Aja Monet and phillip agnew: A love story about the power of art as organizing | TED

翻译人员: ZIJIE GAN 校对人员: Parco Chen

Aja Monet: Our story begins like all great, young love stories.

阿贾 · 莫奈：我们故事的开始，如同 所有美好以及年轻的爱情故事一般。

Phillip Agnew: She slid in my DMs ...

菲利普 · 阿格纽： 她私发了我消息...

AM: He liked about 50 of my photos,

莫奈:他点赞了 大约五十张我的照片,

back-to-back, in the middle of the night --

在大半夜，毫不停歇 ——

PA: What I saw was an artist committed to truth and justice --

阿格纽：我看到的只是一个 遵守着真理与正义的艺术家--

and she's beautiful, but I digress.

并且她十分漂亮，但这跑题了。

AM: Our story actually begins across many worlds,

莫奈：其实，我们的故事 开始于多个世界的跨越

over maqluba and red wine in Palestine.

跨越了巴勒斯坦的抓饭以及红酒。

But how did we get there?

但我们是如何走到这一步的呢？

PA: Well, I was born in Chicago,

阿格纽：好吧，我出生在芝加哥，

the son of a preacher and a teacher.

是一个牧师和老师的孩子。

My ears first rung with church songs sung by my mother on Saturday mornings.

在周六的清晨，萦绕在我耳畔 的是我母亲唱的教堂乐曲。

My father's South Side sermons summoned me.

我父亲的南方布道也唤召了我。

My first words were more notes than quotes.

我最早学会的音符比名言更多。

It was music that molded me.

是音乐塑造了我。

Later on, it was Florida A&M University that first introduced me to organizing.

之后，我在佛罗里达农工大学中 学到了怎样去组织策划。

In 2012, a young black male named Trayvon Martin was murdered,

2012年，一个叫特雷沃恩·马丁的 年轻的黑人男性被谋杀了，

and it changed my life and millions of others'.

这改变了我和数百万人的生命轨迹。

We were a ragtag group of college kids and not-quite adults

我们是一群底层社会中的大学生， 尚未成年，

who had decided enough was enough.

我们已经受够了。

Art and organizing became our answer to anger and anxiety.

艺术与组织成为了我们对愤怒 以及焦虑的解决方式。

We built a movement and it traveled around the world

我们创立了一项运动 并且它传遍全球

and to Palestine, in 2015.

在2015年的时候， 传到了巴勒斯坦。

AM: I was born to a single mother

莫奈：我是一个单亲妈妈的孩子

in the Pink House projects of Brooklyn, New York.

在纽约布鲁克林中居住着 由粉红房屋计划提供的房子。

Maddened by survival,

在被生存逼得抓狂的情况下，

I gravitated inwards towards books, poems and my brother's hand-me-down Walkman.

我开始投身于书籍，诗歌 以及我哥哥二手的随身听。

I saw train-station theater,

我看着火车站剧院，

subwoofing streets and hood murals.

用低音炮发出的噪音 喧哗着整条街与车头的壁画。

In high school, I found a community of metaphor magicians

在高中，我发现了一个由 善用比喻的魔术师

and truth-telling poets

以及说真话的诗人组成的组织

in an organization called Urban Word NYC.

叫做“纽约城新语”。

Adopted by the Black Arts movement,

在被黑人艺术运动接受后，

I won the legendary Nuyorican Poets Cafe Grand Slam title.

我赢得了传奇新波多黎各 诗人俱乐部的大奖。

(Applause and cheers)

（掌声与欢呼声）

At Sarah Lawrence College, I worked with artists

在莎拉劳伦斯学院， 我与艺术家们合作

to respond to Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake;

来对卡特里娜飓风 以及地震做出回应。

I discovered the impact of poetry

我发现了诗歌的影响力

and the ability to not just articulate our feelings,

以及它的力量， 不仅限于表达我们所感，

but to get us to work towards changing things

更多的是让我们去努力改变事物

and doing something about it,

并且对之有所贡献，

when a friend, Maytha Alhassen, invited me to Palestine ...

当我一个朋友，梅萨 · 阿哈森， 邀请我到巴勒斯坦时...

PA: We were a delegation of artists and organizers,

阿格纽：我们是艺术家 以及组织者的代表，

and we immersed ourselves in Palestinian culture,

并且我们沉浸于巴勒斯坦文化，

music, their stories.

他们的音乐，故事。

Late into the night,

夜里晚些时候，

we would have discussions about the role of art in politics

我们举行一些关于艺术 在政治上所扮演的角色

and the role of politics in art.

与政治在艺术上的地位的讨论。

Aja and I disagree.

阿贾和我不同意。

AM: Oh, we disagree.

莫奈：喔，我们不同意。

PA: But we quite quickly and unsurprisingly fell in love.

阿格纽：但是我们毫无意外地 以迅雷不及掩耳之势坠入爱河。

Exhibit A:

让你们看看

me working my magic.

我所展现出的魅力。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

AM: Obvious, isn't it?

莫奈：很明显，不是吗？

Four months later, this artist --

四个月之后，这个艺术家--

PA: and this organizer --

阿格纽：与这个组织者--

AM: moved into a little home with a big backyard, in Miami.

莫奈：搬到了迈阿密 一个拥有大后院的小屋。

PA: (Sighs)

阿格纽：（叹气）

Listen, five months before this ever happened,

听着，在这发生前的五个月，

I predicted it all.

我全都预测到了。

I'm going to tell you --

你们得相信我 ——

a friend sat me down and said,

我的一个朋友让我坐下然后说，

"You've done so much for organizing,

“你已经为组织策划做了太多，

when are you going to settle down?"

你打算什么时候安定下来呢？”

I looked him straight in the face

我直勾勾地看着他的脸

and I said, "The only way that it would ever happen

说：“令这发生的唯一的办法

is if it is a collision.

是一场激烈的碰撞。

This woman would have to knock me completely off course."

这个女人得让我完全为她而倾倒。”

I didn't know how right I was.

我不知道我有多正确。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Our first few months were like any between young lovers:

我们刚刚开始的几个月 就同任何年轻恋人们一般：

filled with hot, passionate, all-night ...

充斥着彻夜的兴奋的与热情的...

AM: nonstop ...

莫奈：毫不停歇的...

PA: discussions.

阿格纽：讨论。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

PA: Aja challenged everything I knew and understood about the world.

阿格纽：阿贾挑战了我对 这个世界的一切的认知。

She forced me --

她强迫我 ——

AM: lovingly --

莫奈：含情脉脉地 ——

PA: to see our organizing work with new eyes.

阿格纽：用新的角度来 审视我们的策划成果。

She helped me see the unseen things

她帮助我看到盲点

and how artists illuminate our interior worlds.

以及艺术家们是如何点亮 我们的内在世界的。

AM: There were many days I did not want to get up out of bed

莫奈：有许多日子我 曾不想从床上起身

and face the exterior world.

来面对外面的世界。

I was discouraged.

我被挫伤了。

There was so much loss and death

那儿有太多的伤亡

and artists were being used to numb, lull and exploit.

而艺术家正被利用来麻木， 哄骗大众。

While winning awards, accolades and grants soothed so many egos,

当获得嘉奖以及补助时， 自我能被抚慰，

people were still dying

但人们还在死去

and I was seeking community.

然后我在寻找一个社群。

Meeting Phillip brought so much joy, love, truth into my life,

认识菲利普给我的生活 带来了许多欢乐，爱以及真理，

and it pulled me out of isolation.

并且这把我脱离了独处。

He showed me that community and relationships

他给我展示了社群以及人际关系

wasn't just about building great movements.

不只是关于打造伟大的运动。

It was integral in creating powerful, meaningful art,

它在创造有力并且意义 非凡的艺术时是必不可缺的，

and neither could be done in solitude.

而这在孤身一人时是无法完成的。

PA: Yeah, we realized many of our artist and organizer friends were also lost

阿格纽：嗯，我们意识到了我们许多 艺术家以及组织者朋友也同样迷失于

in these cycles of sadness,

这类伤感循环，

and we were in movements that often found themselves at funerals.

并且我们处身的这场运动， 常常使我们出现在葬礼当中。

We asked ourselves

我们曾问过自己

what becomes of a generation all too familiar

是什么让我们变成了一代太习惯于

with the untimely ends of lives streamed daily on our Timelines?

在我们的时间线中， 目睹一个个生命过早地结束。

It was during one of our late-night discussions

在我们一次深夜讨论时

that we saw beyond art and organizing

我们看到了超越 艺术和组织本身的东西

and began to see that art was organizing.

并且开始去将组织视为艺术。

AM: The idea was set:

莫奈：想法是这样建立的--

art was an anchor, not an accessory to movement.

艺术本身是一支锚， 而不是运动的一个附件。

Our home was a home of radical imagination;

我们的家，是激进变革想象的家；

an instrument of our nurturing hearts;

是一把培育我们内心的乐器；

a place of risk where were dared to laugh, love, cry, debate.

是一个我们敢笑，敢爱， 敢泣，敢论又充满风险的地方。

Art, books, records and all this stuff decorated our walls,

艺术，书籍，唱片以及所有 这类东西装饰了我们的墙壁，

and there was lizards --

那儿还有蜥蜴，

walls of palm trees that guided our guests into our backyard,

和棕榈树之墙引领领宾客前往后院，

where our neighbors would come and feel right at home.

在那里，邻居们会感到 如同在自己家一般。

The wind --

那风 ——

the wind was an affirmation for the people who walked into the space.

风是对走进那个地方 的人的一种肯定。

And we learned that in a world --

然后我们学习到在一个世界 ——

a bewildering world of so much distraction --

一个充斥着许多心烦意乱的 令人迷惑的世界——

we were able to cultivate a space where people could come and be present,

我们有能力培养一个 人们可以光临的空间，

and artists and organizers could find refuge.

并且艺术家和组织者足以找到慰藉。

PA: This became Smoke Signals Studio.

阿格纽：这便成了烟雾信号工作室。

AM: As we struggle to clothe, house, feed and educate our communities;

莫奈：当我们挣扎着去为我们的社群 提供衣食住行以及教育；

our spirits hunger for connection, joy and purpose;

我们在精神上渴求联系， 快乐以及目的；

and as our bodies are out on the front lines,

当我们身躯在前线作战时，

our souls still need to be fed,

我们的灵魂依旧需要被满足，

or else we succumb to despair and depression.

否则便是在绝望与压抑中屈服陨灭。

Our art possesses rhythmic communication,

我们的艺术掌握了律动交际，

coded emotional cues,

编码的情绪线索，

improvised feelings of critical thought.

对于批判性思维的即兴感受。

Our social movements should be like jazz:

我们的社会运动应该像爵士乐：

encouraging active participation,

鼓励积极参与，

listening,

倾听，

spontaneity and freedom.

自发性以及自由。

What people see as a party ...

人们看作是一个派对的东西...

PA: is actually a movement meeting.

阿格纽：其实是一个运动集会。

See, we aren't all protest and pain.

看吧，我们不都是反抗和疼痛。

Here's a place to be loved,

这是一个被爱的地方，

to be felt, to be heard,

被感知，被倾听，

and where we prepare for the most pressing political issues

在这里，我们为了我们邻里 之间最紧急的政治问题

in our neighborhoods.

而准备。

See, laws never change culture,

看吧，法律永远不会改变文化，

but culture always changes laws.

但文化总是改变法律。

Art --

艺术，

(Applause)

（掌声）

Art as organizing is even changing and opening doors

艺术作为组织本身时甚至改变

in places seen as the opposite of freedom.

以及对那些被视为 反自由的地方敞开大门。

Our weekly poetry series

我们每周的诗歌系列

is transforming the lives of men incarcerated at Dade Correctional,

正在转化囚禁在 达德修正监狱的人的生活，

and we're so excited to bring you all the published work of one of those men,

并且我们十分兴奋地 向你们分享其中一人的出版作品。

Echo Martinez.

厄科 · 马丁内斯。

In the intro, he says ...

在引言里，他说，

AM: "Poetry for the people is a sick pen's penicillin.

莫奈：“诗歌对于人们来说 就相当于一只病者的青霉素。

It's a cuff key to a prisoner's dreams.

是手铐钥匙之于囚犯的梦想。

The Molotov in the ink.

是墨水中的莫洛托夫。

It is knowledge, it is overstanding,

这是知识，是导向，

it is tasting ingredients in everything you've been force-fed,

是在你所有被迫咽下的 食物中的品尝成分，

but most of all, it's a reminder that we all have voices,

但最重要的是，这是一个提醒， 提醒我们都可以发声，

we all can be heard even if we have to scream."

我们都可以被听见 即使我们需要呐喊。”

In 2018, we created our first annual Maroon Poetry Festival

在2018年，我们创建了 第一个年度栗色诗歌节

at the TACOLCY Center in Liberty City.

在自由城的Talcocy中心。

There, the Last Poets, Sonia Sanchez, Emory Douglas

在那，“最后的诗人”， 索尼娅 · 桑切斯，埃默里 · 道格拉斯

and the late, great Ntozake Shange,

以及现已去世的伟大诗人 尼托扎克 · 尚吉

performed and met with local artists and organizers.

表演并与当地艺术家和组织者会面。

We were able to honor them

我们能向他们致敬

for their commitment to radical truth-telling.

因他们对激进地讲真话的遵守。

And in addition to that,

还有，

we transformed a public park

我们改造了一个公园

into the physical manifestation of the world we are organizing for.

把它变成了我们所 策划的世界的实体体现。

Everything that we put into poetry,

我们对诗歌灌注的心血

we put into the art, into the creativity,

同时也灌注雨对艺术，于创造性，

into the curated kids' games

于组织的孩童游戏

and into the stunning stage design.

以及出色舞台的设计。

PA: Our work is in a long line of cultural organizers

阿格纽：我们的工作是 在未来很长一段时间内

that understood to use art to animate a radical future.

去令文化组织者们意识到运用 艺术去点燃激进变革的未来。

Artists like June Jordan,

如朱恩 · 乔丹一般的艺术家，

Emory Douglas

如埃默里 · 道格拉斯

and Nina Simone.

以及妮娜 · 西蒙。

They understood what many of us are just now realizing --

他们知道了我们才意识到的--

that to get people to build the ship,

若让人们一同来建造方舟，

you've got to get them to long for the sea;

你得先激发他们对大海的渴望；

that data rarely moves people, but great art always does.

数据很少动摇人们， 但伟大的艺术却总能奏效。

This understanding --

这种理解，

(Applause)

（掌声）

This understanding informed the thinking

这种理解塑造了

behind the Dream Defenders' "Freedom Papers,"

梦想捍卫者的《自由报》背后的理念，

a radical political vision for the future of Florida

一种对佛罗里达未来的 激进改革的政治视野：

that talked about people over profits.

重视人们，而非利益

Now, we could have done a policy paper.

我们本可以做一份政治报纸。

Instead, artists and organizers came together in their poetry

取而代之的是，艺术家和 组织者在诗歌当中被召集

to create incredible murals

来创造不可思议的壁画

and did the video that we see behind us.

以及制作了我们身后的视频。

We joined the political precision of the Black Panther Party

我们融合了黑豹党的政治精确

and the beautiful poetry of Puerto Rican poet Martín Espada

以及波多黎各诗人 马丁 · 埃斯帕达的美妙诗歌

to bring our political vision to life.

如此实现我们的政治愿景。

AM: Now thousands of Floridians across age, race, gender and class

莫奈：现在成千的，不同年龄 种族，性别及阶层的佛罗里达人

see the "Freedom Papers" as a vision for the future of their lives.

将《自由报》视为他们未来的生活。

For decades, our artists and our art has been used to exploit,

数十年来，我们的 艺术家及艺术被利用，

lull, numb,

镇静，麻木大众，

sell things to us

向我们贩卖思想，

and to displace our communities,

并且来置换我们的社区，

but we believe that the personal is political

但我们相信个人的便是政治的

and the heart is measured by what is done,

并且人心是由所做来测量的，

not what one feels.

而不是所感。

And so art as organizing is not just concerned with artists' intentions,

所以艺术作为组织本身时 不只是关注艺术家的意图

but their actual impact.

但更关注于他们实际的影响。

Great art is not a monologue.

伟大的艺术不是一场独白。

Great art is a dialogue between the artist and the people.

伟大的艺术是一次 艺术家与人们的对白。

PA: Four years ago, this artist ...

阿格纽：四年前，这个艺术家···

AM: and this organizer ...

莫奈：与这个组织者···

PA: found that we were not just a match.

阿格纽：意识到我们 真的不只是一根火柴。

AM: We were a mirror.

莫奈：我们是一片镜子。

PA: Our worlds truly did collide,

阿格纽：我们的世界真的开始碰撞，

and in many ways ...

方方面面地...

AM: they combined.

莫奈：融合了。

PA: We learned so much about movement,

阿格纽：这次运动中， 我们学习到了太多

about love and about art at its most impactful:

关于爱以及艺术在其 最有影响力的时候：

when it articulates the impossible and when it erodes individualism,

当它展现出不可能时， 当它侵蚀个人主义时，

when it plays into the gray places of our black and white worlds,

当它在这非黑即白的世界 里扮演灰色地带的角色时

when it does what our democracy does not,

当它办到我们民主力所不及时，

when it reminds us that we are not islands,

当它提醒我们并不是孤岛时，

when it adorns every street but Wall Street and Madison Avenue,

当它使除了华尔街和麦迪逊大道 之外的每条街更加灿烂时，

when it reminds us that we are not islands

当它提醒我们并不是孤岛时

and refuses to succumb to the numbness,

以及拒绝对麻木感屈服，

when it indicts empire

当它控诉帝国

and inspires each and every one of us to love,

同时点燃了每一个人去爱,

tell the truth

去说真话,

and make revolution irresistible.

去让革命无法抗拒的灵感。

AM: For the wizards --

莫奈：这些奇幻的，

(Applause)

（掌声）

AM: For the wizards and ways of our defiance,

莫奈：我们反抗的方式， 稀奇古怪，

love-riot visions of our rising, risen, raised selves.

不断上升前进的自我 揣着热爱抗争的视野。

The overcoming grace --

克服困难的优雅姿态 ——

fires, bitter tongues,

烈火，苦涩，

wise as rickety rocking chairs,

睿智如摇摇晃晃的摇椅，

suffering salt and sand skies.

体会蓝天下的盐与沙。

Memories unshackled and shining stitches

不受束缚的回忆与闪耀被缝合

on a stretch-marked heart.

在一颗满是皱纹的心上。

For the flowers that bloom in midnight scars.

为了那些在午夜伤痕中绽放的花儿。

How we suffered and sought a North Star.

我们是如何苦寻北极星的。

When there was no light, we glowed.

当那里没有光时，我们发光，发亮。

We sparked this rejoice,

我们点亮了这般喜悦，

this righteous delight.

这充满正义感的快乐。

We have a cause to take joy in.

我们有去欣喜的理由。

How we weathered and persisted,

我们是如何风吹日晒与坚持的，

tenacious,

顽强的，

no stone unturned.

尽我们一切努力。

How we witnessed the horror of mankind

我们是如何见证人性的恐怖，

and did not become that which horrified us.

却又不成为我们曾畏惧的人。

PA: Thank you.

阿格纽：谢谢你们。

AM: Thank you.

莫奈：谢谢你们。

(Applause)

（掌声)