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

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Zoe Chang

I am the proud father of two beautiful children,

我很驕傲身為 兩個美妙孩子的父親，

伊萊亞十五歲，奧特薇雅十二歲。

Elijah, 15, and Octavia, 12.

When Elijah was in the fourth grade,

伊萊亞讀四年級時，

he came to me,

有天放學回家， 興奮地滔滔不絕，

came home from school bubbling over with excitement

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

跟我說那天學校教到 非裔美國人的歷史。

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

我是非裔美國人， 也是文化研究教授，

and so, as you can imagine,

所以你們可以想像，

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

在我家，非裔美國人文化 是蠻嚴肅的議題。

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

我兒子那天對學校所教的內容很興奮，

這點讓我很驕傲。

that day in school.

So I said, "What did you learn?"

我說：「今天學到了什麼？」

He said, "I learned about Rosa Parks."

他說：「羅莎·帕克斯。」

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

我說：「羅莎·帕克斯的什麼？」

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

他說：「羅莎·帕克斯是五○年代 一位虛弱的黑人老婦女，

in the 1950s

in Montgomery, Alabama.

住在阿拉巴馬州的蒙哥馬利。

And she sat down on this bus,

有天她坐上一台公車，

and she had tired feet,

她的腳很痠，

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

所以當司機要求她讓座 給一名白人老人時，

she refused because she had tired feet.

她拒絕了，因為她的腳很痠。

It had been a long day,

因為她累了一天，

and she was tired of oppression,

且她也厭倦了被壓迫，

and she didn't give up her seat.

所以她不要讓座。

And she marched with Martin Luther King,

她也參加過金恩博士的遊行，

and she believed in nonviolence."

她崇信非暴力。」

And I guess he must have looked at my face

我猜他當時瞄了一下我的臉，

and saw that I was a little less than impressed

發現我好像對他的……呃…… 歷史課沒什麼感覺。

by his

... um ...

history lesson.

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

所以他停了下來，說：「爸， 怎麼了？有什麼不對嗎？」

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

我說：「兒子，不是你的問題，

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

但我認為你的老師弄錯了很多事情。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

他說：「你的意思是？」

I said, "Rosa Parks was not tired.

我說：「羅莎·帕克斯並不累。

She was not old.

她也不老。

And she certainly didn't have tired feet."

她的腳絕對不痠。」

He said, "What?"

他說：「什麼？」

I said, "Yes!

我說：「沒錯， 當年羅莎·帕克斯才 42 歲。」

Rosa Parks was only 42 years old" --

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

你們也很驚訝，對吧？從來沒聽過。

"Rosa Parks was only 42 years old,

「羅莎·帕克斯當時才 42 歲，

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

她那天只工作了六小時， 她是個女裁縫，

and her feet were just fine.

且她的腳好得很。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

The only thing that she was tired of

唯一讓她感到疲憊的，

was she was tired of inequality.

是她厭倦了不平等。

She was tired of oppression."

她厭倦了被壓迫。」

And my son said,

我兒子說：

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

「那我的老師為什麼那樣說？

This is confusing for me."

我覺得好困惑。」

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

他很敬愛他的老師， 她是位好老師，

a young-ish, 20-something white woman,

年紀輕輕，二十出頭的白人女老師，

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

非常非常聰明，會督促他， 所以我也喜歡她。

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

但他很困惑。

他說：「為什麼老師那樣教？」

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

「爸，多告訴我一點， 我想多聽些羅莎·帕克斯的事。」

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

我說：「兒子，我有個好主意。」

He was like, "What?"

他說：「什麼？」

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

我說：「我來買一本她的自傳，

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

讓你自己讀。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So as you can imagine,

所以你們可以想像，

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

伊萊亞對於老爸交代的 龐大的新作業

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

不是太興奮，但他接受了。

And he came back after he had read it,

他讀完之後又回來找我，

and he was excited about what he had learned.

對他所學到的感到很興奮。

他說：「爸，

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

羅莎·帕克斯不僅是 從一開始就不喜歡暴力，

but Rosa Parks's grandfather, who basically raised her

而且將她扶養長大的祖父──

他的膚色淡到可能被當成白人──

and was light enough to pass as white,

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

總戴著插了槍的槍套在鎮上走來走去，

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

大家都知道最好不要惹到 帕克斯先生的孩子或孫子，

he would put a cap in your proverbial bottom."

免得他的子彈讓你屁股開花。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Right?

看吧？他就是惹不得的人。

He was not someone to mess with.

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

我兒子說：「我還學到

羅莎·帕克斯嫁給一個 住在雷蒙德的人，

who was a lot like her grandfather."

那人和她的祖父很像。」

He would organize.

他懂得集會組織。

He was a civil rights activist.

也是民權運動份子。

He would organize events

經常組織一些活動，

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

有時聚會的場所就在 羅莎·帕克斯的家裡。

And one time Rosa Parks remarked

羅莎·帕克斯曾經提過，

that there were so many guns on the table,

有一次聚會桌上有好多槍，

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

因為他們擔心可能會被破門而入，

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

槍是拿來對付突發狀況。

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

羅莎·帕克斯說： 「桌上滿滿的槍，

讓我甚至忘了要請他們 喝咖啡或吃東西。」

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

This is who Rosa Parks was.

這才是真的羅莎·帕克斯。

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

事實上，那天當 羅莎·帕克斯坐在公車上，

waiting for those police officers to arrive

等警方來時，

and not knowing what was going to happen to her,

她並不知道會發生什麼事，

she was not thinking about Martin Luther King,

她也沒想到金恩博士，

who she barely knew.

因為她對他所知有限。

She was not thinking about nonviolence or Gandhi.

更不用說非暴力或甘地。

She was thinking about her grandfather,

她想到的是她的祖父，

那個隨持配槍、不可招惹的祖父。

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

That's who Rosa Parks was thinking about.

那才是羅莎·帕克斯當下所想的。

My son was mesmerized by Rosa Parks,

我兒子迷上了羅莎·帕克斯，

and I was proud of him to see this excitement.

看他那麼興奮，讓我感到驕傲。

But then I still had a problem.

可是還有一個問題要解決。

Because I still had to go his school

我得去一趟他的學校，

and address the issue with his teacher,

跟他的老師講清楚，

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

因為我不希望她繼續教孩子們

顯然錯誤百出的歷史。

obviously false history.

So I'm agonizing over this,

這讓我很苦惱，

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

主要是我知道 身為非裔美國人，

that whenever you talk to whites about racism

只要跟白人談到種族歧視 或敏感的種族議題時，

or anything that's racially sensitive,

there's usually going to be a challenge.

通常挑戰度都很高。

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

白人社會學家羅賓·狄安傑羅 稱之為「白色脆弱」。

She argues that, in fact,

她說，事實上，

because whites have so little experience being challenged

因為白人很少面臨

白人特權受到挑戰的經驗，

about their white privilege

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

碰到任何小小的挑戰，

they usually cry,

他們不是哭、生氣，就是逃走。

get angry

or run.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And I have experienced them all.

上述幾種反應我都遇過。

And so, when I was contemplating confronting his teacher,

所以，一想到該如何跟老師談 這個問題，我就很鬱悶，

I wasn't happy about it,

but I was like, this is a necessary evil

但我知道，身為黑人家長，

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

想教出有成就的孩子， 這是必要之惡。

So I called Elijah to me and said,

所以我跟伊萊亞說：

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

「我打算跟你的老師約時間，

談這個歷史課的問題， 說不定還得見你的校長，

and try and correct this

and maybe your principal.

你覺得如何？」

What do you think?"

And Elijah said,

伊萊亞說：

"Dad, I have a better idea."

「爸，我有個更好的點子。」

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

我說：「真的？什麼點子？」

He said, "We have a public speaking assignment,

他說：「我們有一個公開演講的作業，

and why don't I use that public speaking assignment

我何不利用這個機會

to talk about debunking the myths of Rosa Parks?"

來破解羅莎·帕克斯的迷思？」

And I was like,

我說：

"Well, that is a good idea."

「嗯，的確是個好主意。」

So Elijah goes to school,

於是，伊萊亞就照計畫進行，

he does his presentation,

做了他的演講，

he comes back home,

回到家後，

and I could see something positive happened.

我看得出他備受鼓舞。

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

我問他：「結果如何，兒子？」

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

他說：「嗯，我演講完後，

the teacher pulled me aside,

老師把我拉到一旁，

and she apologized to me for giving that misinformation."

她跟我道歉，教了錯誤的資訊。」

And then something else miraculous happened the next day.

隔天，更神奇的事是：

She actually taught a new lesson on Rosa Parks,

她針對羅莎·帕克斯 重新教了一次，

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

把之前漏掉的部分補齊， 也修正了之前的錯誤。

And I was so, so proud of my son.

我為我兒子感到驕傲，好驕傲。

But then I thought about it.

但，接著，我仔細想想。

And I got angry.

我生氣了。

And I got real angry.

真的很生氣。

Why? Why would I get angry?

為什麼？我為什麼生氣？

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

因為我的九歲的兒子 竟然得反過來教他的老師歷史，

about his history,

他的歷史，

had to educate his teacher about his own humanity.

與他的種族相關的歷史。

He's nine years old.

他才九歲。

He should be thinking about basketball or soccer

這年紀應該想的是籃球、足球，

or the latest movie.

或最新的電影才是。

He should not be thinking about having to take the responsibility

而不是擔起重責大任、

of educating his teacher,

教育他的老師、

his students,

他的同學，

about himself, about his history.

黑人的種族史。

That was a burden that I carried.

那是我肩上的擔子。

That was a burden that my parents carried

也是我父母及之前 世世代代肩上的擔子，

and generations before them carried.

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

現在這個擔子落在我兒子肩上。

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

要知道，那正是為什麼 羅莎·帕克斯要寫自傳。

Because during her lifetime,

因為在她一生中，

if you can imagine,

各位可以試著想像，

you do this amazing thing,

你做了一件很了不起的事，

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

你還活著，還在倡導民權行動，

and a story emerges

突然一個故事出現了，

in which somebody is telling the world

說故事的人告訴全世界，

that you were old and you had tired feet

你很老，你的腳很痠，

and you just were an accidental activist,

你那件了不起的成就只是無心插柳，

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

隻字不提你過去二十年的努力，

not that the boycott had been planned for months,

也沒說你為之已經計畫了數個月，

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

更別提在你之前已經有很多女性

已經因為同樣的行為而被逮捕。

to be arrested for doing that.

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

即使她仍然在世的時候， 就誤以為她成就作為純屬機緣湊巧。

So she wrote that autobiography to correct the record,

於是，她寫了自傳來修正紀錄，

because what she wanted to remind people of

她想提醒大家，

was that this

這才是五○年代的真實狀況，

is what it was like

in the 1950s

trying to be black in America

身為美國黑人，

and fight for your rights.

爭取自身權利的真實狀況。

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

整個杯葛事件持續了一年多，

there were over four church bombings.

那段期間，發生了四起教堂爆炸。

Martin Luther King's house was bombed twice.

金恩博士的房子被炸了兩次。

Other civil rights leaders' houses were bombed in Birmingham.

在伯明翰也有其他 民運領導者的房子被炸。

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

羅莎·帕克斯的丈夫，

晚上睡覺時獵槍也不離身，

because they would get constant death threats.

因為他們收到太多死亡威脅。

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

當時，羅莎·帕克斯的 母親和他們同住，

and sometimes she would stay on the phone for hours

有時，她會連講好幾個小時的電話，

so that nobody would call in with death threats,

讓死亡威脅的電話打不進來，

because it was constant and persistent.

因為真的太多、太頻繁。

In fact, there was so much tension,

事實上，因為情勢太過緊張，

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

壓力也太大，再加上恐怖威脅，

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

羅莎·帕克斯和她丈夫都丟了飯碗，

and they became unemployable

沒有人敢雇用他們，

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

最終被迫搬離南方。

This is a civil rights reality

這是爭取民權的現實，

that Rosa Parks wanted to make sure that people understood.

羅莎·帕克斯希望大家都清楚了解。

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

你會說：「大衛，

這和我有什麼關係？

I'm a well-meaning person.

我是個好心人。

I didn't own slaves.

從沒擁有黑奴。

I'm not trying to whitewash history.

也不是想把歷史洗白。

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

我是好人。我是好人。」

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

讓我講個故事來說明， 這和你有什麼關係，

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

about a professor of mine, a white professor,

故事的主角是我的一位白人教授，

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

我在研究所時的教授， 一個非常聰明的人。

We'll call him "Fred."

我們就稱他為「佛萊德」吧。

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

佛萊德那時正在寫一段 民權運動的歷史，

but he was writing specifically about a moment

歷史背景就設在他住在 北卡羅萊納州時，

that happened to him in North Carolina

他親身經歷的一個事件，

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

一名白人在公開場所 冷酷地射殺了一個黑人，

and was never convicted.

卻始終沒被定罪。

And so it was this great book,

所以，他寫完這本書後，

and he called together a couple of his professor friends

找了幾位教授朋友，

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

也找我一起，在交出稿子前， 幫忙先讀過一次。

And I was flattered that he called me;

對當時還是研究生的我，覺得很榮幸，

I was only a graduate student then.

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

我喜不自勝， 一口答應：「好啊。」

I'm sitting around amongst intellectuals,

擠身在學術界前輩中，

and I read the draft of the book.

讀那本書的初稿。

And there was a moment in the book

可是書中有一段我覺得很有問題，

that struck me as being deeply problematic,

and so I said,

我說：「佛萊德，」

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

那時我們大家都在場， 人手一份書稿，

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

我說：「佛萊德，你在書中 談到你家中的女僕，

about your maid in your book."

我覺得這段很有問題。」

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

我可以看出佛萊德突然有點……

有點「緊繃」的感覺。

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

他說：「你是什麼意思？ 那段很棒啊。

來龍去脈我交代得很清楚啊。」

It happened just like I said."

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

我說：「嗯……我能從 另一種角度講給你聽嗎？」

Now, what's the story?

所以，我說的那段內容是什麼？

It was 1968.

當時是 1968 年。

Martin Luther King had just been assassinated.

金恩博士剛被刺殺不久。

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

他家中的女僕，「佣人」—— 我們叫她「梅貝爾」好了，

was in the kitchen.

她在廚房裡。

Little Fred is eight years old.

小佛萊德當時才八歲。

Little Fred comes into the kitchen,

小佛萊德進到廚房，

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

向來總是面帶笑容、

樂於助人、開心的梅貝爾

is bent over the sink,

卻低著頭看著水槽，

and she's crying,

她在哭，

and she's sobbing

她在啜泣，

inconsolably.

傷心欲絕。

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

小佛萊德走到她身邊， 問：「梅貝爾，怎麼了？」

Mabel turns, and she says,

梅貝爾轉身，說：「他被殺了！

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

我們的領袖被殺了。 金恩博士被殺了。

He's dead! They are monsters."

他死了！那些人是禽獸。」

And little Fred says,

小佛萊德說：

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

「沒事的，梅貝爾。 沒事的。不會有事的。」

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

她看著他說：「不，不可能沒事。

Did you not hear what I just said?

你沒聽到我剛剛說的嗎？

They killed Martin Luther King."

他們殺了金恩博士。」

And Fred,

而佛萊德，

son of a preacher,

牧師的兒子，

looks up at Mabel, and he says,

抬頭看著梅貝爾說：

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

「可是，梅貝爾，

耶穌不是為了我們的罪 死在十字架上嗎？

Wasn't that a good outcome?

那不是換來好結果嗎？

Maybe this will be a good outcome.

也許這次也會有好結果。

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

也許金恩博士的死會有正面的效應。」

And as Fred tells the story,

佛萊德的故事中寫到，

he says that Mabel put her hand over her mouth,

梅貝爾用手摀了嘴，

she reached down and she gave little Fred a hug,

彎下身抱了佛萊德一下，

and then she reached into the icebox,

然後從冰箱

and took out a couple Pepsis,

拿出幾瓶百事可樂給他，

gave him some Pepsis

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

讓他拿出去跟兄弟姊妹分享。

And he said,

他說：

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

「這故事證明了即使在 種族鬥爭最悲慘的時代，

that two people could come together across racial lines

人們也能跨過種族界線，

and find human commonality

從慈愛與關懷中找到 人性的共通點。」

along the lines of love and affection."

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

我說：「佛萊德，那真的是狗屁。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Fred was like,

佛萊德說：

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

「我還是不懂，大衛， 事情真的就是這樣。」

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

我說：「佛萊德， 讓我問你一個問題。」

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

我說：

「1968 年你在北卡羅萊納州。」

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

你覺得梅貝爾在她黑人的社群裡— 當時你才八歲—

你覺得八歲的非裔美國孩子 會怎麼稱呼她？

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

你認為他們會直呼她的名字嗎？」

were calling her?

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

No, they called her "Miss Mabel,"

不，他們會叫她「梅貝爾女士」，

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

或許叫她「強生女士」， 或者「強生阿姨」。

絕對不敢直呼她的名字，

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

because that would have been the height of disrespect.

因為那是極度的不尊敬。

And yet, you were calling her by her first name

然而，她在你家工作時， 你都直呼她的名字，

every single day that she worked,

and you never thought about it."

你完全沒想到這一點。」

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

我說：「讓我再問你： 梅貝爾結婚了嗎？

Did she have children?

她有孩子嗎？

What church did she go to?

她上什麼教堂？

What was her favorite dessert?"

她喜歡什麼甜點？」

Fred could not answer any of those questions.

這些問題，佛萊德都無法回答。

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

我說：「佛萊德，這個故事 並不是在講梅貝爾。

This story is about you."

這是你的故事。」

I said, "This story made you feel good,

我說：「這個故事是自我感覺良好，

but this story is not about Mabel.

與梅貝爾無關。

The reality is,

事實上，

what probably happened was, Mabel was crying,

或許應該說梅貝爾在哭，

which was not something she customarily did,

不像她平常的樣子，

so she was letting her guard down.

所以可以說她放下心防。

And you came into the kitchen,

你進去廚房時，

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

剛好是她最脆弱的時候， 因為她完全沒有心防。

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

你以為她把你 當自己的孩子看待，

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

完全沒有意識到事實上 你是她僱主的孩子。

And she'd found herself yelling at you.

她意識到她對你嘶吼怎麼會沒事時，

And then she caught herself,

突然驚覺，

realizing that, 'If I'm yelling at him

『如果我再對他吼叫，

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

他可能去跟父母告狀，

I could lose my job.'

那我的飯碗就不保了。』

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

所以她冷靜緩和了下來——

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

雖然需要安慰的是她—— 她卻反過來安慰你，

and sending you on your way,

給你可樂讓你走，

perhaps so she could finish mourning in peace."

這樣她才能一個人安靜地傷心。」

And Fred was stunned.

佛萊德驚呆了。

And he realized that he had actually misread that moment.

原來他真的把那事做了錯誤解讀。

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

看到沒？

這與羅莎·帕克斯的故事一模一樣。

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

一個比較容易消化的版本。

老太太腳痠，所以不肯讓座，

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

而非是為了平權而戰，

but because her feet and her back are tired,

腳痠背疼是因為她工作了一整天。

and she's worked all day.

See, old grandmothers are not scary.

看到沒，老太太比較不可怕。

But young, radical black women

但，年輕、激進的黑人女子，

who don't take any stuff from anybody

不輕易妥協，

are very scary,

那就非常可怕了，

who stand up to power

她敢抵抗強權，

and are willing to die for that --

且願意因此犧牲生命——

those are not the kind of people

如果是這種人，

that make us comfortable.

應該沒人敢輕忽吧。

So you say,

我猜有些人會說：

"What do you want me to do, David?

「大衛，那你要我怎樣？

I don't know what to do."

我不知道能做什麼。」

Well, what I would say to you is,

我只能說，

there was a time in which,

曾經有一段時期，

if you were Jewish, you were not white,

如果你是猶太人，你就不是白人，

if you were Italian, you were not white,

義大利人不算是白人，

愛爾蘭人也不算是白人，

if you were Irish, you were not white

in this country.

我說的是美國。

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

愛爾蘭人、猶太人和義大利人 都是經過一段時間才算是白人。

Right?

是吧？

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

曾幾何時，你也曾被視為外人， 被視為「非我族類」。

when you were the people on the outside.

Toni Morrison said,

童妮•摩里森曾說：

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

「如果我必須跪下， 才能讓你覺得崇高，

you have a serious problem."

那你的問題可大了。」

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

她說：「白人至上的美國 問题很嚴重。」

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

老實說，我不知道美國的 種族關係將來是否會改善。

But I know that if they will improve,

但我知道，如果要有那麼一天，

we have to take these challenges on head on.

我們必須要正視眼前的挑戰。

The future of my children depends on it.

我孩子的未來有賴於此。

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

我孩子的孩子的未來也有賴於此。

And, whether you know it or not,

不論你清楚與否，

the future of your children and your children's children

你的孩子以及你孩子的孩子的未來，

depends on it, too.

也都有賴於此。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）