %自认是反种族主义者，

only 14 percent of them said that they had both the training and the resources

但其中只 14% 的人有资源也受过培训

to have these conversations with students.

去和学生们展开这样的对话。

Though this statistic holds true,

虽然这个统计数据属实，

there are several organizations that provide free instructional resources

现有几个组织在提供免费教学资源

that support lessons and dialogue with students about race.

支持与学生展开关于种族的对话和课程。

So access to instructional resources isn't the true challenge.

所以获得教学资源并不是真正的挑战。

If we're honest with ourselves,

实话说，

it's easier to identify external factors as challenges

将外部因素确定为挑战很容易，

than it is for us to accept responsibility

难的是我们接受并承担责任，

to influence what is within our locus of control.

以此影响我们控制范围内的事物。

When I go deeper with educators,

当我深入了解那些教育工作者时，

they share that the underlying challenge is actually fear.

他们都认同潜在的挑战实际上是畏惧。

They're afraid of saying the wrong thing

他们害怕说错话，

or doing harm when talking with students about race.

或在和学生谈论种族问题时伤害到他们。

This is understandable, especially considering the history

这可以理解，特别是考虑到历史上

and current manifestations

和目前出现的

of substantial racial harm in this country.

这个国家严重的种族歧视。

But when we identify the true challenge,

所以当我们确认真正的挑战时，

not the school or the lack of resources, but fear,

不是学校，也不是资源匮乏，而是恐惧，

is an essential first step.

这是必须面对的第一步。

Once we can name what's at the heart of our challenge,

一旦我们确定挑战的核心是什么，

we can begin to overcome it with the next step:

我们可以通过下一步开始克服它：

finding our support network.

寻找我们的支持网络。

Too often attempts to begin having conversations

常常试图展开对话

和学生讨论种族问题，却遭受挫败，

with students about race fail

because the fear of making mistakes takes over.

就是因为害怕犯错占据了一切。

When we try to do this work on our own and we face a challenge,

当尝试独自完成这个工作并面临挑战时，

say, for example, a student says something

比如说，一个学生说了什么

or asks a question that we're not prepared to address or answer,

或提出我们没有准备好答案的问题，

in our minds, we can say things like, "Oh, this is uncomfortable.

我们会在心里说，“哦，这让人很不安。

I don't like being uncomfortable.

我不喜欢感到不安。

I don't think I want to do this anymore."

我不想再做这个了。”

It's important for us to be surrounded by a community of people

对我们来说，重要的是周围要有一群人，

who are committed to doing this work.

一群志同道合的人。

My colleague Jenna Chandler-Ward,

我的同事詹娜·钱德勒·沃德，

a white woman and cofounder of “Teaching While White,”

一位白人，“白人教学”的联合创始人，

facilitates racial accountability spaces.

其组织为种族责任空间提供便利和帮助。

She regularly hears from white teachers and students

她经常会听到白人教师和学生们讲，

that they are afraid to say the wrong thing.

他们很畏惧说错话。

She shares with them that she herself has remained silent

她告诉他们，她自己也会保持沉默

to avoid conflict and for fear of making things worse.

以避免冲突，怕使事情变得更糟。

Jenna says if we are not intentionally seeking people

珍娜说如果不有意寻找能为我们

to hold up a mirror and hold us accountable,

提供一面镜子并让我们负起责任的人，

we'll end up surrounding ourselves with people who affirm our beliefs

我们最终会与认同我们信仰的人为伍，

instead of challenging us to see something more.

而不是挑战自己去见识更多的东西。

The more perspectives we have, the broader our understanding will be,

拥有的视角越多，我们的理解就越广泛，

especially from people who are at different points

尤其是对于那些处于不同

of racial identity development.

种族身份发展阶段的人。

If we are part of a group of people who are doing this work together,

如果我们是做这项工作的团队中的一员，

we have a place to take that discomfort and work through it.

我们就有地方置放这种不安并克服它。

It will help us to remember that we're not alone

这会帮我们记住我们并非单打独斗，

and help us to feel less isolated.

从而减少孤立无援之感。

Once we find our support network,

一旦找到我们的支持网络，

we can prepare to have conversations with students about race.

就可以开始准备与学生的种族问题对话。

When the student I mentioned earlier asked me

当我之前提到的那个学生问我

why there was a Black History Month and not a White History Month,

为什么有黑人历史月没有白人历史月，

I experienced a whole range of emotions:

我经历了一系列的情绪变化:

confusion, hurt, anger.

困惑，受伤，愤怒。

Similarly, just as I experienced a range of emotions,

同样，就像我经历了一系列情绪，

so will your students and so will you.

你的学生和你也会经历的。

Expect it so you can be prepared.

有备无患。

For this work to be sustainable,

为了使这项工作可持续发展，

it is important that we prepare to navigate these conversations

我们要准备好引导这些对话

in our learning communities.

在我们的学习社区里展开。

We will want to intentionally envision

我们将需要有意识地设想

how these conversations will look and feel.

这些对话如何开展，人们感觉如何。

What emotions might the discussions bring up for our students?

这些讨论可能会带给学生什么样的情绪?

What agreements might we need to have in place

我们需要达成怎样的协议，

before we have these discussions?

在进行这些讨论之前？

How will you respond to questions, comments and resistance?

你将如何回应一些问题，评论和反对?

How will you repair any harm that may be done?

你将如何修复可能造成的伤害?

You'll want to feel comfortable responding in the moment

你会想要坦然即时地回应问题，

instead of reacting

而不是被动反应，

if the discussion doesn't go the way you hoped.

如果讨论没有如你所愿。

Once you prepare, you'll be ready to begin.

一旦准备好，你就可以开始了。

Just as in starting anything new,

就像开始任何新事物一样，

it can be messy,

它可能会很乱，

and you'll make mistakes because you're human.

并且你可能会犯错，因为你也是凡人，

Making mistakes can feel scary, especially because our work is so public.

犯错让人害怕，尤其这项工作面对公众。

When we push through that fear, however,

然而，当我们克服这种恐惧时，

we can teach students to have conversations about race

我们就可以教学生讨论种族问题，

and help them to unpack their misperceptions.

并帮助他们消除误解。

In this work with teachers,

在与老师的合作中，

it feels like some people are waiting for the perfect moment

我感觉有些人在等待一个完美时刻，

when a racially conscious version of themselves will appear

要等到他们具种族意识的自我出现，

before they begin engaging in this work.

才能开始投入到这个工作之中。

That version of yourself has to be purposely developed and formed,

那个版本的你需要刻意去发展和塑造，

and that moment is now.

而那完美一刻就是现在。

When we engage in conversations with our students about race,

当我们与学生讨论种族问题时，

we can help to expand their thinking

我们可以帮助拓展他们的思维，

and equip them with the language and tools

并为他们提供一些语言和工具

that they need to see themselves clearly

以看清自己，

and to recognize and value the histories, perspectives and experiences

并认识和重视与他们不同的人种

of people who are unlike them.

所拥有的历史、观点和经验。

They'll be prepared to help us build and sustain a truly just society

他们将帮助建立维持公正的社会，

where we all contribute to the well-being of everyone

好让我们都能为造福人类

in our human family.

做出贡献。

Remember, having conversations about race

记住，就种族问题进行对话，

is just another hard thing we can learn to do,

只是我们完全能学会的另一件难事，

one courageous step at a time.

请一次迈出勇敢的一步。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）