Candis Watts Smith: 3 myths about racism that keep the US from progress | TED

Transcriber:

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

當我去雜貨店，或去餐廳，

或是公園，若帶著我兒子——

他六歲半——

別人會把我們叫住， 說他們覺得他很帥。

When I’m out at the grocery store or maybe a restaurant

我同意。

or the park with my son -- he’s six and a half --

他們會利用這機會跟他聊天， 通常，他們和聊完時，

people will stop us and mention that they think that he’s handsome.

他們會說他是個聰明迷人的小傢伙。

I agree.

They'll use that opportunity to chop it up with him,

那些人離開時， 出現在我腦中的想法是

and often when they're done talking with him,

我希望將來他們見到成人的他時，

they’ll mention that they think he’s a smart and engaging little guy.

還能記得曾經見過小時候的他。

When those people walk away, the thought that comes to my mind

我會有這個想法，是因為我寫過

is that I hope they remember meeting him as a child

兩本關於美國種族和種族主義的書，

when they see him again as a grown man.

而這種作品會帶來悲觀的感覺。

This thought comes to my mind

because I’ve written two books about race and racism in the United States,

我學到的其中一件事 是美國人有進步的傾向。

and this kind of work can produce feelings of pessimism.

套在這個情境中，意思就是

我們通常會表揚

One of the things that I’ve learned

我們的現狀和過去的差距。

is that Americans have an orientation toward progress.

但同樣的傾向也會矇蔽我們，

In this context,

what that means is that we often celebrate the distance between where we were

看不見我們的現狀 和我們能夠／應該如何的落差。

and where we are now.

But that same orientation can blind us from the gap between where we are

我還學到另一件關於美國人的事：

我們對於種族主義的了解 非常非常狹隘，

and where we could or should be.

大部分存在於人的腦中和心中，

The other thing I’ve learned about Americans

is that we have a very, very narrow understanding of racism,

通常是老人，

南方的老人。

mostly in the minds and hearts of people,

這種相當狹隘的定義可能會限制我們

usually old people --

讓社會上的種族更平等的機會。

old people from the South.

And this really narrow definition can constrain our opportunities

我們會獵殺種族歧視者，

並和那些對特定族群 說刻薄話的人劃清界線，

to produce a more racially egalitarian society.

或遠離那些嚮往 1950 年代生活的人。

We like to hunt for races

and distance ourselves from people who say mean things about whole groups of people

但，事實是，我們可能 需要先照照鏡子。

我並不是說大家都是種族歧視者，

or who idealize the 1950s.

我的意思是，在座各位都有可能，

But the fact of the matter is that we might just need to look in the mirror.

甚至也許有傾向，

Now, I'm not saying that everyone here is a racist,

在自己的生活當中，

在做決策時，

but what I am saying is that everyone here has the capacity

會仰賴偏見，

導致種族不平等再次上演。

and perhaps even the propensity

to live their life in a way,

有人會說：「你的工作就是 處理種族主義。答案是什麼？」

to make decisions,

to rely on biases

that reproduce racial inequality.

我會說，我們需要做的第一件事，

就是要取得共識，

Some people say, “Well, you do all this work about racism. What’s the answer?”

先釐清種族主義到底是什麼。

And I say that the first thing we might need to do

歷史顯示，種族歧視者能主導決定

is to come to a shared understanding

誰是種族歧視者 以及種族主義是什麼，

about what racism is in the first place.

所以絕對不會是他們或他們做的事。

History shows that racists have had the upper hand

但如果我們同心協力，

in deciding who the racists are and what racism is,

一起賦予種族主義一個精確的定義，

and it’s never them or the things that they do.

也許我們能努力去創造一個社會，

But maybe if we come together

在這個社會裡， 像我這樣的母親就不用

and come to a shared and perhaps a precise definition of what racism is,

經常為孩子提心吊膽。

在我們通往共識的過程中， 我想要打破三個關於

we can work toward creating a society

where mothers like me aren’t in constant fear of their children’s lives.

種族主義的迷思，

I'd like to dispel three myths about racism

第一：

的確，

on our trek toward mutual understanding.

南方被賦予「最有種族歧視的地區」

這個稱號，是其來有自的。

First:

但還有其他州和地區在爭這個稱號。

it’s true that the South has done its work to earn its reputation

比如，

as the most racist region.

如果，從黑人孩童上什麼學校的 角度來談種族隔離最嚴重的州，

But there are other states and regions that are competing for the title.

的確，有些是南方的州。

For example,

有些很偏西方的州，也有中西部的，

if we look at the most segregated states in terms of where Black kids go to school,

還有東北部的。

是我們居住的州。

we'll see, sure, some are in the South.

或者，

There are some out west,

如果我們從監獄囚犯的比例

in the Midwest

and in the Northeast.

來談種族差距最大的州，

They're where we live.

沒有一個是南方的州。

Or if we look at states with the biggest racial disparities

都是我們居住的州。

我和我的同事蕾貝卡‧克萊澤

in terms of prison populations,

we see that none of them are in the South.

研究了一連串標準的 偏見型種族主義態度，

They're where we live.

My colleague Rebecca Kreitzer and I

我們發現，在 1990 年代，

looked at a standard battery of racial attitudes of prejudice,

在種族態度上

最負面的州， 主要是南方的州。

and we found that in the 1990s,

但這種地理分佈已經 演進了，狀況改變了。

states in the South dominated the most racially negative attitudes.

2016 年時，我們發現，

達科他州、內布拉斯加州，

But this geography has evolved, and things have changed.

中西部和東北部的州，

在競爭「最懷有偏見的人口」頭銜。

By 2016, we found that the Dakotas, Nebraska,

我並不是在說一個州 比另一個州更種族主義，

states in the Midwest, in the Northeast,

were competing for the "most prejudiced population" titles.

我要說的是，

每個州可能都有它自己 獨特的種族歧視形式。

Now, I'm not saying that one state is more racist than another,

其實可以不用這樣的。

but what I am saying is that every state

我們在日常生活中看到的不平等

might have its own special brand of racism.

大部分發生在州或地方層級。

And it doesn't have to be like this.

意思就是，我們不用 大老遠跑到國會去，

Most of the inequalities that we see in our day-to-day lives

也能在我們的社區內造成改變。

happen at the state and local level.

我們可以直接要求我們的市、郡、

What that means is that we don't have to go all the way to Congress

州立法者採取行動，

to make change in our communities.

產生更平等的結果。

We can simply hold our city, our county, our state legislators to task

迷思二：

我們沒有那麼擅長獵殺種族歧視者。

to produce more equitable outcomes.

記不記得有一次 維吉尼亞州長塗黑臉，

Myth two:

大家的反應是：

we're not that good at hunting for racists.

「喔，好糟，我們得把 這個種族歧視者趕走」？

Remember that time when the governor of Virginia did blackface,

我有不同的意見，原因如下。

and people were like, "Oh, that's bad. I need to get that racist out of here"?

當大家回頭翻年鑒，

去找明顯的種族歧視，

I was giving y'all the side-eye, and here's why.

很少人

會去探究當時可能也 塗了黑臉但沒有被逮到的

While people were going back to yearbooks

to look for things that were obviously racist,

立法者當前的政策立場為何。

fewer people were looking into the current-day policy stances

所以，有多少人

曾經支持過的候選人有可能

of legislators who probably did blackface but didn't get caught.

願意讓鄰里脫離他們的行政區，

這樣孩子就能上全白人的學校——

So, how many of us might have supported a candidate

在二十一世紀？

who is willing to let neighborhoods secede from their district

有多少人曾經支持過的投票議案

會系統性地減少 某些族群的投票機會？

so that kids could go to all-white schools --

in the 21st century?

有多少人曾經只注意

Or how many of us might have supported a ballot measure

黑人母親的行為，

that systematically reduced some groups' chances of voting?

而不是醫生或健康照護體制及政策，

Or how many of us might have focused on the behavior of Black mothers

當我們聽到不同種族的母親和嬰兒

死亡率大不同時，只會這樣想？

rather than doctors or health care systems and policies

其實可以不用這樣的。

我們可以用不同的做法。

when we learn about the huge racial disparities

我們可以仔細觀察

in maternal and infant mortality?

規則制訂者的行為，

It doesn't have to be like this.

我們可以朝向更公正的社會邁進，

We could do something different.

We could scrutinize the behaviors of the rule makers.

在邁進的過程中，

我們必須要明確提出 實際的政策解決方案。

We could orient ourselves toward a more just society,

迷思三：

and on our way there,

we can't mystify practical policy solutions.

如果你相信，

當密西西比的老太太都走掉後， 種族主義就會一起消失，

Myth three:

你會大失所望。

If you believe that when all the grandmas in Mississippi die

我們認為年輕人會接下 根除種族主義的艱鉅工作，

that racism is going to go with them,

you are in for a big disappointment.

但有一點，我們應該要注意。

We like to think that young people

我們知道年輕人，特別是年輕白人，

are going to do the hard work of eradicating racism,

喜歡多樣性，他們會 欣賞並追求多樣性。

but there are some things that we should note.

但我們也知道，他們並沒有 過著多樣性的生活。

We know that young folks, young white folks especially, like diversity,

研究指出，一般的美國白人

they appreciate it, they're looking for it.

就只有一個黑人朋友。

But we also know that they don't live diverse lives.

那就表示，大部分 根本沒有黑人朋友。

Research shows that the average white American literally has one black friend.

莎菈‧馬尤爾加等社會學家

指出當善心的白人 搬進多樣性的鄰里，

And what that means is that most don't have any at all.

他們也不見得會與非白人鄰居

Sociologists like Sarah Mayorga show that even when well-meaning white folks

有更多正面的互動。

move to diverse neighborhoods,

我和克里斯多夫‧迪山提 教授的研究發現，

they don't necessarily have positive interactions,

no less any with their neighbors who aren't white.

當我們向千禧世代白人問及 他們的種族態度及政策偏好時，

My research with Professor Christopher DeSante shows

他們有時，

就如同其他時候，

that when we ask white millennials their racial attitudes

在種族上甚至比嬰兒潮 出生的人還要保守。

and policy preferences,

當我們問他們一些 對他們而言重要的事物時，

that they're sometimes, just as in other times,

他們對於種族不平等的問題

even more racially conservative than boomers.

並不會有任何特別的緊迫感。

When we ask them about the things that are important to them,

我們怎麼會走到這一步？

they don't have any particular sense of urgency

我們可能可以想想

around questions of racial inequality.

我們如何養育孩子，讓他們有能力

去解決我們希望他們能解決的問題。

How did we get like this?

Well, one of the things we might think about is how we raise our kids

研究顯示，

and equip them to solve the problems that we want them to solve.

特別是白人父母，若不是

選擇不和他們的孩子 談種族主義的議題，

Research shows that white parents in particular

以保護他們

免於接觸嚴酷的種族現實，

will either choose to not talk about issues of racism to their kids

或者，他們會逐漸灌輸 無膚色偏見的觀念，

那其實有可能會強化了 負面的種族態度。

in order to protect them from a harsh racial reality

就有點像……

or they instill colorblind lessons,

有些人的父母會給他們 關於青春期的書，

and that can actually reinforce negative racial attitudes.

就不用去談兩性的基本知識，

So it's kind of like

接著你試圖做連連看，卻全做錯了。

how some of your parents might have given you books about puberty

就類似那樣。

其實可以不用這樣的。 我們能做得更好。

so they didn't have to talk about the birds and the bees,

and then you tried to connect all the dots and then you did it all wrong.

我們可以和我們的孩子 進行困難的談話，

It's like that.

他們的成長過程 就不會像我們很多人，

It doesn't have to be like this.

以為談論種族主義就會 讓你成為種族歧視的人——

We can do better.

We can have hard conversations with our kids

並不會——

這麼一來，我們就能預防他們

so that they don't grow up like many of us did,

不要再犯下我們過去 見過的那些錯誤。

thinking that talking about racism makes you a racist -- it doesn't --

還記不記得，很久以前，2008 年，

and so that we can prevent them from making the same mistakes

that we've seen in the past.

我們都希望能夠生活在 後種族主義的世界裡？

該是時候了，我們要 把目光放更遠並把夢作更大，

Remember a long, long time ago in 2008,

想想看生活在後種族主義的 世界會是什麼樣子。

when we were all pining to live in a post-racial world?

要做到這一點，我們就得同心協力，

Well, I say that it's time for us to think bigger and dream bigger

對種族主義要有共同的定義——

and think about what it would be like to live in a post-racist world.

種族主義不只是在人的心中、腦中，

But in order to do that, we'd have to come together

還有在體制中、政策中、規定中、

to have a shared definition of racism --

不斷將某些人邊緣化的決策中——

not just in the matter of hearts and minds,

but in systems, policies, rules,

並同意要成為反種族歧視者——

學更多、做更好的人。

decisions made over and over again to marginalize some people --

所以我們可以

and agree to become anti-racists -- people who learn more and do better.

針對候選人在種族不平等上的 立場，問更尖銳的問題，

不要急著就全力支持他們。

So we could ask harder questions of candidates

我們可以用聯合購買或抵制的方式

對付做法與我們的 價值觀不同的企業。

about their stances on racial inequality

before we throw our full weight behind them.

我們可以和我們的孩子談種族主義。

We could buycott or boycott businesses

我們可以

whose practices don't align with our values.

弄清楚在我們的州，種族主義 會以什麼特別形式呈現，

We could talk to our kids about racism.

並努力根絕它。

We could figure out our state's special brand of racism

種族差異是人製造出來的，

也可以由人來消除。

and work to eradicate it.

的確，會很困難，

事實是，有人

People made racial disparities, and people can unmake them.

取決於我們什麼都不做。

And sure, it'll be hard,

謝謝。

but the fact of the matter is,

（掌聲）

someone is depending on us to do nothing at all.

Thank you.

(Applause)