The real story of Rosa Parks -- and why we need to confront myths about Black history | David Ikard

翻译人员: Yizhuo He 校对人员: Yanyan Hong

I am the proud father of two beautiful children,

我是一位自豪的父亲， 有两个漂亮的孩子，

Elijah, 15, and Octavia, 12.

15 岁的伊利亚， 和 12 岁的奥克塔维娅。

When Elijah was in the fourth grade,

伊利亚上小学四年级的时候，

he came to me,

有一天他来找我，

came home from school bubbling over with excitement

当时他刚从学校回家， 兴奋到对我滔滔不绝，

about what he had learned that day about African-American history.

说道他那天学到了 非洲裔美国人的历史。

Now, I'm an African-American and cultural studies professor,

我是非洲裔美国人， 也是文化学教授，

and so, as you can imagine,

所以，你们可以想象得到，

African-American culture is kind of serious around my home.

在我家关于非裔美国文化的议题 通常是比较严肃的。

So I was very proud that my son was excited about what he had learned

所以，我儿子对在学校 学到的内容感到激动时，

that day in school.

这点让我很自豪。

So I said, "What did you learn?"

所以我问他， “你学到了什么？”

He said, "I learned about Rosa Parks."

他说，“我学到了 罗莎·帕克斯（Rosa Parks）。”

I said, "OK, what did you learn about Rosa Parks?"

我说，“那好， 关于她你都了解到了什么？”

He said, "I learned that Rosa Parks was this frail, old black woman

他说，“我了解到罗莎·帕克斯 是 20 世纪 50 年代

in the 1950s

一位瘦弱的黑人老太太，

in Montgomery, Alabama.

住在阿拉巴马州的蒙哥马利。

And she sat down on this bus,

她上了公交车，找位子坐下，

and she had tired feet,

她的脚很累。

and when the bus driver told her to give up her seat to a white patron,

当司机要求她把位子 让给一个白人常客时，

she refused because she had tired feet.

她拒绝了，因为她腿脚疲倦。

It had been a long day,

她已经过了漫长的一天，

and she was tired of oppression,

且也厌倦了被压迫，

and she didn't give up her seat.

所以她没有让座。

And she marched with Martin Luther King,

她还和马丁 · 路德 · 金 一起进行示威游行，

and she believed in nonviolence."

她信仰非暴力主义思想。”

And I guess he must have looked at my face

我猜他当时肯定看到了我的表情，

and saw that I was a little less than impressed

发现我似乎没有很佩服

by his

他的······

... um ...

呃······

history lesson.

历史课。

And so he stopped, and he was like, "Dad, what's wrong? What did I get wrong?"

于是他停下了，问我，“爸爸， 哪儿不对了？我说的哪里不对？”

I said, "Son, you didn't get anything wrong,

我说，“孩子，你什么都没错，

but I think your teacher got a whole lot of things wrong."

但我觉得你的老师 有很多地方都说错了。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

He said, "Well, what do you mean?"

他说，“这是什么意思？”

I said, "Rosa Parks was not tired.

我说，“罗莎·帕克斯 当时并没有觉得疲倦。

She was not old.

她当时也不老，

And she certainly didn't have tired feet."

而且脚肯定也不觉得累。”

He said, "What?"

他说，“什么？”

I said, "Yes!

我回答，“是的！

Rosa Parks was only 42 years old" --

“罗莎·帕克斯当时只有 42 岁——

Yeah, you're shocked, right? Never heard that.

你觉得很震惊， 不是吗？从没听说过。

"Rosa Parks was only 42 years old,

“罗莎·帕克斯当时只有 42 岁，

she had only worked six hours that day, and she was a seamstress

她那天只工作了 6 个小时， 因为她是个女裁缝，

and her feet were just fine.

而且她的脚好得很。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

The only thing that she was tired of

当时唯一让她厌倦的

was she was tired of inequality.

是不平等，

She was tired of oppression."

她受够了被压迫。”

And my son said,

然后我儿子就说，

"Well, why would my teacher tell me this thing?

“既然这样，我的老师 又为什么告诉我们那些？

This is confusing for me."

我觉得好难理解。”

Because he loved his teacher, and she was a good teacher,

因为他喜爱他的老师, 她也的确是一个好老师，

a young-ish, 20-something white woman,

一位年轻的， 二十来岁的白人女性，

really, really smart, pushed him, so I liked her as well.

她非常非常聪明，会督促他学习， 所以我也喜欢这位老师。

But he was confused. "Why would she tell me this?" he said.

他当时觉得很困惑，他问， “为什么她会告诉我那些？”

He said, "Dad, tell me more. Tell me more. Tell me more about Rosa Parks."

他说，“爸爸，你快告诉我， 告诉我更多关于罗莎·帕克斯的事。”

And I said, "Son, I'll do you one better."

我对他说，“儿子， 我有个更好的办法。”

He was like, "What?"

他问，“什么办法？”

我说，“我会去买本她的自传，

I said, "I'm going to buy her autobiography,

and I'm going to let you read it yourself."

然后让你自己去读。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So as you can imagine,

所以你们能想象得到，

Elijah wasn't too excited about this new, lengthy homework assignment

伊利亚当时对我给他的 这项新的、费时的作业

that his dad had just given him, but he took it in stride.

并没有很激动， 但他还是从容的接受了。

And he came back after he had read it,

他读了这本书后又来找我，

and he was excited about what he had learned.

对他所了解到的表现得很激动。

他说，“爸爸，不仅罗莎·帕克斯 一开始没有投入到非暴力运动，

He said, "Dad, not only was Rosa Parks not initially into nonviolence,

but Rosa Parks's grandfather, who basically raised her

而且把她从小养大的祖父

and was light enough to pass as white,

皮肤白到可被看作是白种人。

used to walk around town with his gun in his holster,

他曾经常带着装着枪的 枪托在小镇里走来走去，

and people knew if you messed with Mr. Parks's children or grandchildren,

人们很清楚如果他们招惹 帕克斯老先生的孩子或外孙，

he would put a cap in your proverbial bottom."

他就会让你的屁股吃枪子儿。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Right?

明白了吧？

他不是你可以轻易去惹怒的人。

He was not someone to mess with.

And he said, "I also learned that Rosa Parks married a man in Raymond

他还说，“我还了解到罗莎·帕克斯 嫁给了一个在雷蒙德的男子。

who was a lot like her grandfather."

那个男子很像他的祖父。”

He would organize.

他会组织活动——

He was a civil rights activist.

他是个民权积极分子——

He would organize events

他会组织一些活动，

and sometimes the events would be at Rosa Parks's home.

而且那些活动经常在 罗莎·帕克斯的家里进行。

And one time Rosa Parks remarked

罗莎·帕克斯有一次回忆到，

that there were so many guns on the table,

那天桌子上有太多的枪了，

because they were prepared for somebody to come busting into the door

因为他们要随时准备有人破门而入，

that they were prepared for whatever was going to go down,

他们要准备对付 所有可能发生的状况，

that Rosa Parks said, "There were so many guns on the table

罗莎·帕克斯说， “由于那天桌子上放了太多枪了。

that I forgot to even offer them coffee or food."

我甚至都忘了 要给他们递咖啡和食物。”

This is who Rosa Parks was.

那才是真正的罗莎·帕克斯。

And in fact, Rosa Parks, when she was sitting on that bus that day,

事实上，当罗莎·帕克斯 那天坐在公交车里，

waiting for those police officers to arrive

等待着警察的到来，

and not knowing what was going to happen to her,

不知道自己会面临什么的时候，

she was not thinking about Martin Luther King,

她脑子里想的 并不是马丁 · 路德 · 金，

who she barely knew.

这个她几乎不认识的人。

She was not thinking about nonviolence or Gandhi.

她也没有在想非暴力或甘地。

She was thinking about her grandfather,

她想的是她的祖父，

a gun-toting, take-no-mess grandfather.

那个随身带着枪， 没人敢惹的祖父。

That's who Rosa Parks was thinking about.

他才是罗莎·帕克斯 当时在想着的人。

My son was mesmerized by Rosa Parks,

我儿子完全被 罗莎·帕克斯迷住了，

and I was proud of him to see this excitement.

我也为此感到自豪。

But then I still had a problem.

但我仍有一个问题要解决。

Because I still had to go his school

因为我还是得去一趟学校，

and address the issue with his teacher,

把这个情况跟他的老师反映一下，

because I didn't want her to continue to teach the kids

因为我不想让她继续给孩子们教授

obviously false history.

明显错误的历史了。

So I'm agonizing over this,

我对此感到很伤脑筋，

primarily because I understand, as an African-American man,

主要原因是，我理解 作为一名非裔美国人，

that whenever you talk to whites about racism

无论何时你和 白种人说起种族主义

or anything that's racially sensitive,

或者任何与种族相关的事，

there's usually going to be a challenge.

那都将会是一个挑战。

This is what white sociologist Robin DiAngelo calls "white fragility."

那就是白人社会学家罗宾 · 迪安吉洛 （Robin DiAngelo）所说的“白色敏感”。

She argues that, in fact,

她解释说，事实上，

because whites have so little experience being challenged

由于白种人很少会因白种优势

about their white privilege

而被质疑，

that whenever even the most minute challenge is brought before them,

所以无论何时，当他们面对 哪怕再微不足道的质疑，

they usually cry,

他们通常都会痛哭、

get angry

生气、

or run.

或者逃走。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And I have experienced them all.

而她所说的我都经历过。

And so, when I was contemplating confronting his teacher,

所以当我苦苦思量 该怎样面对他的老师时，

I wasn't happy about it,

丝毫不感到高兴，

but I was like, this is a necessary evil

但我心想，身为黑人家长， 想要努力培养自我实现的黑人孩子，

of being a black parent trying to raise self-actualized black children.

那就必须要做一次恶人。

So I called Elijah to me and said,

所以我把伊利亚叫过来，说，

"Elijah, I'm going to set up an appointment with your teacher

“伊利亚，我要约你们老师聊聊，

and try and correct this

试图纠正这件事，

甚至说服你们的校长。

and maybe your principal.

What do you think?"

你觉得怎么样？”

And Elijah said,

伊利亚回答，

"Dad, I have a better idea."

“爸爸，我有个更好的主意。”

And I said, "Really? What's your idea?"

我问，“真的吗，是什么？”

He said, "We have a public speaking assignment,

他说，“我们有个公共演讲作业，

and why don't I use that public speaking assignment

不如我用那次作业

to talk about debunking the myths of Rosa Parks?"

来揭穿关于罗莎·帕克斯的真相吧？”

And I was like,

我回道，

"Well, that is a good idea."

“那的确是个好主意。”

So Elijah goes to school,

于是伊利亚回到学校，

he does his presentation,

进行了他的演讲，

he comes back home,

回到家，

and I could see something positive happened.

我能感受到一些 积极的事情发生了。

I said, "Well, what happened, son?"

我就问他，“发生了什么，儿子？”

He said, "Well, later on in that day,

他回道，“那天晚些时候，

the teacher pulled me aside,

老师把我叫到一边，

and she apologized to me for giving that misinformation."

她向我道了歉， 因为给我了我错误的信息。”

And then something else miraculous happened the next day.

第二天，另一件神奇的事情发生了。

She actually taught a new lesson on Rosa Parks,

她又讲授了另一节 关于罗莎·帕克斯的课，

filling in the gaps that she had left and correcting the mistakes that she made.

弥补了她之前未填补的故事空缺， 纠正了她之前犯的错。

And I was so, so proud of my son.

我当时为儿子我感到 特别、特别的自豪。

But then I thought about it.

但后来转念一想，

And I got angry.

我开始感到愤怒，

And I got real angry.

非常愤怒。

Why? Why would I get angry?

为什么？为什么我会愤怒？

Because my nine-year-old son had to educate his teacher

因为我只有九岁的儿子 得去教育他的老师，

about his history,

关于他自己的历史，

had to educate his teacher about his own humanity.

关于他自己的种族。

He's nine years old.

他只有九岁啊。

He should be thinking about basketball or soccer

他应该关心的是篮球、足球，

or the latest movie.

或是最近新出的电影才对。

He should not be thinking about having to take the responsibility

他不该费心去承担

of educating his teacher,

教育自己老师、

his students,

同学

about himself, about his history.

关于他自己的历史的责任。

That was a burden that I carried.

那应该是我所背负的重担，

That was a burden that my parents carried

我父母所背负的重担，

and generations before them carried.

和他们之前一代代人 所背负的重担。

而现在，我看到我的儿子 也在背负这个重担。

And now I was seeing my son take on that burden, too.

You see, that's why Rosa Parks wrote her autobiography.

所以说，这才是罗莎·帕克斯 撰写了自传的真正原因。

Because during her lifetime,

因为在她所处的时期，

if you can imagine,

你们可以想象得到，

you do this amazing thing,

你做了一件了不起的事，

you're alive and you're talking about your civil rights activism,

你还健在，你推行着民权行动主义，

and a story emerges

一个故事从此诞生，

in which somebody is telling the world

而故事讲述者却告诉这个世界，

that you were old and you had tired feet

你年纪大且步履蹒跚，

and you just were an accidental activist,

你只是因意外而成为一名活动家，

not that you had been activist by then for 20 years,

而不是你在过去 20 年一直都是活动家，

not that the boycott had been planned for months,

也不是你已筹划 那次抵制运动长达数月，

not that you were not even the first or the second or even the third woman

而你甚至都不算是第一个、 第二个或第三个因抵制不平等

to be arrested for doing that.

而被逮捕的黑人女性。

You become an accidental activist, even in her own lifetime.

就算在她自己的时代，她成为活动家 都会被认为是纯属偶然。

So she wrote that autobiography to correct the record,

所以她才写了自传， 以纠正这个错误记录，

because what she wanted to remind people of

因为她想提醒人们的是，

was that this

这才是

is what it was like

在 20 世纪 50 年代，

in the 1950s

作为一名黑人

trying to be black in America

为自己的权力斗争

and fight for your rights.

所面临的处境。

During the year, a little over a year, that the boycott lasted,

在那场抵制运动发生的同年， 和之后的几个月内，

there were over four church bombings.

发生了超过四场教堂轰炸。

Martin Luther King's house was bombed twice.

马丁 · 路德 · 金的房子被轰炸了两次。

Other civil rights leaders' houses were bombed in Birmingham.

其他民权领导人 在伯明翰的房子也遭到了轰炸。

Rosa Parks's husband slept at night with a shotgun,

罗莎 · 帕克斯的丈夫睡觉时， 身旁都放着一支猎枪，

because they would get constant death threats.

因为他们持续遭到了死亡威胁。

In fact, Rosa Parks's mother lived with them,

事实上，罗莎·帕克斯的母亲 当时和他们同住，

and sometimes she would stay on the phone for hours

有时她会花好几小时在电话旁守着，

so that nobody would call in with death threats,

确保没有人会打电话 威胁他们的生命安全，

because it was constant and persistent.

因为当时那种威胁电话 一直持续不断的出现。

In fact, there was so much tension,

事实上，当时局势实在是太紧张了，

there was so much pressure, there was so much terrorism,

社会压力陡增，恐怖主义盛行，

that Rosa Parks and her husband, they lost their jobs,

导致罗莎 · 帕克斯夫妇 双双失去了工作，

and they became unemployable

被认定为不宜雇用，

and eventually had to leave and move out of the South.

并最终不得不离开并搬去南方，

This is a civil rights reality

这才是罗莎 · 帕克斯希望人们

that Rosa Parks wanted to make sure that people understood.

所了解的民权真相。

So you say, "Well, David, what does that have to do with me?

你可能会问，“那么，大卫， 这和我又有什么关系呢？

I'm a well-meaning person.

我是个心怀善意的人，

I didn't own slaves.

并不雇佣奴隶，

I'm not trying to whitewash history.

也不会试图 ‘白化’ 历史。

I'm a good guy. I'm a good person."

我是个好人，善良的人。”

Let me tell you what it has to do with you,

那么让我来告诉你， 这为什么与你有关。

and I'll tell it to you by telling you a story

我会通过一个关于 我的一位白人教授的故事

about a professor of mine, a white professor,

来向你解释。

when I was in graduate school, who was a brilliant, brilliant individual.

当我还在读研究生时， 有一位极其杰出的教授。

We'll call him "Fred."

我们称呼他为“弗雷德”。

And Fred was writing this history of the civil rights movement,

他当时在撰写关于民权运动的历史，

but he was writing specifically about a moment

他描述了一个发生于北卡罗莱纳，

that happened to him in North Carolina

他亲身经历过的一个时刻：

when this white man shot this black man in cold blood in a wide-open space

一个白人在大庭广众之下 残忍的枪杀了一名黑人，

and was never convicted.

而没有被定罪。

And so it was this great book,

那是一本很棒的书，

and he called together a couple of his professor friends

弗雷德叫来了几位同是教授的好友，

and he called me to read a draft of it before the final submission.

还有我，去阅读他最终提交前的书稿。

And I was flattered that he called me;

为此我受宠若惊，

I was only a graduate student then.

因为那时我还只是一名研究生。

I was kind of feeling myself a little bit. I was like, "OK, yeah."

我当时有点小骄傲，回道， “是吗，那好啊。”

I'm sitting around amongst intellectuals,

我坐在一群知识分子旁边，

and I read the draft of the book.

开始阅读书稿。

And there was a moment in the book

书中记载的某个时刻

that struck me as being deeply problematic,

令我感到震惊， 因为我觉得那段描述疑点重重，

and so I said,

于是我说，

"Fred," as we were sitting around talking about this draft,

“弗雷德”，我们当时围坐 在一起讨论着他的书稿，

I said, "Fred, I've got a real problem with this moment that you talk

我说，“弗雷德，我认为 你在书中讲到你女佣的那部分

about your maid in your book."

有很大的问题。”

And I could see Fred get a little "tight," as we say.

我能感受到我们讨论时， 弗雷德变得有些紧张了。

He said, "What do you mean? That's a great story.

他问，“怎么了？那个故事很好啊。

It happened just like I said."

就像我说的那样。”

I said, "Mmm ... can I give you another scenario?"

我说，“嗯······我能提供 另一个故事情境吗？”

Now, what's the story?

那个故事到底讲了什么？

It was 1968.

那是 1968 年。

Martin Luther King had just been assassinated.

马丁 · 路德 · 金刚被暗杀。

His maid, "domestic" -- we'll call her "Mabel,"

他的家佣—— 让我们称她为“梅布尔”，

was in the kitchen.

在厨房里。

Little Fred is eight years old.

小弗雷德只有八岁大。

Little Fred comes into the kitchen,

他走进厨房，

and Mabel, who he has only seen as smiling and helpful and happy,

看见之前一直是微笑的、 热心的、开心的梅布尔

is bent over the sink,

俯身在水槽边。

and she's crying,

她在哭泣，

and she's sobbing

在啜泣，

inconsolably.

悲痛欲绝。

And little Fred comes over to her and says, "Mabel, what is wrong?"

小弗雷德走近她， 问“梅布尔，发生什么了？”

Mabel turns, and she says,

梅布尔转过身说，

"They killed him! They killed our leader. They killed Martin Luther King.

“他们杀了他，他们杀了我们的领袖。 他们杀了马丁 · 路德 · 金。

He's dead! They are monsters."

他死了！他们真是一群恶魔。”

And little Fred says,

小弗雷德安慰道，

"It'll be OK, Mabel. It'll be OK. It'll be OK."

“会好的，梅布尔，一切都会好的。”

And she looked at him, and she says, "No, it's not going to be OK.

她看着他，回道， “不，怎么会好呢。

Did you not hear what I just said?

你没听到我刚所说的吗？

They killed Martin Luther King."

他们杀死了马丁 · 路德 · 金。”

And Fred,

于是弗雷德，

son of a preacher,

一位牧师的儿子，

looks up at Mabel, and he says,

抬头看着梅布尔，说，

"But Mabel, didn't Jesus die on the cross for our sins?

“但是梅布尔，耶稣不也是 为了我们的罪过而死在十字架上吗？

Wasn't that a good outcome?

那难道没带来一个好的结局吗？

Maybe this will be a good outcome.

也许这也会带来一个好的结局。

Maybe the death of Martin Luther King will lead to a good outcome."

也许马丁路德金的死 会为我们带来一个好的结局。”

And as Fred tells the story,

正当弗雷德讲述着那个故事，

he says that Mabel put her hand over her mouth,

他说梅布尔用手捂住了嘴，

she reached down and she gave little Fred a hug,

俯身给了小弗雷德一个拥抱，

and then she reached into the icebox,

然后伸手到冰柜里，

and took out a couple Pepsis,

取出了几罐可乐，

gave him some Pepsis

递给他，

and sent him on his way to play with his siblings.

让他去和他的兄弟姐妹们一起玩耍。

And he said,

弗雷德说，

"This was proof that even in the most harrowing times of race struggle

“那是一个证据，证明了即使是在 种族斗争最令人悲痛的时刻，

that two people could come together across racial lines

两个人也能跨越种族边界，

and find human commonality

通过爱与情感

along the lines of love and affection."

找到人类共同点。”

And I said, "Fred, that is some BS."

我说，“弗雷德，那可真是胡扯。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

Fred was like,

弗雷德当时是那样说的，

"But I don't understand, David. That's the story."

“我不懂，大卫， 故事确实是那样的。”

I said, "Fred, let me ask you a question."

我说，“弗雷德，让我来问你个问题。”

I said, "You were in North Carolina in 1968.

我说， “你当时是在 1968 年的北卡罗莱纳。”

If Mabel would've went to her community -- you were eight years old --

如果梅布尔去了她自己的社区—— 你说你当时只有 8 岁——

what do you think the eight-year-old African-American children

你觉得换做是那些 8 岁大的非裔美国孩子，

会怎么称呼她？

你觉得他们会直呼其名吗？”

were calling her?

Do you think they called her by her first name?"

No, they called her "Miss Mabel,"

不，他们会叫她“梅布尔小姐”，

or they called her "Miss Johnson," or they called her "Auntie Johnson."

或“约翰逊小姐”， 或“约翰逊阿姨”。

They would have never dared call her by her first name,

他们绝不会敢去直呼她的大名，

because that would have been the height of disrespect.

因为那会被认为是不尊敬她。

And yet, you were calling her by her first name

然而，你却在她工作的每一天里

every single day that she worked,

以她的大名来称呼她，

and you never thought about it."

却从没想过这件事。”

I said, "Let me ask you another question: Was Mabel married?

我说，“让我再来问你另一个问题： 梅布尔当时结婚了吗？

Did she have children?

她有孩子吗？

What church did she go to?

她平时会去哪所教堂？

What was her favorite dessert?"

她最喜欢哪种甜点？”

Fred could not answer any of those questions.

弗雷德一个问题都答不上来。

I said, "Fred, this story is not about Mabel.

我接着说，“弗雷德， 那个故事不是关于梅布尔的，

This story is about you."

其实是关于你的。”

I said, "This story made you feel good,

“那个故事让你感觉很好，

but this story is not about Mabel.

但故事本身并不是关于梅布尔的。

The reality is,

事实上，

what probably happened was, Mabel was crying,

那天的真实情况很可能是这样的： 梅布尔在哭泣，

which was not something she customarily did,

而那并不是她通常会做的事，

so she was letting her guard down.

她当时放下了防备。

And you came into the kitchen,

然后你走进了厨房，

and you caught her at a weak moment where she was letting her guard down.

那一刻是她放下了心防的脆弱时刻。

And see, because you thought of yourself as just like one of her children,

你瞧，因为你认为自己 只是她的其中一个孩子，

you didn't recognize that you were in fact the child of her employer.

你没有意识到，事实上， 你是她雇主的孩子。

And she'd found herself yelling at you.

她察觉到了自己在对你大声说话。

And then she caught herself,

她意识到了，

realizing that, 'If I'm yelling at him

‘如果我对他大声说话，

and he goes back and he tells his dad or he tells mom,

然后他把这事告诉他父母，

I could lose my job.'

我就会失去我的工作。’

And so she tempered herself, and she ended up --

所以她才平复了自己的心情——

even though she needed consoling -- she ended up consoling you

虽然当时需要安慰的是她—— 她却反过来安慰你，

and sending you on your way,

让你到别处去，

perhaps so she could finish mourning in peace."

也许这样她才能继续独自哀伤。”

And Fred was stunned.

弗雷德当时感到很震惊。

And he realized that he had actually misread that moment.

因为他发现他误读了 那个时刻所发生的事。

And see, this is what they did to Rosa Parks.

你们瞧，这也是他们对 罗莎·帕克斯所做的事。

Because it's a lot easier to digest an old grandmother with tired feet

因为人们更容易接受一位 因疲惫而没有起身让座的老奶奶，

who doesn't stand up because she wants to fight for inequality,

而不是一位由于想抗争不平等 而拒绝起立的年轻女性，

but because her feet and her back are tired,

她不起立不是因为 她的背或腿感到疲惫，

and she's worked all day.

也不是因为她工作了一整天。

See, old grandmothers are not scary.

因为老奶奶并不可怕。

But young, radical black women

但是年轻的、激进的，

who don't take any stuff from anybody

那种不会屈服于他人、

are very scary,

勇于面对暴力，

who stand up to power

并愿意为此牺牲的

and are willing to die for that --

黑人女性是很可怕的——

those are not the kind of people

因为她们不是那种

that make us comfortable.

会让人感到自在的存在。

So you say,

你可能会问，

"What do you want me to do, David?

“那么大卫，你想让我们做什么呢？

I don't know what to do."

我不知道我能做什么。”

Well, what I would say to you is,

我想告诉你们的是，

there was a time in which,

曾经有一个时刻，

if you were Jewish, you were not white,

在这个国家里，

if you were Italian, you were not white,

如果你是犹太人， 你就不算是白人；

如果你是意大利人， 你就不算是白人；

if you were Irish, you were not white

in this country.

如果你是爱尔兰人， 你就不算是白人。

It took a while before the Irish, the Jews and the Italians became white.

很长一段时间过后，爱尔兰人、犹太人 和意大利人才被认为是白人。

Right?

对吧？

曾经有一个时刻，你也被“排斥”，

There was a time in which you were "othered,"

when you were the people on the outside.

被视为是圈子外的人。

Toni Morrison said,

托妮·莫里森（Toni Morrison， 美国非裔女作家）曾说，

"If, in order for you to be tall, I have to be on my knees,

“如果为了让你显得高， 我得跪下的话，

you have a serious problem."

那你的问题就很严重了。”

She says, "White America has a serious, serious problem."

她说，“白种美国人有一个 很严重，很严重的问题。”

To be honest, I don't know if race relations will improve in America.

说实话，我也不知道种族问题 在美国会不会得到改善。

But I know that if they will improve,

但我知道， 如果这种状况想被改善的话，

we have to take these challenges on head on.

我们现在就得正面应对那些挑战。

The future of my children depends on it.

因为我孩子的未来取决于此。

The future of my children's children depends on it.

我孩子的孩子的未来也取决于此。

And, whether you know it or not,

不管你有没有意识到，

the future of your children and your children's children

但你的孩子， 和你孩子的孩子的未来，

depends on it, too.

其实也取决于此。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）