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

譯者: Harper Chang 審譯者: Melody Tang

My parents gave me an extraordinary name:

我父母替我取了 一個很不凡的名字：

Baratunde Rafiq Thurston.

巴拉圖戴•拉費克•瑟斯頓。

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

巴拉圖戴是來自 奈及利亞的優魯巴名字，

but we're not Nigerian.

但我們不是奈及利亞人。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

That's just how black my mama was.

只是我媽跟奈及利亞人一樣黑。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

「給這個男孩取一個 最黑的名字，書上怎麼寫？」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

拉法克是阿拉伯名， 但我們不是阿拉伯人。

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

我媽只是希望我在二十一世紀 不能好好坐飛機。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

She foresaw America's turn toward nativism.

她預見了美國會轉向排外主義，

She was a black futurist.

她是位黑人預言家。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

瑟斯頓是英國名字， 但我們不是英國人。

Shoutout to the multigenerational, dehumanizing economic institution

不過這倒是「致敬」了

跨越幾代沒人性的

of American chattel slavery, though.

美國黑人奴隸經濟制度。

Also, Thurston makes for a great Starbucks name.

此外，瑟斯頓（音近「口渴」） 在星巴克也是很棒的名字，

Really expedites the process.

加速做飲料的過程。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

My mother was a renaissance woman.

我媽媽是位生活多采多姿的女子，

Arnita Lorraine Thurston

她叫艾妮塔•羅琳•瑟斯頓。

was a computer programmer, former domestic worker,

她曾是電腦程式設計師、家務工、

survivor of sexual assault,

性侵倖存者，

an artist and an activist.

也是藝術家和活動家。

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

為了讓我準備好面對這個世界，

她教我黑人歷史、武術、都市農業。

in martial arts, in urban farming,

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

接著，她送我去讀 私立席德威友誼學校七年級，

where US presidents send their daughters,

和美國總統的女兒同一個學校。

and where she sent me looking like this.

而我被送去時是這個樣子。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I had two key tasks going to that school:

我在那所學校，有兩項關鍵任務：

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

不要丟了你的黑人特質， 不要丟了你的眼鏡。

This accomplished both.

我這個樣子，兩項任務都達成了。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

若要學習藝術和科學 席德威是很個棒的地方，

but also the art of living amongst whiteness.

也很適合學習 在白人當中生活的藝術。

That would prepare me for life later at Harvard,

這讓我做好了準備 去迎接在哈佛的生活，

or doing corporate consulting,

或是去做企業諮詢，

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

或是接下《每日秀》 和《洋蔥報》的工作。

這些都在我的回憶錄

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

《如何當黑人》中。

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

如果還沒讀過， 你們就是種族歧視者。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

因為你們本有大把時間去讀這本書。

But America insists on reminding me

但美國堅持提醒和教導著我，

and teaching me

what it means to be black in America.

身為一個美國黑人意味著什麼。

It's December 2018,

2018 年 12 月，

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

我和我的未婚妻 在威斯康辛州的近郊。

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

我們去拜訪她的父母， 他們都是白人。

which makes her white.

所以她也是白人。

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

這是大自然的規則，不是我訂的。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

她喝了點酒， 所以我用她父母的車載她。

and we get pulled over by the police.

然後我們被警察攔下了。

I'm scared.

我很害怕。

I turn on the flashing lights to indicate compliance.

我打開閃燈，表示願意配合。

I pull over slowly

我把車慢慢靠邊停，

under the brightest streetlight I can find

停在我當下能找到最亮的街燈下，

in case I need witnesses or dashcam footage.

以免我會需要證人 或行車記錄器的錄影。

We get out my identification, the car registration,

我們拿出了我的身分證、 汽車登記證，

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

放在明顯處，搖下車窗，

my hands are placed on the steering wheel,

我把雙手放在方向盤上，

all before the officer exits the vehicle.

這些都在警察下車前完成。

This is how to stay alive.

這是要活命的方式。

As we wait, I think about these headlines --

在等待時， 我想到這些新聞標題——

"Police shoot another unarmed black person" --

「警察又射殺一位未武裝的黑人」。

and I don't want to join them.

我不想成為下一個。

The good news is, our officer was friendly.

好消息是，這位警察很友善。

She told us our tags were expired.

她告訴我們，我們的 車牌註冊證過期了。

So to all the white parents out there,

白人父母們請注意，

if your child is involved with a person

如果跟你們孩子在一起的人，

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

皮膚是巨石強生的顏色或更深——

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

每次他們造訪時，你的車一定要 記得檢驗，車牌登記證等也要更新。

That's just common courtesy.

這是基本禮節。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

I got lucky.

我很走運。

I got a law enforcement professional.

我遇到的是專業的執法人員。

I survived something that should not require survival.

我從一件通常無關存活的事情，

倖存了下來。

And I think about this series of stories --

我想著一連串的事件

"Police shoot another unarmed black person" --

「警察又射殺一個未武裝的黑人」，

and that season when those stories popped up everywhere.

以及在這類事件不斷發生的那段時間。

I would scroll through my feed

我會滑動瀏覽我訂閱的饋送資訊，

and I would see a baby announcement photo.

看到一張宣佈寶寶出生的照片，

I'd see an ad for a product

看到一個廣告，

I had just whispered to a friend about yesterday.

是我昨天才私下跟朋友說的產品，

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

看到一個警察擊斃平民的影片，

who looked just like me.

而這個人長得很像我。

And I'd see a think piece

我會看到一篇個人想法的文章，

about how millennials have replaced sex with avocado toast.

報導千禧世代 用酪梨吐司取代了性。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

It was a confusing time.

那是個令人困惑的時代，

Those stories kept popping up,

那些故事不斷跳出來。

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

但在 2018 年，

那些故事有了不同的情節，

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

像是「白人女子報警 舉報黑人女子等 Uber 」，

That was Brooklyn Becky.

那是「布魯克林貝基」事件。

Then there was, "White Woman Calls Police

接著還有「白人女子報警 舉報八歲黑人女孩賣水」，

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

That was Permit Patty.

那是「帕蒂許可證」事件。

Then there was, "Woman Calls Police

然後有「白人女子報警舉報 黑人家庭在奧克蘭湖邊燒烤」，

On Black Family BBQing At Lake In Oakland."

That was now infamous BBQ Becky.

那是臭名昭著的「燒烤貝基」事件。

And I contend that these stories of living while black

我主張這些「 以黑人活著」的事件， （黑人正常行為被白人報警）

are actually progress.

實際上反映了進步。

We used to find out after the extrajudicial police killings.

過去我們都是在警察 濫殺黑人後才知道，

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

現在我們能看到白人報警的影片。

We're moving upstream,

我們實際上在進步，

closer to the problem and closer to the solution.

離問題和解決方法更近了。

So I started a collection

於是我開始收集，

of as many of these stories as I could find.

盡可能收集這些事件。

I built an evolving, still-growing database

我構建了持續更新和擴大的數據庫，

at baratunde.com/livingwhileblack.

在網站 baratunde.com/livingwhileblack。

Seeking understanding, I realized the process

在嘗試解讀時，

我意識到這實際上就是

was really diagramming sentences to understand these headlines.

分析標題的句子結構。

And I want to thank my Sidwell English teacher Erica Berry

感謝席德威中學的英文教師 埃里卡·貝里，

and all English teachers.

和所有的英文教師。

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

你們給了我爭取自由的工具。

What I found was a process to break down the headline

我發現了拆分標題的方式，

and understand the consistent layers

也就了解每個標題當中一致的層次：

in each one:

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

主體採取行動對抗客體的某種行為。

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

所以「白人女子報警舉報 八歲黑人女孩賣水」，

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

和「白人男子報警舉報黑人女子 使用社區水池」一樣，

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

和「女子報警舉報俄勒岡州 黑人立法者參加區內競選」一樣。

Campaigning In Her District."

They're the same.

它們是一樣的。

Diagramming the sentences allowed me to diagram the white supremacy

分析這些句子讓我 看到了白人至上主義，

which allowed such sentences to be true,

就是這些事件的元兇。

and I will pause to define my terms.

但我先來說明這個詞的定義。

When I say "white supremacy,"

我說的「白人至上主義者」，

I'm not just talking about Nazis

我不是僅僅指納粹，

or white power activists,

或者白人權利活動家。

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

但我也絕不是指 所有白人都是種族歧視者。

What I'm referring to

它指的是，

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

「在社會、經濟和政治領域

傾向白人而非其他人種的結構體系」。

in social, economic and political arenas.

It's what Bryan Stevenson at the Equal Justice Initiative

這正是布萊恩·史蒂文森 在平等司法倡議中，

calls the narrative of racial difference,

稱之為「種族差異的敘述」。

the story we told ourselves to justify slavery and Jim Crow

這也是我們對奴隸制度、 種族隔離和大規模監禁等時，

and mass incarceration and beyond.

安慰自己的話。

So when I saw this pattern repeating,

所以當我看到這個模式反覆出現時，

I got angry,

我非常憤怒，

but I also got inspired

但我也得到了靈感，

to create a game,

去創造一個遊戲。

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

用這個文字遊戲

讓我將創傷化為治癒。

into more of a healing experience.

I'm going to talk you through the game.

我來介紹一下這個遊戲，

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

首先是練習，我需要你們的參與。

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

目標是：判斷真假，

Did this happen or not?

確認這件事是否發生。

Here is the example:

舉個例子：

"Catholic University Law Librarian Calls Police On Student

「天主教大學法律圖書館的管理員

For 'Being Argumentative.'"

報警舉報學生在館內辯論」。

Clap your hands if you think this is real.

覺得是真的，請鼓掌。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Clap your hands if you think this is fake.

覺得是假的，請鼓掌。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

The reals have it, unfortunately,

很不幸，這是真的。

and a point of information,

但關鍵是，

being argumentative in a law library

在法律圖書館辯論，

is the exact right place to do that.

正是在對的地方做對的事啊。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

This student should be promoted to professor.

這個學生應該被提拔做教授。

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

練習完成，我們要進入真正的關卡。

Level one, our objective is simple:

第一關，目標很簡單，

reverse the roles.

「角色反轉」。

That means "Woman Calls Cops On Black Oregon Lawmaker"

也就是「女子報警舉報 俄勒岡州黑人立法者」，

becomes "Black Oregon Lawmaker Calls Cops On Woman."

變成「俄勒岡州黑人立法者 報警舉報一女子」。

That means "White Man Calls Police On Black Woman

「白人男子報警舉報 黑人女子使用社區游泳池」，

Using Neighborhood Pool"

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

變成「黑人女子報警舉報 白人男子使用社區游泳池」。

How do you like them reverse racist apples?

種族的角色反轉，感覺如何？

That's it, level one complete,

好了，第一關完成，

and so we level up to level two,

晉級到第二關。

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

目標是「增加角色反轉的可信度」。

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

承認吧，「黑人女子舉報 白人男子使用社區游泳池」

isn't absurd enough,

不夠荒謬。

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

如果是白人男子 未經同意碰她的頭髮呢？

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

或者是他邊做燕麥奶 邊騎獨輪車？

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

或者是他在會議上搶大家的話呢？

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

We've all been there, right?

我們都幹過這事，對吧？

Seriously, we've all been there.

說真的，我們都做過這些事。

So that's it, level two complete.

就這樣，第二關完成。

But it comes with a warning:

但這裡有一個警告：

simply reversing the flow of injustice is not justice.

調轉不公平的矛頭 並不是公平的做法。

That is vengeance, that is not our mission,

那是復仇，那不是我們的任務，

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

那是不同的遊戲。

我們來到第三關，

where the objective is to change the action,

目標是：「改變行動」，

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

也叫做「叫警察不是唯一的選擇，

OMG, what is wrong with you people!"

老天爺，你們這些人到底怎麼了！」

(Applause)

（掌聲）

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

我們先停下來 回憶一下句子結構：

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

主體採取行動對抗客體的某種行為。

"White Woman Calls Police On Black Real Estate Investor

「白人女子報警舉報 黑人房地產投資者

Inspecting His Own Property."

視察自己的地產」。

"California Safeway Calls Cops On Black Woman

「加州西夫韋超市 報警舉報黑人女子

Donating Food To The Homeless."

捐食物給流浪漢」。

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

「高爾夫俱樂部兩次報警 舉報黑人女子

打球太慢」。

In all these cases, the subject is usually white,

所有這些事件中，

「主體」一般是白人，

the target is usually black,

「客體」一般是黑人，

and the activities are anything,

「行為」是所有任何行為，----

from sitting in a Starbucks

從「坐在星巴克」，

to using the wrong type of barbecue

到「使用錯誤的燒烤工具」，

to napping

到「打盹」，

to walking "agitated" on the way to work,

到「『激動地』走去上班」。

which I just call "walking to work."

後者我覺得就只是「走去上班」啊。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And, my personal favorite,

以及，我個人最喜歡的——

not stopping his dog from humping her dog,

「沒有阻止他家的狗與她的狗交配」。

which is clearly a case for dog police,

這顯然是狗警察的事，

not people police.

不是人類警察的事。

All of these activities add up to living.

所有這些行為加起來， 就是日常生活。

Our existence is being interpreted as crime.

我們的存在被視為犯罪。

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

按照慣例，我要申明，

not everything is about race.

不是什麼都和種族有關。

Crime is a thing, should be reported,

犯罪行為應該被舉報。

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

但問問你們自己，

真的需要有人全副武裝 出面處理這種事情嗎？

because when they show up for me,

因為當他們因為我而出現，

it's different.

事情就不一樣了。

We know that police officers

我們知道相較於白人，

use force more with black people than with white people,

警察更頻繁對黑人使用武力，

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

我們也發現報警所扮演的角色。

Thanks to preliminary research from the Center for Policing Equity,

根據警務公平中心的初步統計，

we're learning that in some cities,

顯示在一些城市，

most of the interactions between cops and citizens

大多數的警民接觸，

is due to 911 calls,

是由於民衆報警，

not officer-initiated stops,

而不是警方主動出面；

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

而大部分警方對平民動用的武力，

is in response to those calls.

都由報警電話而起。

Further, when those officers responding to calls use force,

此外，當某地區的白人比例上升，

that increases in areas

該地區的警察使用武力的頻率， 也會隨之增加。

where the percentage of the white population

has also increased,

aka gentrification,

這也稱為「城市紳士化」，

aka unicycles and oat milk,

或是「獨輪車和燕麥奶」，

aka when BBQ Becky feels threatened,

或是當燒烤帕蒂感覺受到威脅時，

她就在我的社群對我造成了威脅。

she becomes a threat to me in my own neighborhood,

which forces me and people like me

所有像我這樣的人，

to police ourselves.

都被迫監管著自己。

We quiet ourselves, we walk on eggshells,

我們小聲說話，小心行走，

we maybe pull over to the side of the road

我們在最亮的路燈下停車，

under the brightest light we can find

so that our murder

這樣我們的死亡，

might be caught cleanly on camera,

能在監控攝影機下清楚一點。

and we do this because we live in a system

我們之所以這樣做， 是因為我們生存的體系下，

in which white people can too easily call on deadly force

白人可以輕易呼叫致命武器，

to ensure their comfort.

來確保他們的舒適。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

The California Safeway

加州西夫韋超市，

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

不僅僅報警舉報 捐食物給流浪漢的黑人女人，

They ordered armed, unaccountable men upon her.

他們叫來讓人匪夷所思的武裝警察，

They essentially called in a drone strike.

甚至還有無人機。

This is weaponized discomfort,

這是武裝化的不適感，

and it is not new.

而這已不是新聞了。

From 1877 to 1950,

從 1877 到 1950 年，

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

有至少 4,400 個檔案紀錄

黑人在美國遭受 種族恐怖私刑事件。

in the United States.

They had headlines as well.

它們的標題是這樣的，

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

「神父 T.A. 艾倫因組織佃農

在密西西比州赫爾南多遭受私刑」。

for organizing local sharecroppers."

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

「奧利弗·摩爾因嚇唬白人女孩

在北卡羅來納州埃奇科姆縣 遭受私刑」。

for frightening a white girl."

"Nathan Bird was lynched near Luling, Texas,

「南森·伯德因拒絕 將兒子交給霸凌的人羣

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

在德州廬林遭受私刑」。

We need to change the action,

我們需要改變行動——

whether that action is "lynches"

不論是「私刑」，

or "calls police."

還是「報警」。

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

既然我將這兩個行為放在了一起了，

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

那麼回到遊戲，完成我們的任務。

Our objective in level three is to change the action.

第三關的目標是「改變行動」。

So what if, instead of

不如我們將

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

「報警舉報黑人女子捐食物給流浪漢」，

that California Safeway simply thanks her.

改變成「加州西夫韋超市對她表示感謝」。

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

這種情況說謝謝 比叫執法人員要便宜得多。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Or, instead,

或者改成，

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

「將本會浪費的食物送給她」

upped their civic cred.

來提升超市的公民信譽。

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

或者，那個報警舉報 八歲黑人女孩的白人女子，

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

她可以買下小女孩的所有商品，

support a small business.

照顧小本經營的生意。

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

那個舉報黑人 房地產投資者的白人女子，

we would all be better off, the cops agree,

我們大家都好過點， 並且警察也同意，

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

她可以選擇忽視他 並管好自己的破事。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

管好自己的事是最棒的選擇， 最棒的選擇，

Choose it more often.

應該多做。

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

第三關完成， 但還有一個獎勵關，

where the objective is inclusion.

這關的目標是「包容」。

We have also seen headlines like this:

我們也見過這樣的標題：

"Powerful Man Masturbates In Front Of Young Women

「強壯男子在年輕女子 造訪其辦公室時，

Visiting His Office."

在她面前手淫」。

What an odd choice for powerful man to make.

這個強壯男子的選擇太奇怪了吧！

So many other actions available to him.

他有太多其他動作可做。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Like, such as, "listens to,"

比如說「傾聽」，

"mentors,"

或「指導」，

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

「被鼓舞並創辦合資企業

然後大家都富裕了」。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

我希望生活在大家都富裕的世界，

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

但因為他的糟糕選擇， 我們都活在更貧窮的世界，

Doesn't have to be this way.

但不應如此。

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

這個文字遊戲提醒了我， 白人至上主義有著固定的結構，

as there is to misogyny,

女性歧視也有，

as there is to all systemic abuses of power.

所有的系統性的權利濫用都有。

Structure is what makes them systemic.

結構導致了系統化。

I'm asking people here

我請求在座的各位，

to see the structure,

看清這些結構，

where the power is in it,

看清隱藏其中的權力。

and even more importantly to see the humanity

更重要的是，

看清我們之中因這些結構

of those of us made targets by this structure.

而遭受攻擊者的人性。

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

我能站在這裡，

因為我是被愛的，且獲得資源、

受到保護，非常幸運。

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

因為我上了好學校，

我小有名氣，生活愉悅，

meditate twice a day,

每天冥想兩次。

and yet,

然而，

I walk around in fear,

我生活在恐懼中，

because I know that someone seeing me as a threat

因為我知道視我為威脅的人，

can become a threat to my life,

可能成為我生命的威脅。

and I am tired.

而我累了。

I am tired of carrying

我疲於承受別人的恐懼 給予的無形負擔。

this invisible burden of other people's fears,

and many of us are,

我們當中許多人都累了。

and we shouldn't have to,

但我們不需如此。

because we can change this,

因為我們可以改變，

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

我們可以改變行動，

從而改變故事，

which changes the system

從而改變那些 允許故事發生的體系。

that allows those stories to happen.

Systems are just collective stories we all buy into.

體系只是我們相信的故事的彙集。

When we change them,

當我們改變了這些，

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

我們就書寫了我們共同的未來。

I am asking us

我請求你們，

to use our power to choose.

使用自己的力量去選擇。

I am asking us to level up.

我請求你們

去升級通關。

Thank you.

謝謝大家！ 我是巴拉圖戴•拉費克•瑟斯頓。

I am Baratunde Rafiq Thurston.

(Applause)

（掌聲）