How Moms Shape The World | Anna Malaika Tubbs | TED

翻译人员: Vivian Zhu 校对人员: Yip Yan Yeung

Every year, around January 15th,

每年的 1 月 15 号，

the world rightfully celebrates the birth of the great Martin Luther King Jr.

世界各地都在纪念伟大的 马丁·路德·金的生日。

Yet, virtually no one has stopped to consider who else was in that room

但是从来没有人想过 1929 年 那一天在他出生的房间里还有谁。

that day in 1929.

As if somehow MLK Jr. birthed himself.

感觉好像马丁·路德·金 自己生了自己。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I toured the location where he was born.

我曾经参观过他出生的房间，

A charming, quaint two-story home in Atlanta.

是亚特兰大一座精致 又安静朴素的两层房屋。

And while it was an honor to even be there,

虽然我很荣幸可以到访，

I left feeling frustrated by the tour guide's script.

导游的说辞却让我觉得很不舒服。

Of course, MLK Jr. was the center of most of the tales,

马丁·罗德·金 是人们故事中的主角，

and then came stories about his father,

然后人们就说起了他父亲——

the inspiring Reverend Martin Luther King Sr.

鼓舞人心的老马丁· 路德·金牧师的故事。

But what frustrated me

但这却让我觉得很沮丧，

was the lack of attention being paid to his mother,

因为从没有人关注过他的母亲——

Alberta Christine Williams King.

艾伯塔·克里斯汀·威廉姆斯·金 （Alberta Christine Williams King）。

Even though this was actually her childhood home first

就算这个地方先是她小时候的家，

and the home where she'd later birth her children,

后来二楼的一间房

in a room on the second floor.

变成了她生孩子的地方。

This erasure doesn't only concern Alberta.

不只是阿尔伯特被忽略，

Mothers in the US are often misrepresented or completely left out

美国的母亲们经常是被歪曲事实

in the stories we tell.

或被故事遗漏的 “小角色”。

Mothers are used to being seen

母亲们被理所应当地 定义成无私的形象，

as selfless beings without needs for others to consider.

不需要别人关心照顾。

They're used to feeling belittled if they stay at home with their children

她们习惯了在家 带孩子被贬低的生活，

because the narrative says it's "unproductive."

被社会说成 “效率低下的轻松活”。

Or they might even hide the fact that they have children at work

她们经常在工作中隐瞒母亲的身份，

so that they're still taken seriously rather than seen as distracted.

只为被认真地对待， 而不是被视为注意力不集中。

And they will not receive credit for the accomplishments of the loved ones

而她们日日夜夜为家庭的付出

they have supported day in and day out

却从没得到正名，

because our retelling of events

因为所有的故事里

doesn't feature the many acts of mothering.

根本不会强调母亲做了些什么。

Beyond such instances being frustrating,

我认为这些令人烦恼的例子，

I believe they lead to a lack of understanding

导致了社会对母亲们

surrounding the critical roles mothers play in our society,

角色的重要性缺乏认知，

and they contribute to a lack of support for mothers.

对母亲们没有足够的支持。

If the stories we tell,

如果我们所描述的故事，

both on an interpersonal level as well as in literature and in media,

在人际关系以及文学和媒体上

deem mothers as unimportant,

都在强调母亲是不重要的、

as unworthy of being seen and considered,

不值得被看见的、 不值得被考虑的，

then these opinions will be reflected

我们的国家就会 真的这样对待母亲们。

in the way that mothers are treated in our country.

It is not a surprise, then,

所以这就没什么 可意外的了，在美国

that in the US we have yet to establish universal parental leave,

我们仍然没有建立 统一的育儿假体制，

a universal quality, affordable child care,

也没有优质的、 实惠的托儿所系统，

that we are experiencing a maternal mortality crisis

这直接导致一场 母亲育儿缺失的危机，

and that many mothers had no other choice but to leave the workforce

疫情让很多的母亲 不得不离开职场。

as a result of the pandemic.

Such tragedies have a ripple effect that also hurts our children,

这样的不幸会牵连我们的孩子们、

our communities,

我们的社区，

even our national economy.

甚至是我们的全国经济。

As a writer and sociologist,

作为一个作家和社会学家，

I believe that storytelling plays a necessary role

我认为我们的故事和说辞

in fixing our current trajectory;

对修正我们现有的轨道至关重要，

that through the intentional centering of mothers,

只有有意地将母亲放到聚光灯下，

we can not only make life better for them,

才能让她们的生活变得更好，

we can actually make life better for everyone.

也能让所有人的生活有所改善。

The way to get organizations and our government

我们能让组织和政府

to give mothers the resources that they desperately need and deserve

给予母亲们急需 和应得的资源的方法

is to first shift our perspective of motherhood on a cultural level.

首先是改变文化层面 对母亲的看法。

I am on a mission for that shift to happen in my lifetime,

有生之年， 我一直在等待这样的转机，

especially for mothers of color

尤其是对于有色人种的母亲们，

who have historically received the least resources.

因为从古至今她们 都只有最少的资源。

I have spent the last several years studying three women in particular,

这些年我一直在研究三位女性。

whose life stories show,

她们的人生故事展示了：

number one, just how easily we disregard mothers,

第一，我们如何 轻易地忽视了母亲们；

and number two,

第二，

how a lack of consideration for their needs and their contributions

缺乏对她们的需求和贡献的考虑

leads to a lack of intervention and support.

如何导致了干预和支持的缺失。

While it may be too late to help the three of them,

虽然帮助这三位女性已经为时太晚，

I believe their life stories provide guidance

她们的人生故事可以指引我们

on how we can make the world better for moms

如何让世界对母亲们和

and everyone they impact today.

深受她们影响的人更美好。

So let's first go back to Alberta King.

我们先回到艾伯塔·克里斯汀· 威廉姆斯·金的故事。

Alberta was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1903,

艾伯塔 1903 年出生于 佐治亚州亚特兰大，

to the leaders of Ebenezer Baptist Church.

她的父母是埃比尼泽（Ebenezer） 浸信会教堂的领袖。

Even as a young girl, she was an activist.

从小，她就是一个活跃分子，

She participated in marches and boycotts,

参加过很多的游行和抵制活动，

and she even joined her parents as some of the very first members of the NAACP.

她追随父母，成为最早加入

美国全国有色人种协进会 （NAACP）的一员。

She believed that Christian faith

她深信基督教和 社会正义是相连的，

must always be intertwined with social justice,

and she used her education to advance freedom causes.

她利用她的知识推进了自由主义。

Alberta grew up to be a talented organizer and a musician,

艾伯塔长大后成为了一位 出色的组织者和音乐家。

也成为了三个孩子的妈妈。

as well as a mother of three.

Before meeting her husband,

在认识她丈夫之前，

Alberta was on her path to becoming an educator.

艾伯塔正在努力成为一个教育者。

She earned a teaching certificate and a bachelor's degree.

她考取了教师证和本科学历。

But because the law stated that married women could not teach,

由于当时的法律规定 已婚妇女不能任教，

she was forced to walk away from a formal career.

她被迫放弃了正式的工作。

She still did everything she could

但她依旧倾尽全力去帮助、 传授、保护她的家人和社区成员。

to provide for, educate and protect her family and her community members.

But that same care and shielding was not afforded to her in return.

很遗憾，她的付出并没有 为她换来同样的关爱和保护。

Her life was tragically taken

一次在演奏教堂风琴时，

when she was shot in the back

她不幸从背后被人枪杀。

as she played the church organ.

The second story begins in La Digue Grenada,

第二个故事来自 19 世纪末期的

拉·迪格·格林纳达 （La Digue Grenada）。

at the very end of the 19th century.

A little girl is influenced by her grandparents

这个小女孩受到她祖父母的影响，

to always stand for Black pride and Black independence

用不同的方法支持 黑人的尊严和独立。

by any means necessary.

At the young age of 17,

17 岁那年，

she travels to Montreal, Canada, on her own,

她为宣传黑人自由， 孤身前往了加拿大蒙特利尔。

to spread the message of Black liberation.

And she joins the Marcus Garvey pan-African movement.

她加入了

马库斯·加维 （Marcus Garvey）的泛非运动。

This is just a brief introduction to Louise Langdon Little,

这只是对路易丝·利特尔 （Louise Langdon Little）

一个简单的介绍，

a multilingual scholar and activist

她不仅仅是一名多语种学者 和社会活动家，

who also brought eight children into the world,

还是八个孩子的母亲。

one of whom was named Malcolm Little originally.

其中一个本名为 马尔科姆·利特尔（Malcolm Little），

He later became known to the world as Malcolm X.

也就是大家所知的马尔科姆·X（Malcolm X）。

When Louise's husband was murdered

路易丝 30 多岁的时候， 丈夫被人杀害，当了寡妇。

and she was widowed when she was only in her 30s,

white welfare workers started showing up and entering her home,

白人福利工作者开始出入她的家，

questioning the way that she was raising her children.

质问她养孩子的方法。

A white male physician was sent to evaluate her,

一名白人医生被叫来为她诊断，

and he concluded that she was experiencing dementia,

他声称她患有精神错乱，

citing that she was "imagining being discriminated against."

有被歧视妄想症。

(Audience murmurs)

（观众低语）

As a result,

因此她被强行关进了精神病院，

she was institutionalized against her will

for around 25 years.

关了大约 25 年。

Each of her children were taken from her

她的八个孩子被抢走， 送往不同的寄养家庭。

and they were placed into separate foster homes.

The final story starts in the small town of Deal Island, Maryland, in 1902.

最后的故事来自 1902 年

马里兰州的一个小城市， 迪尔岛（Deal Island）。

A little girl's life begins in tragedy when she loses her own mother.

一个小女孩人生悲剧 从失去她的母亲开始。

But through this moment of darkness,

但在这段黑暗的时光，

she becomes somebody fixated on light and on love.

她学会了关注光明和爱。

A talented writer,

作为一名出色的作家，

she uses her prose to inspire those around her

她用她的散文影响身边的人，

to let go of their own pain and their hatred.

让他们放下痛苦，放下仇恨。

As a teenager,

在她还在青春期的时候，

she travels to New York in search of a new start,

她为了全新的开始前往了纽约，

and she arrives in the middle of the Harlem Renaissance.

加入了当时进行中的

哈莱姆文艺复兴 （Harlem Renaissance）。

This is just a brief introduction to Berdis Jones Baldwin,

这位就是伯迪斯·琼斯·鲍德温 （Berdis Jones Baldwin），

a mother of nine.

也是九个孩子的妈妈的简介。

Her first born was originally named James Arthur Jones.

她的长子本名为詹姆斯·阿瑟·琼斯 （James Arthur Jones），

He later became known to the world as James Baldwin.

也是大家后来熟知的詹姆斯·鲍德温 （James Baldwin）。

At times, Berdis had no other choice but to leave her children at home

她不得不把孩子留在家里

to make money as a domestic worker.

出门当家庭佣人赚钱。

She was also the victim of an abusive husband for years.

同时她多年来饱受丈夫的毒打。

Without resources other than police officers,

她除了警察没有别的资源，

who were better known for harassing her community,

而警察只会骚扰人民，

she endured the pain on her own.

所以她只能忍气吞声。

When her husband passed, and she too was only in her thirties,

她成为寡妇的那年也才 30 多岁，

she proudly raised her nine children as a single mother.

但她作为一名单亲母亲 倾尽全力养大孩子。

These stories are not a part of ancient history,

这些故事并不是古老的历史，

nor should they be seen as separate of other mothers

也不该因为她们的儿子很出名， 而另眼相看她们。

simply because their sons became famous.

They are representative of mothers' experiences,

她们代表了所有母亲的亲身经历，

especially Black mothers,

尤其是黑人母亲，

who, to this day, are disrespected, denied paid leave,

她们至今为止都被歧视、 拒绝带薪休假、辞退，

pushed out of their jobs,

facing biases in health care systems,

她们在医疗系统饱受歧视、

are victims of abuse,

饱受虐待、

are mistreated and belittled,

也经常被贬低、

and who are being forgotten and erased.

遗忘和抹除。

Would the world be different today,

这个世界会因为我们

if we'd been telling their stories all along?

一直讲她们的故事而改变吗？

I believe so.

我觉得会。

If the stories we told of mothers reflected their presence,

如果我们的故事 能展现母亲的存在、

their importance, their power, their influence,

重要性、力量、影响、

their wholeness and their humanity,

完整性和人性，

then it would be easier for everyone to appreciate their roles

全世界才能更容易 感恩她们的付出，

and back them with the support that they deserve.

给予她们应得的支持。

So let's act now.

所以我们现在就行动吧。

How about we stop thanking mothers for being selfless

我们不要再感谢 母亲们的自我牺牲，

and putting their needs behind everyone else's?

不要再忽视她们的需求如何？

(Applause)

（掌声）

And instead,

相反，

we thank them for being our first leaders,

我们应该感谢她们 成为我们的第一位引路人、

caretakers and teachers.

看护人和老师。

What if we asked how we could support them in return?

我们应该问问她们， 作为回报，应该如何支持她们。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Yeah.

嗯。

(Applause)

（掌声）

What if we celebrated stay-at-home moms

如果我们宣扬全职妈妈

as the essential members of our society that they are

在社会的重要性

rather than belittling their role?

而不是贬低她们的工作呢？

(Applause)

（掌声）

What if employers and colleagues recognize mothering

如果我们的上司和同事 能意识到母亲的工作

as the ultimate test of multitasking,

是处理多项任务、

organization and empathy?

组织力和同理心的终极体现呢？

(Laughs)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

And highlighted the importance of keeping mothers on their teams.

并强调让母亲留在团队中的重要性？

And what if we produced more stories,

如果我们制作更多的故事、

books, TV shows, movies

书籍、电视剧和电影

that represented mothers accurately?

来准确地表现母亲呢？

Could we convince more people of the need for parental leave,

我们可不可以说服更多的人 来支持育儿假、

affordable child care,

实惠的托儿机构、

unbiased health care systems,

公正的医疗系统

maybe even a guaranteed income?

和有保障的工资呢？

I think we can all agree.

我想我们都同意。

Mothers are essential.

母亲们很重要。

Mothers are powerful.

母亲们很强大。

Mothers have their own needs and their own identities.

母亲们有自己的需求和个性。

Mothers deserve support.

母亲们值得被支持。

It is time our stories and our policies reflect this.

是时候用我们的故事 和政策来反映这些。

We can change the narrative.

我们可以改变原来的故事。

And when we do,

改变以后，

the world will be a much better and equitable place for us all.

这个世界会对大家都是个 更美好、更平等的地方。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause and cheers)

（掌声、欢呼声）