How to deconstruct racism, one headline at a time | Baratunde Thurston

翻译人员: Wanna Shi 校对人员: Liu Qi

My parents gave me an extraordinary name:

我的父母给我取了 一个特别的名字：

Baratunde Rafiq Thurston.

巴拉顿·拉菲克·瑟斯顿

Now, Baratunde is based on a Yoruba name from Nigeria,

巴拉顿是尼日利亚籍 约鲁巴人的名字，

but we're not Nigerian.

但我们不是尼日利亚人。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

That's just how black my mama was.

我妈妈就是这么黑。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

"Get this boy the blackest name possible. What does the book say?"

“给这个男孩取个最黑的名字吧！ 书上是怎么说的？”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Rafiq is an Arabic name, but we are not Arabs.

拉菲克是阿拉伯名字， 但我们不是阿拉伯人。

My mom just wanted me to have difficulty boarding planes in the 21st century.

我妈就是不想让我 在21世纪好好坐飞机。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

She foresaw America's turn toward nativism.

她预料到了美国会奉行本土主义，

She was a black futurist.

她是一位黑人预言家。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Thurston is a British name, but we are not British.

瑟斯顿是英国姓氏， 但我们不是英国人。

Shoutout to the multigenerational, dehumanizing economic institution

而瑟斯顿这个姓隔空致敬了

美国奴隶制中世代延续的、 没人性的经济制度。

of American chattel slavery, though.

Also, Thurston makes for a great Starbucks name.

此外，瑟斯顿很适合星巴克员工。

Really expedites the process.

这真的推动了历史进程。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

My mother was a renaissance woman.

我母亲是一位多才多艺的女性。

Arnita Lorraine Thurston

她叫阿尼塔·罗琳·瑟斯顿，

was a computer programmer, former domestic worker,

她曾是一位电脑程序员、 一位家政人员、

survivor of sexual assault,

一位性侵幸存者、

an artist and an activist.

一位艺术家、 一位活动家。

She prepared me for this world with lessons in black history,

为了让我适应这个世界，

她教我黑人历史、 武术、城市农业，

in martial arts, in urban farming,

and then she sent me in the seventh grade to the private Sidwell Friends School,

七年级时，她又送我去私立学校 西德威尔友谊中学就读，

where US presidents send their daughters,

美国总统的女儿们也在这里上学，

and where she sent me looking like this.

而她把我送进去时， 我是这样子的。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I had two key tasks going to that school:

我在这里上学有两个主要任务：

don't lose your blackness and don't lose your glasses.

黑皮肤不能丢、 眼镜不能丢。

This accomplished both.

两个任务都圆满完成。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Sidwell was a great place to learn the arts and the sciences,

西德威尔友谊中学是学习 艺术和科学的好地方，

but also the art of living amongst whiteness.

也是在白人堆里学习 生存之艺术的好地方。

That would prepare me for life later at Harvard,

为我后来在哈佛生活做好了准备，

or doing corporate consulting,

为我做企业咨询做好了准备，

or for my jobs at "The Daily Show" and "The Onion."

为我在“每日秀”和“洋葱报” 工作做好了准备。

I would write down many of these lessons in my memoir, "How to Be Black,"

在回忆录《如何做一名黑人》中， 我记录了许多这方面的经验。

which if you haven't read yet, makes you a racist, because --

如果你还没读过这本书， 那就是种族歧视，

(Laughter)

（笑声）

因为你有大把的时间去读这本书。

you've had plenty of time to read the book.

But America insists on reminding me

但是美国一次又一次地提醒我、

and teaching me

教会我：

what it means to be black in America.

在美国做一名黑人意味着什么。

It's December 2018,

2018年12月，

I'm with my fiancé in the suburbs of Wisconsin.

我和未婚妻在威斯康星州的郊区。

We are visiting her parents, both of whom are white,

我们去看望她的父母， 两位都是白人，

which makes her white.

所以我未婚妻也是个白人。

That's how it works. I don't make the rules.

就是这么简单， 规则不是我编的。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

She's had some drinks, so I drive us in her parents' car,

因为她喝了点酒，所以 我负责开她父母的车，

and we get pulled over by the police.

警察示意我们靠边停车。

I'm scared.

我好害怕。

I turn on the flashing lights to indicate compliance.

我打开双闪， 表示服从指令。

I pull over slowly

我慢慢地靠边停车，

under the brightest streetlight I can find

停在我所能找到的最亮的街灯下，

in case I need witnesses or dashcam footage.

以防我需要目击证人或者 要看行车记录仪里的视频。

We get out my identification, the car registration,

我们拿出了我的身份证和车辆登记表，

lay it out in the open, roll down the windows,

我把文件都摊开， 并摇下了车窗，

my hands are placed on the steering wheel,

把双手放在方向盘上，

all before the officer exits the vehicle.

一直到这位警官离开。

这样才能保命。

This is how to stay alive.

等待的过程中， 我想起一些新闻标题：

As we wait, I think about these headlines --

"Police shoot another unarmed black person" --

“警察又射杀了一名 手无寸铁的黑人”，

and I don't want to join them.

我可不想成为下一个。

The good news is, our officer was friendly.

还好这位警官很友善。

She told us our tags were expired.

她告诉我们车检标识过期了。

So to all the white parents out there,

我想对所有的白人父母说：

if your child is involved with a person

如果你们的孩子 与黑人走得很近，

whose skin tone is rated Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson or darker --

就是肤色跟巨石强森一样黑 或者比他还黑的黑人，

(Laughter)

（笑声）

you need to get that car inspected, update the paperwork every time we visit.

那你们就要好好做车检，每次 我们来访前及时更新车辆文件。

That's just common courtesy.

这是起码的礼貌。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

I got lucky.

我算是个幸运儿。

I got a law enforcement professional.

因为我的职业就是执法。

I survived something that should not require survival.

我从白人看来平常的事情中幸存下来。

And I think about this series of stories --

我就此想到了一大堆报道：

"Police shoot another unarmed black person" --

“警察又射杀了一名 手无寸铁的黑人”，

and that season when those stories popped up everywhere.

那段时间，这样的报道随处可见。

I would scroll through my feed

就在我翻看社交平台的时候，

and I would see a baby announcement photo.

我看到一张婴儿出生公告，

I'd see an ad for a product

我看到一个商品广告，

I had just whispered to a friend about yesterday.

这个商品昨天刚跟朋友私下聊过。

I would see a video of a police officer gunning down someone

我看到一个视频：

一位警官枪杀了一名 像我一样的黑人。

who looked just like me.

And I'd see a think piece

我还看到一篇时事短评，

about how millennials have replaced sex with avocado toast.

关于千禧一代如何 用鳄梨（牛油果）吐司取代性。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

It was a confusing time.

真是一段令人困惑的时期。

Those stories kept popping up,

这类新闻不断涌现，

but in 2018, those stories got changed out for a different type of story,

而在2018年这些都变成了 另一种类型的新闻，

stories like, "White Woman Calls Cops On Black Woman Waiting For An Uber."

比如说，“白人女性报警 举报黑人女性等优步。”

报警的是布鲁克林贝基。

That was Brooklyn Becky.

Then there was, "White Woman Calls Police

还有，“白人女性报警

On Eight-Year-Old Black Girl Selling Water."

举报8岁黑人小女孩卖水。”

That was Permit Patty.

报警的是珀米特帕蒂。

Then there was, "Woman Calls Police

还有，“白人女性报警

On Black Family BBQing At Lake In Oakland."

举报黑人家庭在奥克兰湖边烧烤。”

That was now infamous BBQ Becky.

报警的是臭名昭著的BBQ贝基。

And I contend that these stories of living while black

我认为这些黑人生活的新闻

are actually progress.

实际上代表着进步。

We used to find out after the extrajudicial police killings.

我们过去总是在警察 法外杀人事件后才知道。

Now, we're getting video of people calling 911.

现在，我们看到的是 人们打911报警的视频，

We're moving upstream,

我们向前进步了，

closer to the problem and closer to the solution.

离问题更近了， 离解决办法也更近了。

So I started a collection

然后，我就开始收集这类事件，

of as many of these stories as I could find.

能找到多少，我收集多少。

I built an evolving, still-growing database

baratunde.com/livingwhileblack 网站上，

at baratunde.com/livingwhileblack.

我建立了一个持续更新、 持续扩大的数据库。

Seeking understanding, I realized the process

在理解的过程中，

我发现这其实是通过分析句子 来理解这些标题的过程。

was really diagramming sentences to understand these headlines.

And I want to thank my Sidwell English teacher Erica Berry

感谢我在西德威尔中学的 英语老师埃里卡·贝里，

and all English teachers.

及所有英语老师。

You have given us tools to fight for our own freedom.

是你们教会了我 争取自由的方法。

What I found was a process to break down the headline

我发现了把标题分解的过程，

and understand the consistent layers

以及

理解每个相同层次部分的意思：

in each one:

a subject takes an action against a target engaged in some activity,

主体针对目标的行为而采取行动。

so that "White Woman Calls Police On Eight-Year-Old Black Girl"

所以“白人女性报警 举报8岁黑人小女孩卖水，”

is the same as "White Man Calls Police On Black Woman Using Neighborhood Pool"

和“白人男性报警举报黑人女性 使用邻居水池，”是一样的，

is the same as "Woman Calls Cops On Black Oregon Lawmaker

和“白人女性报警举报俄勒冈州 黑人立法者参与区内竞选“，

Campaigning In Her District."

也是一样的。

They're the same.

这些标题都是一样的。

将这些句子进行分解处理， 使我能够图解出白人至上模式，

Diagramming the sentences allowed me to diagram the white supremacy

which allowed such sentences to be true,

也使这些句子成立，

and I will pause to define my terms.

我想先对术语定义做个介绍。

When I say "white supremacy,"

当我说“白人至上”的时候，

I'm not just talking about Nazis

不仅仅是指纳粹分子，

or white power activists,

或者是白人权利活动家，

and I'm definitely not saying that all white people are racist.

当然，我也绝不是说 所有白人都会种族歧视。

What I'm referring to

我指的是

is a system of structural advantage that favors white people over others

在社会、经济和政治领域

偏向白人的结构体系。

in social, economic and political arenas.

It's what Bryan Stevenson at the Equal Justice Initiative

这正是布莱恩·史蒂文森 在司法公正倡议中

calls the narrative of racial difference,

关于种族差异陈述，

the story we told ourselves to justify slavery and Jim Crow

也是我们为了给奴隶制、 吉姆·克劳、大规模监禁等正名

and mass incarceration and beyond.

而讲给自己听的故事。

So when I saw this pattern repeating,

所以，当看到这个模式反复出现时，

I got angry,

我非常气愤，

but I also got inspired

但我也因此获得灵感，

to create a game,

发明了一个游戏，

a game of words that would allow me to transform this traumatic exposure

这个文字游戏能让我将创伤体验

into more of a healing experience.

转变成治愈体验。

I'm going to talk you through the game.

我给你们介绍一下这个游戏。

The first level is a training level, and I need your participation.

第一关是训练环节， 我需要大家的参与。

Our objective: to determine if this is real or fake.

我们的目标是-- 判断真假。

是否真的发生了这种事？

Did this happen or not?

Here is the example:

看看这个例子：

“天主教大学法律图书管理员报警

"Catholic University Law Librarian Calls Police On Student

举报学生‘太爱争辩’，”

For 'Being Argumentative.'"

Clap your hands if you think this is real.

如果觉得这是真的，请鼓掌。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Clap your hands if you think this is fake.

如果觉得这是假的，请鼓掌。

(Applause)

（掌声）

The reals have it, unfortunately,

不幸的是，这是真的，

and a point of information,

关键是

being argumentative in a law library

在法律图书馆里雄辩四方，

is the exact right place to do that.

正是在对的地方做对的事情啊。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

This student should be promoted to professor.

应该把这个学生晋升成教授。

好了，训练环节结束， 我们进入实战环节。

Training level complete, so we move on to the real levels.

Level one, our objective is simple:

第一关，我们的目标很简单：

reverse the roles.

角色反转。

That means "Woman Calls Cops On Black Oregon Lawmaker"

也就是，“白人女性举报俄勒冈州 黑人立法者参加区内竞选，”

becomes "Black Oregon Lawmaker Calls Cops On Woman."

变成“俄勒冈黑人立法者 报警举报白人女性“。

That means "White Man Calls Police On Black Woman

“白人男性报警

举报黑人女性使用邻居水池”

Using Neighborhood Pool"

becomes "Black Woman Calls Police On White Man Using Neighborhood Pool."

变成“黑人女性报警举报 白人男性使用邻家水池”。

How do you like them reverse racist apples?

角色反转，你们感觉怎么样？

That's it, level one complete,

就这样， 第一关结束，

and so we level up to level two,

我们升级到第二关，

where our objective is to increase the believability of the reversal.

我们的目标是： 增加角色反转的可信度。

Let's face it, a black woman calling police on a white man using a pool

面对现实吧，“黑人女性报警举报 白人男性使用邻家水池”

isn't absurd enough,

还不够荒谬，

but what if that white man was trying to touch her hair without asking,

如果白人男人问都没问 就试图碰她的头发呢？

or maybe he was making oat milk while riding a unicycle,

或者他正在一边骑独轮车， 一边准备燕麦奶呢？

or maybe he's just talking over everyone in a meeting.

又或许他只是在会议中谈论每个人。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

We've all been there, right?

我们都经历过那种场景，是吧？

Seriously, we've all been there.

说真的，我们都经历过那种情况。

So that's it, level two complete.

就这样，第二关通关。

But it comes with a warning:

不过，还有一则警告：

仅仅调转不公平的矛头 并不是公平的做法。

simply reversing the flow of injustice is not justice.

That is vengeance, that is not our mission,

那是报复， 不是我们的任务。

that's a different game so we level up to level three,

那是别的游戏了， 所以我们升级到第三关，

where the objective is to change the action,

这一关的目标是： 改变行动，

also known as "calling the police is not your only option

也就是“报警并非唯一的选择，

OMG, what is wrong with you people!"

天哪，你们到底是怎么了？”

(Applause)

（掌声）

And I need to pause the game to remind us of the structure.

现在，游戏要暂停一下， 我要提醒大家注意句子结构：

A subject takes an action against a target engaged in some activity.

主体针对目标的行为而采取行动。

"White Woman Calls Police On Black Real Estate Investor

“白人女性报警

举报黑人地产投资者 视察自家产业”，

Inspecting His Own Property."

"California Safeway Calls Cops On Black Woman

“加州西夫韦超市报警

举报黑人女性向 流浪汉捐赠食物”，

Donating Food To The Homeless."

"Gold Club Twice Calls Cops On Black Women For Playing Too Slow."

“高尔夫球俱乐部两次报警 举报黑人女性打球太慢”。

In all these cases, the subject is usually white,

在所有这类例子中， 主体一般是白人，

the target is usually black,

而目标一般是黑人，

and the activities are anything,

其中遭举报的行为多种多样，

from sitting in a Starbucks

如坐在星巴克、

to using the wrong type of barbecue

使用的烧烤架类型不对、

to napping

打盹、

to walking "agitated" on the way to work,

“焦虑地”走在上班的路上，

which I just call "walking to work."

我觉得这就是 “步行上班”而已。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And, my personal favorite,

还有，我最喜欢的一则：

not stopping his dog from humping her dog,

男方未阻止自家狗狗与 女方狗狗交配，

which is clearly a case for dog police,

这显然就得找 专门管狗的警察，

not people police.

而不是找管人的警察。

All of these activities add up to living.

所有这样那样的活动 叠加起来，就是生活。

Our existence is being interpreted as crime.

我们的存在被视为犯罪。

现在，讲到这里我必须说的是，

Now, this is the obligatory moment in the presentation where I have to say,

not everything is about race.

并不是一切都与种族有关的。

Crime is a thing, should be reported,

犯罪是问题，应该报警；

but ask yourself, do we need armed men to show up and resolve this situation,

但扪心自问，我们需要武装人员 出面来解决上述这些问题吗？

because when they show up for me,

因为武装人员出面的话，

it's different.

对我来说，就不一样了。

We know that police officers

我们知道， 警察对黑人使用的武力

use force more with black people than with white people,

比对白人使用的武力要多，

and we are learning the role of 911 calls in this.

我们也越来越明白 拨打911报警在其中的作用。

Thanks to preliminary research from the Center for Policing Equity,

多亏了警务公平中心的初步调查，

we're learning that in some cities,

我们了解到，

在某些城市大部分 警民之间的接触

most of the interactions between cops and citizens

都是因为有人拨打了911报警，

is due to 911 calls,

not officer-initiated stops,

而不是警察主动出警制止的，

and most of the violence, the use of force by police on citizens,

而且警察对平民使用的 大多数暴力和武力，

is in response to those calls.

都是因报警电话而起。

Further, when those officers responding to calls use force,

此外，当警官以武力来 给报警电话一个交待时，

that increases in areas

这种情况会越来越多，

where the percentage of the white population

特别是

在白人比例上涨的地区，

has also increased,

aka gentrification,

也叫作贵族化，

aka unicycles and oat milk,

独轮车、燕麦奶、

aka when BBQ Becky feels threatened,

也就是BBQ贝基觉得受到威胁时，

她在我的社区对我来说 也是一个威胁，

she becomes a threat to me in my own neighborhood,

which forces me and people like me

逼我和像我一样的人

to police ourselves.

监督管制我们自己。

We quiet ourselves, we walk on eggshells,

我们沉默不语， 我们如履薄冰，

we maybe pull over to the side of the road

警察示意我们靠边停车时，

under the brightest light we can find

我们会停在所能找到的 最亮的街灯下。

so that our murder

这样，若是我们被杀害，

might be caught cleanly on camera,

监控视频才可能 清晰地记录下来，

and we do this because we live in a system

我们之所以这么做，

是因为在我们生存的体系里， 白人可以轻易地呼叫致命武力

in which white people can too easily call on deadly force

to ensure their comfort.

来保障自己的舒适生活。

(Applause)

（掌声）

加州西夫韦超市不仅报警了，

The California Safeway

didn't just call cops on black woman donating food to homeless.

举报黑人女性向流浪汉捐赠食物，

They ordered armed, unaccountable men upon her.

还叫来了令人无法解释的武装人员。

They essentially called in a drone strike.

实际上，还有无人机空袭。

This is weaponized discomfort,

这是武器化的不适，

and it is not new.

这也不是什么新闻了。

From 1877 to 1950,

从1877年到1950年，

there were at least 4,400 documented racial terror lynchings of black people

至少有4400个记录在案的

黑人在美国遭受 种族恐怖私刑的内容。

in the United States.

They had headlines as well.

标题也是：

"Rev. T.A. Allen was lynched in Hernando, Mississippi

“神父T.A.艾伦因组织地方佃农，

在密西西比赫尔南多被处以私刑”，

for organizing local sharecroppers."

"Oliver Moore was lynched in Edgecomb County, North Carolina,

“奥利弗·摩尔 吓唬白人小女孩，

在北卡罗来纳州埃吉科姆县 被处以私刑”，

for frightening a white girl."

"Nathan Bird was lynched near Luling, Texas,

“内森·伯德拒绝 将儿子交给暴徒，

for refusing to turn his son over to a mob."

在德州庐陵附近被处以私刑”。

We need to change the action,

我们要改变行动，

whether that action is "lynches"

不管是“处以私刑”，

or "calls police."

或是“打报警电话”。

And now that I have shortened the distance between those two,

既然我已经缩短了 两者之间的距离，

let's get back to our game, to our mission.

让我们回到游戏、 回到我们的任务中去吧。

在第三关，我们的目标是： 改变行动。

Our objective in level three is to change the action.

So what if, instead of

如果

"Calls Cops On Black Woman Donating Food To Homeless,"

加州西夫韦超市没有报警投诉 “黑人女性向流浪汉捐赠食物”，

that California Safeway simply thanks her.

而只是向她表示感谢， 会怎么样呢？

Thanking is far cheaper than bringing law enforcement to the scene.

一句感谢比把执法人员 叫到现场要省钱省事。

(Applause)

（掌声）

或者，

Or, instead,

他们可以把本会浪费的食物送给她，

they could give the food they would have wasted to her,

upped their civic cred.

提升自己的公民信誉。

Or, the white woman who called the police on the eight-year-old black girl,

而那位看到8岁黑人 小女孩卖水的白人女性，

she could have bought all the inventory from that little black girl,

她本可以买下给人小女孩所有的水，

support a small business.

照顾小女孩的小生意。

And the white woman who called the police on the black real estate investor,

因黑人地产投资者 而打电话报警的白人女性，

we would all be better off, the cops agree,

如果直接忽略他、 管好自己的事情，

if she had simply ignored him and minded her own damn business.

那我们都会过得更好， 警察也不会有异议。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Minding one's own damn business is an excellent choice, excellent choice.

管好自己的事是 非常机智的选择，

Choose it more often.

建议多这样选！

Level three is complete, but there is a final bonus level,

第三关完成， 还有最后的奖励关，

where the objective is inclusion.

奖励关的目标是包容。

We have also seen headlines like this:

我们也曾看到过这样的标题：

"Powerful Man Masturbates In Front Of Young Women

“年轻女子到访办公室，

强壮男子在其面前打飞机”，

Visiting His Office."

What an odd choice for powerful man to make.

强壮男子的选择真奇怪。

So many other actions available to him.

明明还有那么多其他选择呢。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Like, such as, "listens to,"

比如说，“倾听”、

"mentors,"

“指导”、

"inspired by, starts joint venture, everybody rich now."

“受到鼓舞、创办合资企业、 那现在大家都富裕了”。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I want to live in that world of everybody rich now,

我就想生活在一个 人人富裕的世界里。

but because of his poor choice, we are all in a poorer world.

但是因为他选错了，所以我们 都生活在贫穷的世界中。

本来不必如此。

Doesn't have to be this way.

This word game reminded me that there is a structure to white supremacy,

这个文字游戏提醒了我， 白人至上有固定结构，

as there is to misogyny,

就像厌女症有固定结构，

as there is to all systemic abuses of power.

就像所有的系统滥用权力 也有固定结构。

Structure is what makes them systemic.

固定结构使其系统化。

我请在座的各位

I'm asking people here

to see the structure,

看看其中的固定结构，

where the power is in it,

其中的权力在哪里，

and even more importantly to see the humanity

更重要的是，

看看我们中用这些结构 “发起攻击”的人的人性。

of those of us made targets by this structure.

我能站到这里，是因为有人爱我、 投资我、保护我，我很幸运，

I am here because I was loved and invested in and protected and lucky,

because I went to the right schools, I'm semifamous, mostly happy,

因为我上了好学校， 我有点名气，我很开心，

meditate twice a day,

每天冥想两次，

and yet,

即使这样，

我还在恐惧中生活，

I walk around in fear,

because I know that someone seeing me as a threat

因为我知道，任何认为 我是个威胁的人

can become a threat to my life,

对我来说也是个威胁，

and I am tired.

我累了。

我厌倦了，

I am tired of carrying

因为别人的恐惧 而背负这个看不见的负担，

this invisible burden of other people's fears,

and many of us are,

我们很多人都厌倦了，

and we shouldn't have to,

我们本不需要背负这样的负担，

because we can change this,

因为我们可以改变现状，

because we can change the action, which changes the story,

我们可以改变行动， 从而改变新闻，

which changes the system

以此

改变允许那些新闻发生的系统。

that allows those stories to happen.

Systems are just collective stories we all buy into.

各种体系不过是我们 所相信的各种新闻的汇集。

若我们改变各种体系，

When we change them,

we write a better reality for us all to be a part of.

我们就能为自己 书写更美好的现实篇章。

I am asking us

我恳请大家

to use our power to choose.

使用自己的选择权。

I am asking us to level up.

我邀请大家一起通关升级。

Thank you.

谢谢大家。

I am Baratunde Rafiq Thurston.

我是巴拉顿·拉菲克·瑟斯顿。

(Applause)

（掌声）