TEDWomen 2016
Chinaka Hodge: What will you tell your daughters about 2016?
Chinaka Hodge: ¿Qué les dirás a tus hijas del 2016?
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Con palabras como fragmentos de vidrio, Chinaka Hodge hace una incisión al 2016 y muestra los 12 meses de violencia, dolor, miedo, vergüenza, coraje y esperanza; todo derramado en este poema original sobre el año, que nadie podrá olvidar tan pronto.
Chinaka Hodge - Writer, educator
Poet, playwright, filmmaker and educator Chinaka Hodge uses her own life and experiences as the backbone of wildly creative, powerful works. Full bio
Poet, playwright, filmmaker and educator Chinaka Hodge uses her own life and experiences as the backbone of wildly creative, powerful works. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
Tell your daughters of this year,
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Dile a tus hijas de este año,
00:15
how we woke needing coffee
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cómo despertar deseando un café
00:17
but discovered instead cadavers
strewn about our morning papers,
strewn about our morning papers,
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y en vez de eso, encontrar cadáveres
esparcidos en los periódicos matutinos,
esparcidos en los periódicos matutinos,
00:21
waterlogged facsimiles
of our sisters, spouses, small children.
of our sisters, spouses, small children.
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facsímiles inundados con nuestras
hermanas, esposas, hijas pequeñas.
hermanas, esposas, hijas pequeñas.
00:26
Say to your baby of this year
when she asks, as she certainly should,
when she asks, as she certainly should,
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Dile a tu bebé de este año cuando
te pregunte, como sin duda lo hará,
te pregunte, como sin duda lo hará,
00:30
tell her it was too late coming.
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dile que llegó muy tarde.
00:31
Admit even in the year we leased freedom,
we didn't own it outright.
we didn't own it outright.
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Admite que en el año cuando arrendamos
la libertad, no éramos sus propietarias.
la libertad, no éramos sus propietarias.
00:36
There were still laws
for every way we used our privates
for every way we used our privates
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Todavía había leyes para toda forma
que usáramos nuestra intimidad
que usáramos nuestra intimidad
00:39
while they pawed at the soft folds of us,
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mientras pateaban
nuestros suaves pliegues,
nuestros suaves pliegues,
00:41
grabbed with no concern for consent,
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mancilladas sin preocuparse
por el consentimiento,
por el consentimiento,
00:44
no laws made for the men
that enforced them.
that enforced them.
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sin leyes hechas por los hombres
que los frenaran.
que los frenaran.
00:47
We were trained to dodge,
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Fuimos entrenadas para esquivar,
00:49
to wait, to cower and cover,
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esperar, acobardarnos y cubrirnos,
00:52
to wait more, still, wait.
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esperar más y seguir esperando.
00:55
We were told to be silent.
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Nos dijeron que calláramos.
00:57
But speak to your girls of this wartime,
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Pero habla con tus niñas de esta guerra,
00:59
a year preceded by a score of the same,
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un año precedido por un mismo resultado,
01:02
so as in two decades before,
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así como dos décadas antes,
01:04
we wiped our eyes,
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nos enjugamos los ojos,
01:06
laced caskets with flags,
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cubrimos los ataúdes con banderas,
01:08
evacuated the crime scene of the club,
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evacuamos la escena del crimen del club,
01:10
caterwauled in the street,
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maullamos en la calle,
01:11
laid our bodies on the concrete
against the outlines of our fallen,
against the outlines of our fallen,
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cayendo en el asfalto
contra los contornos de nuestras caídas,
contra los contornos de nuestras caídas,
llorando: "Por supuesto, que
nos importaba"
nos importaba"
01:14
cried, "Of course we mattered,"
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cantado por nuestra desaparecida.
01:16
chanted for our disappeared.
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01:18
The women wept this year.
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Las mujeres lloraron este año.
01:20
They did.
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Lo hicieron.
01:21
In the same year, we were ready.
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En el mismo año, estábamos preparadas.
01:24
The year we lost our inhibition
and moved with courageous abandon
and moved with courageous abandon
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El año que perdimos nuestra inhibición
y nos movimos con valiente abandono
y nos movimos con valiente abandono
01:27
was also the year we stared down barrels,
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fue también el año
en que miramos fijamente,
en que miramos fijamente,
con cantos de grullas en el cielo,
hundidas y esquivadas,
hundidas y esquivadas,
01:29
sang of cranes in skies,
ducked and parried,
ducked and parried,
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01:32
caught gold in hijab,
collected death threats,
collected death threats,
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oro atrapado en hijab,
recogiendo amenazas de muerte,
recogiendo amenazas de muerte,
01:34
knew ourselves as patriots,
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sabiéndonos patriotas,
01:36
said, "We're 35 now, time we settled down
and found a running mate,"
and found a running mate,"
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dijimos: "Tenemos 35 ya, momento de
sentar cabeza y encontrar compañero",
sentar cabeza y encontrar compañero",
01:39
made road maps for infant joy,
shamed nothing but fear,
shamed nothing but fear,
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hicimos rutas para la alegría infantil,
humilladas solo por el miedo,
humilladas solo por el miedo,
01:42
called ourselves fat and meant, of course,
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llamándonos gordas y malas, claro,
01:44
impeccable.
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impecables.
01:45
This year, we were women,
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Este año, hemos sido mujeres,
01:47
not brides or trinkets,
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no novias o baratijas,
01:49
not an off-brand gender,
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no un género extraño,
01:51
not a concession, but women.
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no una concesión, sino mujeres.
01:53
Instruct your babies.
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Educando a nuestros bebés.
01:54
Remind them that the year has passed
to be docile or small.
to be docile or small.
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Recordándoles que el año
ha transcurrido dócil o pequeño.
ha transcurrido dócil o pequeño.
01:58
Some of us said for the first time
that we were women,
that we were women,
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Algunas dijimos por primera vez
que éramos mujeres,
que éramos mujeres,
02:00
took this oath of solidarity seriously.
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tomamos este juramento
de solidaridad en serio.
de solidaridad en serio.
02:03
Some of us bore children
and some of us did not,
and some of us did not,
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Algunas de nosotras tuvo hijos
y algunas no,
y algunas no,
02:05
and none of us questioned
whether that made us real
whether that made us real
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y ninguna se preguntó
si eso nos hace auténticas,
si eso nos hace auténticas,
02:07
or appropriate or true.
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apropiadas o verdaderas.
02:09
When she asks you of this year,
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Cuando ella te pregunte por este año,
02:11
your daughter, whether your offspring
or heir to your triumph,
or heir to your triumph,
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tu hija, ya sea descendiente
o heredera de tu triunfo,
o heredera de tu triunfo,
desde la reconfortante historia
de convertirse en mujer,
de convertirse en mujer,
02:14
from her comforted side of history
teetering towards woman,
teetering towards woman,
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02:17
she will wonder and ask voraciously,
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se preguntará y preguntará vorazmente,
02:20
though she cannot fathom your sacrifice,
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aunque no pueda descifrar tu sacrificio,
guardará tu estima como realidad santa,
02:22
she will hold your estimation of it holy,
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02:24
curiously probing, "Where were you?
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sondeará curiosamente, "¿Dónde estabas?
02:27
Did you fight?
Were you fearful or fearsome?
Were you fearful or fearsome?
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¿Luchaste?
¿Fuiste temerosa o temible?
¿Fuiste temerosa o temible?
¿Qué tiñeron las paredes
de tu arrepentimiento?
de tu arrepentimiento?
02:30
What colored the walls of your regret?
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¿Qué hiciste por las mujeres
en el año cuando era el momento?
en el año cuando era el momento?
02:32
What did you do for women
in the year it was time?
in the year it was time?
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02:34
This path you made for me,
which bones had to break?
which bones had to break?
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Este camino que allanaste para mí,
que huesos se quebraron?
que huesos se quebraron?
02:37
Did you do enough, and are you OK, momma?
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¿Hiciste lo suficiente,
y estás bien, mamá?
y estás bien, mamá?
02:40
And are you a hero?"
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¿Eres una heroína?".
02:41
She will ask the difficult questions.
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Ella hará las preguntas difíciles.
02:43
She will not care
about the arc of your brow,
about the arc of your brow,
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No se preocupará
por el arco de tus cejas,
por el arco de tus cejas,
02:46
the weight of your clutch.
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el peso del embrague.
02:47
She will not ask of your mentions.
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No pedirá tus menciones.
02:49
Your daughter, for whom you have
already carried so much, wants to know
already carried so much, wants to know
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Tu hija, que ya has llevado tanto en ti,
querrá saber
querrá saber
02:52
what you brought, what gift,
what light did you keep from extinction?
what light did you keep from extinction?
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qué trajiste, qué regalaste,
qué luz no dejaste apagar.
qué luz no dejaste apagar.
Cuando vinieron a buscar
víctimas en la noche,
víctimas en la noche,
02:55
When they came for victims in the night,
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02:57
did you sleep through it
or were you roused?
or were you roused?
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¿dormías o te despertaste?
¿Cuál fue el precio de
estar despierta?
estar despierta?
03:00
What was the cost of staying woke?
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03:01
What, in the year we said time's up,
what did you do with your privilege?
what did you do with your privilege?
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¿En el año que dijimos se acabó,
qué hiciste con tu privilegios?
qué hiciste con tu privilegios?
¿Cenaste en la miseria de los demás?
03:05
Did you sup on others' squalor?
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¿Desviaste la mirada
o miraste la llama?
o miraste la llama?
03:06
Did you look away
or directly into the flame?
or directly into the flame?
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03:08
Did you know your skill
or treat it like a liability?
or treat it like a liability?
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¿Sabías de tu habilidad
o la trataste como pasividad?
o la trataste como pasividad?
03:11
Were you fooled by the epithets
of "nasty" or "less than"?
of "nasty" or "less than"?
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¿Te dejaste engañar por los epítetos
de "desagradable" o "menos que"?
de "desagradable" o "menos que"?
¿Enseñaste con un corazón abierto
o un puño cerrado?
o un puño cerrado?
03:14
Did you teach with an open heart
or a clenched fist?
or a clenched fist?
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¿Dónde estabas?
03:17
Where were you?
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03:18
Tell her the truth. Make it your life.
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Dile la verdad. Hazla tu vida.
03:20
Confirm it. Say, "Daughter, I stood there
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Confirmarla. Di, "Hija, yo estaba allí
con el momento dibujado en mi cara
como una daga,
como una daga,
03:22
with the moment
drawn on my face like a dagger,
drawn on my face like a dagger,
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y la arrojé a sí mismo,
03:24
and flung it back at itself,
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03:26
slicing space for you."
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rebanando espacio para ti".
Dile la verdad, cómo viviste,
a pesar de las malas probabilidades
a pesar de las malas probabilidades
03:27
Tell her the truth, how you lived
in spite of crooked odds.
in spite of crooked odds.
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03:30
Tell her you were brave,
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Dile que eras valiente,
03:31
and always, always
in the company of courage,
in the company of courage,
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y siempre, siempre en compañía de valor,
casi todos los días cuando
solo te tenías a ti misma.
solo te tenías a ti misma.
03:33
mostly the days
when you just had yourself.
when you just had yourself.
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03:36
Tell her she was born as you were,
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Dile que nació como tú,
03:38
as your mothers before,
and the sisters beside them,
and the sisters beside them,
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como sus madres antes,
y sus hermanas,
y sus hermanas,
03:40
in the age of legends, like always.
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en la era de las leyendas, como siempre.
03:43
Tell her she was born just in time,
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Dile que nació justo a tiempo,
03:45
just in time
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justo a tiempo
03:47
to lead.
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para liderar.
03:48
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Chinaka Hodge - Writer, educatorPoet, playwright, filmmaker and educator Chinaka Hodge uses her own life and experiences as the backbone of wildly creative, powerful works.
Why you should listen
Chinaka Hodge is a writer and educator from Oakland. She received her BA from NYU’s Gallatin School and studied Writing for Film and Television at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts MFA program. Her work has been featured in Believer Magazine, Teen People Magazine, Newsweek, San Francisco Magazine, on PBS and NPR, and in two seasons of HBO’s Def Poetry. She was an Associate Producer on Simmons Lathan presents Brave New Voices for HBO.
She is a Cave Canem Graduate Fellow, was a playwright-in-residence at SF Playwrights Foundation and serves as a Visiting Editor at The California Sunday Magazine. She is an inaugural Senior Fellow at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
Chinaka Hodge | Speaker | TED.com