Verna Myers: How to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them

譯者: Adrienne Lin 審譯者: Sherry Chen

I was on a long road trip this summer,

在今年夏天的一次長途旅行途中，

and I was having a wonderful time listening

我正陶醉於一本非常棒的有聲書，

to the amazing Isabel Wilkerson's "The Warmth of Other Suns."

易莎貝‧魏克森所著的「他鄉暖陽」。

It documents six million black folks fleeing the South from 1915 to 1970

這本書記錄了 1915 至 1970 年間， 六百萬黑人逃離美國南方，

looking for a respite from all the brutality

企圖脫離所有暴力折磨， 尋求避風港，

and trying to get to a better opportunity up North,

嘗試在美國北方 獲得更好的生活機遇。

and it was filled with stories of the resilience and the brilliance

這部書充滿了關於美國黑人 堅韌和卓越的故事。

of African-Americans,

and it was also really hard to hear all the stories of the horrors

而聽著那些恐怖、羞辱

與充滿歧視的故事， 我感到非常難過。

It was especially hard to hear about the beatings and the burnings

尤其是那些對黑人的毆打、燒傷、

and the lynchings of black men.

和死刑的故事讓我特別難過。

And I said, "You know, this is a little deep.

於是我說：「這有點太沈重了！」

I need a break. I'm going to turn on the radio."

「我需要放鬆一下。 我要聽聽收音機。」

I turned it on, and there it was:

我打開收音機，卻聽到了這些：

Ferguson, Missouri,

密蘇里州弗格森市

Michael Brown,

麥克•布朗

18-year-old black man,

一個十八歲的男性黑人

unarmed, shot by a white police officer, laid on the ground dead,

在沒有持有武器的情況下， 被一位白人警察射殺，

倒在地上死去，

blood running for four hours

血流不止，持續了整整四個小時。

while his grandmother and little children and his neighbors watched in horror,

而他的祖母、小孩子們， 還有鄰居們在恐懼中目睹了這一幕。

and I thought,

我想：

here it is again.

又開始了。

This violence, this brutality against black men

這些對於黑人的殘忍暴力行徑，

has been going on for centuries.

已經存在了好幾個世紀，

I mean, it's the same story. It's just different names.

這些事情的本質都是一樣的， 只是當事人名字不同而已。

It could have been Amadou Diallo.

與阿馬杜‧狄洛事件一樣， （1999 年被紐約警察槍殺）

It could have been Sean Bell.

與希安‧貝爾事件一樣， （2005 年被紐約警察槍殺）

It could have been Oscar Grant.

與奧斯卡‧格蘭特事件一樣， （2009 年被加州奧克蘭警方槍殺）

It could have been Trayvon Martin.

與特雷凡‧馬丁事件一樣。 （2012 年被佛羅里達州桑福德警方槍殺）

This violence, this brutality,

這種暴力與野蠻

is really something that's part of our national psyche.

已經在我們國家留下深深的烙印，

It's part of our collective history.

是我們共同歷史中的一部分。

What are we going to do about it?

我們要如何去應對它呢？

You know that part of us that still crosses the street,

我們內心的那部分仍然......

我們會過馬路，

locks the doors,

鎖上房門

clutches the purses,

抓緊錢包，

when we see young black men?

每當我們看到年輕黑人的時候？

That part.

就是那個部分。

I mean, I know we're not shooting people down in the street,

我的意思是， 我們並沒有在街頭射殺無辜，

but I'm saying that the same stereotypes and prejudices

但是釀成那些慘劇的偏見

that fuel those kinds of tragic incidents

are in us.

也同樣在我們心中存在。

We've been schooled in them as well.

我們也被這些偏見禁錮住了。

I believe that we can stop these types of incidents,

我相信，

我們能夠阻止這種慘劇的發生，

these Fergusons from happening,

阻止像弗格森案件這樣的慘劇發生，

by looking within and being willing to change ourselves.

只要能夠自我反省並願意改變自我。

So I have a call to action for you.

所以，我想在這裡呼籲大家

There are three things that I want to offer us today to think about

做三件我今天想讓大家思考的事情，

as ways to stop Ferguson from happening again;

來阻止弗格森案件這樣的慘劇 再度發生。

three things that I think will help us

我認為這三件事情可以幫助我們

reform our images of young black men;

重新塑造對年輕黑人的印象。

three things that I'm hoping will not only protect them

我希望這三件事不僅可以保護他們，

but will open the world so that they can thrive.

更可以讓整個世界向他們敞開， 讓他們奮鬥發展。

Can you imagine that?

你們能夠想像這樣的畫面嗎？

Can you imagine our country embracing young black men,

你們能夠想像我們的國家 擁抱年輕黑人，

seeing them as part of our future, giving them that kind of openness,

將他們視作我們未來的一部分，

給予他們同樣的寬敞空間 和同樣的寬厚，

that kind of grace we give to people we love?

如同我們給我們所愛的人一樣？

How much better would our lives be? How much better would our country be?

我們的生活與我們的國家 將會變得多麼美好？

我首先要介紹第一件事，

Let me just start with number one.

We gotta get out of denial.

那就是：我們必須停止否認，

不要再裝作是好人。

Stop trying to be good people.

We need real people.

我們需要真實的人。

You know, I do a lot of diversity work,

我從事許多關於社會多樣化的工作， 許多人在研討會之初找到我，

and people will come up to me at the beginning of the workshop.

他們會說：「哦，『多樣化』女士， 我們很高興您能夠出席！」

They're like, "Oh, Ms. Diversity Lady, we're so glad you're here" --

(Laughter) --

（笑聲）

"but we don't have a biased bone in our body."

「但是我們心中 並沒有一絲一毫的偏見。」

And I'm like, "Really?

我會說：「真的嗎？」

Because I do this work every day, and I see all my biases."

「因為我每天都在做這方面的工作， 但我本人還是有許多偏見。」

I mean, not too long ago, I was on a plane

不久前，我在一架飛機上

and I heard the voice of a woman pilot coming over the P.A. system,

聽到機艙廣播裡 一位女機長的聲音，

and I was just so excited, so thrilled.

當時我非常激動，非常驕傲，

I was like, "Yes, women, we are rocking it.

「是的，女同胞們，我們做到了！」

We are now in the stratosphere."

「我們女人正在天空翱翔！」

It was all good, and then it started getting turbulent and bumpy,

一切都很好，直到遇到氣流， 飛機開始變得顛簸，

and I was like,

我在想：

"I hope she can drive."

「這個女機長到底 會不會開飛機啊！」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I know. Right.

我知道，沒錯！

But it's not even like I knew that was a bias

我甚至沒有意識到這是個偏見。

until I was coming back on the other leg and there's always a guy driving

直到在回程的航班上， 是一位男機長在駕駛，

and it's often turbulent and bumpy,

而飛機總是在氣流中顛簸，

and I've never questioned the confidence of the male driver.

我卻一直沒有質疑 這位男機長的實力，

The pilot is good.

他很棒。

Now, here's the problem.

問題來了：

If you ask me explicitly, I would say, "Female pilot: awesome."

如果你直接問我，我會這樣說：

「女機長，太好了！」

But it appears that when things get funky and a little troublesome, a little risky,

但是當出現了一點點小麻煩時，

I lean on a bias that I didn't even know that I had.

我便會不自覺地產生一些偏見，

You know, fast-moving planes in the sky,

在天空中快速飛行的飛機上，

I want a guy.

我希望是由男機長駕駛。

That's my default.

我默認就應該是這樣的，

Men are my default.

我默認就是男性。

Who is your default?

你們又默認什麼呢？

Who do you trust?

你們信任什麼樣的人呢？

Who are you afraid of?

你們又害怕哪些人呢？

Who do you implicitly feel connected to?

你們與哪些人能產生共鳴？

Who do you run away from?

又會躲避哪些人呢？

I'm going to tell you what we have learned.

我要告訴大家我們的結果與發現。

The implicit association test, which measures unconscious bias,

「隱性連結測試」是一個

用來檢測你們下意識偏見的測試，

you can go online and take it.

你們可以在網絡上進行這個測試。

Five million people have taken it.

有五百萬人做了這個測試，

Turns out, our default is white. We like white people.

結果是，我們默認白人更好， 我們喜歡白人。

We prefer white. What do I mean by that?

我們比較喜歡白人。 我這麼說是什麼意思呢？

When people are shown images of black men and white men,

當男性黑人和男性白人的相片 同時放給人們看時，

we are more quickly able to associate

我們能比較快地將白人男性的照片 與正面的字眼相聯繫，

that picture with a positive word, that white person with a positive word,

than we are when we are trying to associate

而不是黑人男性。

positive with a black face, and vice versa.

而反之亦然， 當我們看到一張黑人面孔時，

When we see a black face,

it is easier for us to connect black with negative

我們比較容易 將他與負面內容相聯繫，

than it is white with negative.

而不是白人男性。

Seventy percent of white people taking that test prefer white.

做那個測驗的白人中百分之七十 比較喜歡白人，

Fifty percent of black people taking that test prefer white.

做同一個測驗的黑人中百分之五十 比較喜歡白人。

You see, we were all outside when the contamination came down.

你看，我們都被污染了。

What do we do about the fact that our brain automatically associates?

對於我們的大腦自動聯想的事實， 我們怎麼處理呢？

You know, one of the things that you probably are thinking about,

你知道嗎，你可能在想的一件事，

and you're probably like, you know what,

你可能在想：

I'm just going to double down on my color blindness.

我要進一步否認 我對有色人種有歧視。

Yes, I'm going to recommit to that.

是的，我就是要再犯。

I'm going to suggest to you, no.

我將建議你不要這樣做，

We've gone about as far as we can go trying to make a difference

我們已盡全力

trying to not see color.

不去分辨一個人的膚色。

The problem was never that we saw color. It was what we did when we saw the color.

問題從來就不是我們在分辨膚色， 問題在於我們辨別膚色後的行為。

It's a false ideal.

那是一個錯誤的理想。

And while we're busy pretending not to see,

當我們忙著假裝不去辨別膚色時，

we are not being aware of the ways in which racial difference

我們就沒有覺察到

種族差異在改變著人們 能否茁壯成長的可能性。

is changing people's possibilities, that's keeping them from thriving,

and sometimes it's causing them an early death.

而且有時候，甚至造成他們早夭。

So in fact, what the scientists are telling us is, no way.

所以事實上，科學家告訴我們的是：

別那樣做。

Don't even think about color blindness.

完全都不要想著你要去忽略膚色。

In fact, what they're suggesting is,

事實上，他們建議

stare at awesome black people.

凝視很讚的男性黑人。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

直接注視著他們的臉，並記住他們。

Look at them directly in their faces and memorize them,

because when we look at awesome folks who are black,

因為當我們看到很讚的黑人時，

it helps to dissociate

它有助於瓦解

the association that happens automatically in our brain.

我們大腦自動發生的聯想。

Why do you think I'm showing you these beautiful black men behind me?

你猜猜我為什麼要在身後 展示這些漂亮的黑色男性？

There were so many, I had to cut them.

他們的數量眾多， 我只能挑其中一些。

Okay, so here's the thing:

好，重點來了：

I'm trying to reset your automatic associations about who black men are.

我在嘗試著重置 你對於黑人的自動聯想，

I'm trying to remind you

我要提醒你們，

that young black men grow up to be amazing human beings

年輕的黑人成長為了不起的人。

who have changed our lives and made them better.

他們改變了我們的生命， 而且讓生活變得更美好。

So here's the thing.

所以重點是，

The other possibility in science,

科學還有另一個可能性：

and it's only temporarily changing our automatic assumptions,

它只是暫時改變了我們的自動假設。

but one thing we know

但是我們知道的是，

is that if you take a white person who is odious that you know,

如果你將一個可惡的白人

and stick it up next to a person of color,

放在一個有色人種旁邊，

a black person, who is fabulous,

一個非常優秀的黑人旁邊，

then that sometimes actually causes us to disassociate too.

那有時也會造成我們不再聯想。

So think Jeffrey Dahmer and Colin Powell.

所以想一想，連環殺手傑佛瑞‧丹墨 和前國務卿克林·鮑威爾。

Just stare at them, right? (Laughter)

你就凝視他們，好嗎？ （笑聲）

But these are the things. So go looking for your bias.

這些就是重點， 所以去找你的偏見。

Please, please, just get out of denial and go looking for disconfirming data

拜託，拜託，不要再否認了， 去找證明不成立的數據。

that will prove that in fact your old stereotypes are wrong.

來證明事實上， 你那些老舊刻板印象是錯的。

Okay, so that's number one: number two,

好了，那就是第一件事情。 而第二件事情呢，

what I'm going to say is move toward young black men instead of away from them.

我要說的是去接近年輕男性黑人， 而不是遠離他們。

It's not the hardest thing to do,

這並不是難過登天的事，

but it's also one of these things

但也是你必須自覺 且特意去做的事之一。

where you have to be conscious and intentional about it.

You know, I was in a Wall Street area one time several years ago

幾年前我一次曾在華爾街地區，

when I was with a colleague of mine, and she's really wonderful

當時我和一位同事一起。 她人真的很好，

and she does diversity work with me and she's a woman of color, she's Korean.

她和我一起做多樣化工作， 她也是有色人種，是韓國人。

And we were outside, it was late at night,

我們在外面，天色已晚，

and we were sort of wondering where we were going, we were lost.

我們又不知道自己身在何方， 已經迷路了。

And I saw this person across the street, and I was thinking, "Oh great, black guy."

然後我看到對面有一個人， 我在想，「喔，真好，一個黑人」

I was going toward him without even thinking about it.

我甚至沒想什麼就走向他。

And she was like, "Oh, that's interesting."

她的表情好像在說， 「喔，那真是有趣。」

The guy across the street, he was a black guy.

對面那個人是一個黑人。

I think black guys generally know where they're going.

我想黑人通常知道他們在哪裡，

I don't know why exactly I think that, but that's what I think.

我不知道我為什麼會那麼想， 但那就是我當時的想法。

So she was saying, "Oh, you were going, 'Yay, a black guy'?"

她說，「喔，你是想， 『嘿，一個黑人？』 」

She said, "I was going, 'Ooh, a black guy.'"

她說，「可我是往『唔，一個黑人』 那個方向想的 。」

Other direction. Same need, same guy, same clothes,

同樣需要，同一個人，同樣的衣服，

same time, same street, different reaction.

同一時間，同一條街，不同的反應。

And she said, "I feel so bad. I'm a diversity consultant.

然後她說：「我覺得自己很壞。 我還是一個多樣化顧問呢！」

I did the black guy thing. I'm a woman of color. Oh my God!"

「我竟然對黑人有歧視， 而我自己也有色女性，天哪！」

And I said, "You know what? Please. We really need to relax about this."

我就說，「你知道嗎？拜託， 你不要對自己太苛責了。」

I mean, you've got to realize I go way back with black guys.

我的意思是，你肯定知道 我和男性黑人可是很有淵源的喲！

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

My dad is a black guy. You see what I'm saying?

我父親是黑人， 你明白我的意思嗎？

I've got a 6'5" black guy son. I was married to a black guy.

我有一個六呎五的黑人兒子， 我前夫是黑人。

My black guy thing is so wide and so deep

我的黑人背景是既廣且深，

that I can pretty much sort and figure out who that black guy is,

我可以大概知道 那個黑人是什麼樣的。

and he was my black guy.

他是善良的黑人。

He said, "Yes, ladies, I know where you're going. I'll take you there."

他說：「是的，女士們，我知道 你們要去的地方。 我帶你們去。」

You know, biases are the stories we make up about people

你知道，偏見是我們編出來的故事，

before we know who they actually are.

在我們還不了解 他人是什麼樣的人之前。

But how are we going to know who they are

可我們怎樣才能知道 他們是什麼樣的人，

when we've been told to avoid and be afraid of them?

當我們總是被教導 要去避開他們和害怕他們？

So I'm going to tell you to walk toward your discomfort.

所以我要告訴你們： 走向你的反感之源。

And I'm not asking you to take any crazy risks.

我不是要你們去做瘋狂的冒險，

I'm saying, just do an inventory,

我的意思是， 你只需清點一下你的朋友名單，

expand your social and professional circles.

擴張你的社交和專業圈。

Who's in your circle?

誰在你的圈子裡？

Who's missing?

誰不在裡面？

How many authentic relationships

你有多少真正有意義的關係

do you have with young black people, folks, men, women?

是與年輕黑人，老的黑人 ， 男性黑人，女性黑人

Or any other major difference from who you are

或者其他和你很不一樣的人建立的？

and how you roll, so to speak?

或者說，你和什麼樣人混？

Because, you know what? Just look around your periphery.

因為你知道嗎？ 就只看看你的周圍，

There may be somebody at work, in your classroom,

在你的工作環境裡面， 你的教室裡，

in your house of worship, somewhere, there's some black young guy there.

你的教堂裡，在某處， 一定會有一些年輕的男性黑人。

And you're nice. You say hi.

你是和善的人，去打聲招呼。

I'm saying go deeper, closer, further, and build the kinds of relationships,

你可以深交一點， 走得更接近些，更進一步，

然後建立一種關係或友誼，

the kinds of friendships that actually cause you to see the holistic person

讓你所看到的對方 純粹只是另一個人類的那種關係，

and to really go against the stereotypes.

然後真正地去推翻你的刻板印象。

I know some of you are out there,

我知道你們有些人是這樣的，

我知道因為我有一些白人朋友會說：

「你不知道我覺得有多尷尬。」

"You have no idea how awkward I am.

Like, I don't think this is going to work for me.

「我認為我做不到這一點。」

I'm sure I'm going to blow this."

「我確定我一定做不到。」

Okay, maybe, but this thing is not about perfection. It's about connection.

或許吧，但是這種事不需要完美， 只是需要建立關係。

And you're not going to get comfortable before you get uncomfortable.

而且你肯定會首先覺得不自在， 之後才會開始覺得自在。

I mean, you just have to do it.

我的意思是，你就只要去做這件事，

And young black men, what I'm saying is

年輕的黑人們，我要說的是，

if someone comes your way, genuinely and authentically, take the invitation.

如果有人向你示好，很真心很真誠的， 你就接受邀請吧。

Not everyone is out to get you.

不是每個人都要找你麻煩。

Go looking for those people who can see your humanity.

去找那些能夠看到你的人性的人。

You know, it's the empathy and the compassion

你知道，和那些與你不同的人 建立關係所衍生出來的，

that comes out of having relationships with people who are different from you.

是同理心和慈悲心。

Something really powerful and beautiful happens:

很有力和美好的事情便發生了：

you start to realize that they are you,

你開始意識到他們就是你，

that they are part of you, that they are you in your family,

他們是你的一部分，

他們是你家庭的一份子。

and then we cease to be bystanders

然後我們不再是旁觀者了，

and we become actors, we become advocates,

我們成為演員， 我們成為提倡者，

and we become allies.

我們成為盟友。

So go away from your comfort into a bigger, brighter thing,

走出你的舒適圈， 去一個更大更明亮的地方，

because that is how we will stop another Ferguson from happening.

因為如此一來，我們才能不讓 另一件如佛格森的事再發生。

That's how we create a community

我們要創造一種環境，

where everybody, especially young black men, can thrive.

在那裡的每個人，尤其是黑人， 可以茁壯。

So this last thing is going to be harder,

所以這最後一件會比較難做，

and I know it, but I'm just going to put it out there anyway.

我知道，但是我還是要提出來。

When we see something, we have to have the courage to say something,

當我們看到不對的事， 我們必須有勇氣說出來，

even to the people we love.

甚至是對我們愛的人說出來。

You know, it's holidays and it's going to be a time

就好像放假時， 所以我們會與家人或朋友

when we're sitting around the table and having a good time.

圍坐在桌子旁， 共度一段歡樂時光。

Many of us, anyways, will be in holidays,

我們許多人會在度假，

and you've got to listen to the conversations around the table.

而你必定會在那時會聽到一些談話，

You start to say things like, "Grandma's a bigot."

然後你會開始說像這樣的話：

「祖母是偏執狂。」

（笑聲）

(Laughter)

"Uncle Joe is racist."

「喬叔叔是種族主義者。」

And you know, we love Grandma and we love Uncle Joe. We do.

你知道，我們很愛祖母和喬叔叔， 我們的確愛他們，

We know they're good people, but what they're saying is wrong.

我們知道他們是好人，

但是他們說的話是錯的。

And we need to be able to say something, because you know who else is at the table?

所以我們必須說點什麼， 因為你知道誰還坐在桌旁嗎？

The children are at the table.

孩子們也圍坐在桌旁啊！

And we wonder why these biases don't die, and move from generation to generation?

我們奇怪為什麼偏見不會消失， 還世代相傳，

Because we're not saying anything.

正是因為我們什麼都不說。

We've got to be willing to say, "Grandma, we don't call people that anymore."

我們必須願意說：

「奶奶，我們不可再這樣叫別人！」

"Uncle Joe, it isn't true that he deserved that.

「喬叔叔，你說他活該是不對的！」

No one deserves that."

「沒有人活該受到那樣的待遇。」

And we've got to be willing

還有我們必須願意

to not shelter our children from the ugliness of racism

不刻意去為了保護孩子們 而不讓他們知道種族歧視的醜陋。

when black parents don't have the luxury to do so,

黑人父母是無法這麼做的，

especially those who have young black sons.

特別是那些有年幼兒子的黑人父母。

We've got to take our lovely darlings, our future,

我們必須教我們可愛的孩子們， 他們是我們的未來。

and we've got to tell them we have an amazing country with incredible ideals,

我們必須告訴他們，

我們有一個非常好的國家， 具有不可思議的理念。

we have worked incredibly hard, and we have made some progress,

我們已盡心盡力， 而我們取得了一些進步，

but we are not done.

但是我們的任務尚未完成。

We still have in us this old stuff

我們的心裡仍有優越感的老毛病，

about superiority and it is causing us

而我們將它植入我們的機構裡，

to embed those further into our institutions

and our society and generations,

和我們的社會和世代裡。

and it is making for despair

它造成絕望和分裂，

and disparities and a devastating devaluing of young black men.

並嚴重地降低了年輕黑人的價值。

We still struggle, you have to tell them,

我們仍在掙扎，你必須告訴他們，

with seeing both the color

我們要同時看到 年輕黑人的膚色和品格。

and the character of young black men,

but that you, and you expect them,

而且你，你期待他們

to be part of the forces of change in this society

也成為改變這個社會的一部分力量。

that will stand against injustice and is willing, above all other things,

你們會反對不公平， 而且最重要的就是

你們願意將社會變為另一番景象，

to make a society where young black men can be seen for all of who they are.

令年輕黑人可以被視為 一個完完整整的人。

So many amazing black men,

我們有許多很讚的黑人。

those who are the most amazing statesmen that have ever lived,

那些最了不起的政治家，

brave soldiers,

勇敢的軍人，

awesome, hardworking laborers.

很棒、很努力工作的勞工們。

These are people who are powerful preachers.

這些人則是很有力的傳教士，

They are incredible scientists and artists and writers.

他們是難以置信的科學家、 藝術家和作家，

They are dynamic comedians.

他們是富有活力的喜劇演員。

They are doting grandpas,

他們是溺愛孫子的祖父，

caring sons.

慈愛的兒子，

They are strong fathers,

他們是強壯的父親，

and they are young men with dreams of their own.

還有他們是有自己夢想的年輕人。

Thank you.

謝謝大家！

（掌聲）

(Applause)