Cheyenne Cochrane: A celebration of natural hair | TED

翻译人员: Zhaoyu Wang 校对人员: Lipeng Chen

I am from the South Side of Chicago,

我来自芝加哥南部，

and in seventh grade, I had a best friend named Jenny

七年级的时候我有一个 最好的朋友叫珍妮，

who lived on the Southwest Side of Chicago.

珍妮住在芝加哥西南部。

Jenny was white,

珍妮是白人，

and if you know anything about the segregated demographics of Chicago,

如果你对芝加哥的种族隔离的 人口特征有一点点的了解的话，

you know that there are not too many black people

你就会知道没有多少黑人

who live on the Southwest Side of Chicago.

住在芝加哥西南部。

But Jenny was my girl

但是珍妮是我的好朋友

and so we would hang out every so often after school and on the weekends.

我们经常在放学后和周末一起玩。

And so one day we were hanging out in her living room,

有一天我们在她家客厅玩，

talking about 13-year-old things,

聊一些十三岁孩子的话题，

and Jenny's little sister Rosie was in the room with us,

珍妮的小妹妹罗斯跟我们在一个屋子里，

and she was sitting behind me just kind of playing in my hair,

她坐在我身后玩我的头发，

and I wasn't thinking too much about what she was doing.

对于她的动作我没有想太多。

But at a pause in the conversation,

但是在我们停止说话的时候，

Rosie tapped me on the shoulder.

罗斯拍拍我的肩膀。

She said, "Can I ask you a question?"

她说：“我可以问你个问题吗？”

I said, "Yeah, Rosie. Sure."

我说：“当然了，罗斯，问吧。”

"Are you black?"

“你是黑人吗？”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

The room froze.

大家都沉默了。

Silence.

屋子里很安静。

Jenny and Rosie's mom was not too far away.

珍妮和罗斯的妈妈在不远处。

She was in the kitchen and she overheard the conversation,

她在厨房里听到了我们的对话，

and she was mortified.

她觉得很难堪。

She said, "Rosie! You can't ask people questions like that."

她说：“罗斯，你不能问别人这样的问题！”

And Jenny was my friend, and I know she was really embarrassed.

珍妮是我的朋友， 我也知道她觉得很丢脸。

I felt kind of bad for her, but actually I was not offended.

我觉得有点对不起她， 但是我不觉得被冒犯了。

I figured it wasn't Rosie's fault that in her 10 short years on this earth,

我知道这不是罗斯的错。 在她出生后的短暂的10年中，

living on the Southwest Side of Chicago,

她都住在芝加哥的西南部，

she wasn't 100 percent sure what a black person looked like.

所以她不是百分之百确定 黑人是长什么样子的。

That's fair.

这也是正常的。

But what was more surprising to me was,

但是更让我惊讶的是，

in all of this time I had spent with Jenny and Rosie's family --

在我和珍妮还有罗斯 一家度过漫长时间里——

hanging out with them,

和她们闲逛，

playing with them,

和她们一起玩，

even physically interacting with them --

甚至和她们身体接触——

it was not until Rosie put her hands in my hair

直到罗斯摸到了我的头发

that she thought to ask me if I was black.

她才想到要问我是不是黑人。

That was the first time I would realize

那是我第一次意识到

how big of a role the texture of my hair played in confirming my ethnicity,

我头发的触感在确认我的种族这件事上 扮演了多么大的角色，

but also that it would play a key role in how I'm viewed by others in society.

同时，它也在别人是怎么看待我的 这件事上扮演了重要的角色。

Garrett A. Morgan and Madame CJ Walker were pioneers

嘉利特·A·摩根和CJ·沃尔克女士是

of the black hair-care and beauty industry in the early 1900s.

20世纪早期黑人护发和美容产业的先驱。

They're best known as the inventors of chemically-based hair creams

他们出名是因为发明了化学品制成的发乳

and heat straightening tools

和热能直发棒

designed to permanently, or semipermanently,

可以永久或半永久的

alter the texture of black hair.

改变黑人头发的质地。

Oftentimes when we think about the history of blacks in America,

很多时候，当我们想到美国黑人的历史时，

we think about the heinous acts

我们想起那些我们作为有色人种而经历的

and numerous injustices that we experienced as people of color

令人发指的行为和大量的不公平，

because of the color of our skin,

就是因为我们皮肤的颜色。

when in fact, in post-Civil War America,

但事实上，在美国内战后，

it was the hair of an African-American male or female

美国黑人的头发，不论男人或女人

that was known as the most "telling feature" of Negro status,

才是最明显的黑人特征，

more so than the color of the skin.

它比我们的肤色更明显。

And so before they were staples

在价值几十亿的

of the multibillion-dollar hair-care industry,

护发产业发展之前，

our dependency on tools and products,

我们依赖于

like the hair relaxer and the pressing comb,

像直发霜和直发梳子这样的产品，

were more about our survival and advancement as a race

因为这是关乎到我们在后奴隶时期的美国

in postslavery America.

作为一个种族的生存和发展。

Over the years, we grew accustomed to this idea

在这些年中，我们养成了习惯，认为

that straighter and longer hair meant better and more beautiful.

越直越长的头发才是更好更美的头发。

We became culturally obsessed

我们在文化上沉迷于

with this idea of having what we like to call ...

这种我们意识中的

"good hair."

“好的头发”。

This essentially means:

本质上这意味着：

the looser the curl pattern, the better the hair.

越松散的卷发才是越好的头发。

And we let these institutionalized ideas form a false sense of hierarchy

这种惯常的意识形成一种错误的层级概念

that would determine what was considered a good grade of hair

来定义什么是好的头发

and what was not.

而什么不是。

What's worse is that we let these false ideologies

更糟糕的是，我们让这种错误的想法

invade our perception of ourselves,

影响了我们的自我感觉，

and they still continue to infect our cultural identity

而且这仍然在影响我们今天作为美国黑人女性的

as African-American women today.

文化认同。

So what did we do?

那么我们做了什么呢？

We went to the hair salon every six to eight weeks,

我们每6到8周去一次理发店，

without fail,

从没间断过，

to subject our scalps to harsh straightening chemicals

让我们的头皮暴露在拉直头发的化学品之下，

beginning at a very young age --

从我们还是孩子时就开始了——

sometimes eight, 10 --

10岁，甚至是8岁——

that would result in hair loss,

这会导致脱发，

bald spots,

斑秃，

sometimes even burns on the scalp.

甚至烧伤我们的头皮。

We fry our hair at temperatures of 450 degrees Fahrenheit or higher

几乎每天，我们用超过450华氏度的高温

almost daily,

烫头发

to maintain the straight look.

来保持直发。

Or we simply cover our hair up with wigs and weaves,

或者，我们用假发或头巾盖住头发，

only to let our roots breathe in private

只有在私底下才取下它们，让发根呼吸，

where no one knows what's really going on under there.

这样就没人知道我们的头发到底是什么样了。

We adopted these practices in our own communities,

我们在自己的社区中都采取这样的做法

and so it's no wonder why today the typical ideal vision

所以也难怪，当今黑人职业女性的

of a professional black woman,

理想形象，

especially in corporate America,

特别在美国企业中，

tends to look like this,

更倾向于这样，

rather than like this.

而不是这样。

And she certainly doesn't look like this.

她看起来肯定不是这样。

In September of this year,

今年9月，

a federal court ruled it lawful

一个联邦法院裁定

for a company to discriminate against hiring an employee

一家公司在雇佣过程中 依据梳发绺来歧视员工的行为

based on if she or he wears dreadlocks.

是合法的。

In the case,

在这种情况下，

the hiring manager in Mobile, Alabama

在阿拉巴马州的莫比尔市，一个招聘经理

is on record as saying,

公开说，

"I'm not saying yours are messy,

“我不是在说你很邋遢，

but ...

但是……

you know what I'm talking about."

你知道我在说什么。”

Well, what was she talking about?

那她在说什么呢?

Did she think that they were ugly?

她认为他们很丑吗？

Or maybe they were just a little too Afrocentric

或许她觉着这对于她的品味来说

and pro-black-looking for her taste.

他们看起来太黑人化了。

Or maybe it's not about Afrocentricity,

又或者这与非洲中心论无关，

and it's more just about it being a little too "urban"

而只是在职业环境中，

for the professional setting.

这样的发型太“都市化”了。

Perhaps she had a genuine concern in that they looked "scary"

或许她真的觉得这看起来太“吓人”了，

and that they would intimidate the clients and their customer base.

会威胁到他们的客户和客户群。

All of these words are ones that are too often associated

这些话都是通常都和

with the stigma attached to natural hairstyles.

我们天生发型的污点联系在一起。

And this ...

而这……

this has got to change.

这必须改变。

In 2013,

在2013年，

a white paper published by the Deloitte Leadership Center for Inclusion,

一份由德勤包容领导中心发表的白皮书

studied 3,000 individuals in executive leadership roles

对3000名行政领导级的人展开调查，

on the concept of covering in the workplace

以研究这样一个概念， 即在工作场合掩盖自己“污名化”的身份:

based on appearance, advocacy, affiliation and association.

分为掩盖外表，掩盖主张， 掩盖个人行为和掩盖与他人的关系。

When thinking about appearance-based covering,

针对掩盖外表，

the study showed

研究表明

that 67 percent of women of color cover in the workplace

67%的有色人种女性在工作场合

based on their appearance.

会掩盖她们的外表。

Of the total respondents who admitted to appearance-based covering,

在所有承认会掩盖外表的被调查者中，

82 percent said that it was somewhat to extremely important

82%表示，这一点非常重要，

for them to do so for their professional advancement.

对他们来说，这关乎他们的职业升迁。

Now, this is Ursula Burns.

这是尔塞拉·布恩斯。

She is the first African-American female CEO of a Fortune 500 company --

她是一家500强公司的第一位 美国黑人女性CEO———

of Xerox.

施乐公司。

She's known by her signature look,

她以她标志性的外表闻名，

the one that you see here.

就是这个。

A short, nicely trimmed, well-manicured Afro.

这是一位留着打理的完美头发的黑人。

Ms. Burns is what we like to call a "natural girl."

布恩斯女士是我们所谓的“天然女孩”。

And she is paving the way and showing what's possible

她在为那些美国黑人女性铺路

for African-American women seeking to climb the corporate ladder,

并让她们知道，得到晋升机会

but still wishing to wear natural hairstyles.

并同时保留自己的天生发型是可能的。

But today the majority of African-American women

但是现在大多数的美国黑人女性，

who we still look to as leaders, icons and role models,

包括那些在我们看来是 领导者、偶像和榜样的人，

still opt for a straight-hair look.

仍选择直发发型。

Now,

如今

maybe it's because they want to --

也许是因为她们想要这样，

this is authentically how they feel best --

这样的发型也许真的让她们觉得舒服，

but maybe --

但又或许，

and I bet --

我敢这么说，

a part of them felt like they had to

她们中有一部分认为她们必须这样

in order to reach the level of success that they have attained today.

才能达到她们今天的这种成功。

There is a natural hair movement that is sweeping the country

一场天然头发运动正在横扫我们整个国家

and also in some places in Europe.

和欧洲的一些地方。

Millions of women are exploring what it means to transition to natural hair,

上百万的女性开始意识到回归天然头发的意义，

and they're cutting off years and years of dry, damaged ends

并开始剪去多年的干枯受损的发尾

in order to restore their natural curl pattern.

以恢复她们天然的卷发。

I know because I have been an advocate and an ambassador for this movement

我知道这些是因为在过去大约三年里

for roughly the last three years.

我是这项运动的提倡者和大使。

After 27 years of excessive heat and harsh chemicals,

在忍受27年的过度加热和强化学制品后，

my hair was beginning to show extreme signs of wear and tear.

我的头发出现严重的损伤。

It was breaking off,

它开始断裂，

it was thinning,

变细，

looking just extremely dry and brittle.

看起来十分干枯脆弱。

All those years of chasing that conventional image of beauty

在这么多年的对传统意义上的美的追求后，

that we saw earlier

即我们之前看到的，

was finally beginning to take its toll.

我终于开始付出代价。

I wanted to do something about it,

我希望能做些什么，

and so I started what I called the "No Heat Challenge,"

所以我发起了“不烫头发挑战”，

where I would refrain from using heat styling tools on my hair

我会避免用烫发器来给我的头发做造型

for six months.

长达6个月。

And like a good millennial,

像很多千禧一代一样，

I documented it on social media.

我在社交媒体上记录了这一切。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I documented as I reluctantly cut off

我记录下我不情愿地剪去了

three to four inches of my beloved hair.

我珍爱的3至4英寸头发。

I documented as I struggled to master these natural hairstyles,

我记录下我在驾驭天然发型时的纠结，

and also as I struggled to embrace them

和为了接受它们时的挣扎，

and think that they actually looked good.

还要去想它们看起来其实还不错。

And I documented as my hair texture slowly began to change.

我记录下了我的发质开始的一点点改变。

By sharing this journey openly,

经过公开分享这段旅程，

I learned that I was not the only woman going through this

我知道了我不是唯一一个经历过这件事的人

and that in fact there were thousands and thousands of other women

并且还有成千这样的女性

who were longing to do the same.

渴望着去做同样的事。

So they would reach out to me and they would say,

她们会联系我，并说：

"Cheyenne, how did you do that natural hairstyle

“夏安妮，你是怎么打理我那天看到的

that I saw you with the other day?

天然发型的？

What new products have you started using

你开始用什么新产品？

that might be a little better for my hair texture

可能它对我的发质也有效，

as it begins to change?"

因为它也开始改变了。”

Or, "What are some of the natural hair routines

或者，“有哪些保养天然头发的方法

that I should begin to adopt to slowly restore the health of my hair?"

我应该去使用来重新使我的头发变得健康？”

But I also found that there were a large number of women

但我同样发现还有大量的女性

who were extremely hesitant to take that first step

十分犹豫迈出这第一步，

because they were paralyzed by fear.

因为她们被恐惧左右。

Fear of the unknown --

对未知的恐惧——

what would they now look like?

她们的新造型会是怎样的？

How would they feel about themselves with these natural hairstyles?

她们会喜欢自己的天然发型吗？

And most importantly to them,

最重要的是，

how would others view them?

别人会怎么看她们？

Over the last three years

在过去的3年里，

of having numerous conversations with friends of mine

我和好友进行了大量的交流，

and also complete strangers from around the world,

还和来自世界各地的陌生人交流，

I learned some really important things

我发现一些非常重要的事，

about how African-American women identify with their hair.

有关于美国黑人女性对于她们自己头发的认知。

And so when I think back

当我回想起

to that hiring manager in Mobile, Alabama,

那个阿拉巴马州莫比尔市的招聘经理，

I'd say, "Actually, no.

我会说：“事实上，不。

We don't know what you're talking about."

我们不知道你在说什么。”

But here are some things that we do know.

但是我们知道这些事情。

We know that when black women embrace their love for their natural hair,

我们知道当黑人女性开始接受 她们对自己天然头发的热爱，

it helps to undo generations of teaching

它会帮助重新定义代代相传的观念，

that black in its natural state is not beautiful,

即黑人本身不美，

or something to be hidden or covered up.

或其他的被隐瞒或掩盖起来的事实。

We know that black women express their individuality

我们知道黑人女性表达她们的个性，

and experience feelings of empowerment

以及感受的权利，

by experimenting with different hairstyles regularly.

是通过定时尝试不同的发型。

And we also know

我们也知道，

that when we're invited to wear our natural hair in the workplace,

当我们被邀请在工作时梳我们的天生发型时，

it reinforces that we are uniquely valued

这强调了我们的独特价值，

and thus helps us to flourish and advance professionally.

也因此帮助我们去提升我们的专业度。

I leave you with this.

我就讲到这里。

In a time of racial and social tension,

在这个充满种族与社会紧张感的时代，

embracing this movement

要真正接受这项运动

and others like this

和其他类似的活动，

help us to rise above the confines of the status quo.

可以帮助我们冲破现实的桎梏。

So when you see a woman with braids or locks draping down her back,

所以你看到一个编着辫子或是 背后垂下发辫的女孩，

or you notice your colleague

或是你注意到你的同事

who has stopped straightening her hair to work,

上班时不再拉直她的头发，

do not simply approach her and admire

不要只是赞美她

and ask her if you can touch it --

并问她你能不能摸摸她的辫子。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Really appreciate her.

请真诚地欣赏她。

Applaud her.

称赞她。

Heck, even high-five her if that's what you feel so inclined to do.

如果你愿意的话，甚至是和她击掌。

Because this --

因为，这——

this is more than about a hairstyle.

这不仅关于发型。

It's about self-love and self-worth.

这代表着自爱和自我价值。

It's about being brave enough

这代表足够勇敢

not to fold under the pressure of others' expectations.

不去屈服于别人的期望。

And about knowing that making the decision to stray from the norm

这也关于意识到决定偏离规范

does not define who we are,

并不能定义我们是谁，

but it simply reveals who we are.

但能展示我们是谁。

And finally,

最后，

being brave is easier

当我们能依靠别人的共鸣时，

when we can count on the compassion of others.

我们会变得更勇敢一点。

So after today,

今天以后，

I certainly hope that we can count on you.

我希望我们可以依靠你们。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）