ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Malcolm London - Poet, performer, activist
Young spoken-word poet Malcolm London has been called the "Gil Scott-Heron of this generation" (by Cornel West). His feisty, passionate performances take on the issues of the day, including the Chicago education system in which he grew up.

Why you should listen

This poet wields a dynamic spirit for speaking engagements utilizing his feisty and passionate performances as words of encourage for next generations to tell their stories. In 2011, Malcolm London won the Louder than a Bomb youth poetry slam in his native Chicago, scooping the top award as both individual performer and with a team. The poet, performer and activist has performed on stages throughout his home city as well as across the United States. A member of the Young Adult Council of the prestigious Steppenwolf Theater, London brings vim and vigor to his energetic performances tackling tough contemporary issues head-on. He wrote & directed a spoken word0infused play responding to the Zimmerman verdict called Two Years Later, and 

London attends University of Illinois at Chicago & is a member & co-chair of BYP100 Chicago Chapter, a national organization of black activists & organizers. Deeply interested in working on ways to improve the national education system, London regularly visits high schools, youth jails, colleges and communities to work with students on writing workshops and performances. London is currently devoted to being a youth advocate & coordinator of The Know Your Rights Project out of Northwestern Law School, a project dedicated to educating young people on their rights within the juvenile justice system, & continuing his work as teaching artist on staff at Young Chicago Authors, a program working to transform the lives of young people by cultivating their voices through writing, publication and performance education. His work has been featured on national outlets including CBS, NPR, The Huffington Post, The Root, and the Chicago Tribune.

More profile about the speaker
Malcolm London | Speaker | TED.com
TED Talks Education

Malcolm London: "High School Training Ground"

Malcolm London : « High School Training Ground »

Filmed:
1,409,864 views

Jeune poète, éducateur et militant, Malcom London récite un poème émouvant traitant de la vie aux lignes de front du lycée. Des « flots d'adolescents » qui vont à l'école « sans jamais apprendre à nager » à la masculinité esquissée par des hommes qui n'ont jamais eu de père ». Beau, lyrique et saisissant.
- Poet, performer, activist
Young spoken-word poet Malcolm London has been called the "Gil Scott-Heron of this generation" (by Cornel West). His feisty, passionate performances take on the issues of the day, including the Chicago education system in which he grew up. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:13
At 7:45 a.m., I openouvrir the doorsdes portes to a buildingbâtiment
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A 7:45 du matin,
je pousse les portes d'un édifice
00:19
dedicateddévoué to buildingbâtiment, yetencore only breakspauses me down.
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dédié à l'édification,
et qui pourtant ne fait que me détruire.
00:24
I marchMars down hallwayscouloirs cleanednettoyé up after me everychaque day
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Je marche le long de couloirs nettoyés
chaque jour derrière moi
00:28
by regularordinaire janitorsconcierges,
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par des concierges ordinaires,
00:31
but I never have the decencydécence to honorhonneur theirleur namesdes noms.
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mais je n'ai jamais eu la décence
de les appeler par leurs noms.
00:36
LockersCasiers left openouvrir like teenageadolescent boys'Boys' mouthsbouches
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Des casiers laissés grand ouverts
tels la bouche des adolescents
00:39
when teenageadolescent girlsfilles wearporter clothesvêtements that coverscouvre
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quand les jeunes filles
portent des vêtements dissimulant
00:41
theirleur insecuritiesinsécurités but exposesexpose les everything elseautre.
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leurs complexes,
mais exposant tout le reste.
00:46
MasculinityMasculinité mimickedimité by menHommes who grewgrandi up with no fatherspères,
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Une virilité mimée par des hommes
qui ont grandit sans père,
00:50
camouflagecamouflage wornportés by bulliesintimidateurs who are dangerouslydangereusement armedarmé
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un camouflage que portent les durs,
dangereusement armés,
00:54
but need hugscâlins.
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mais en manque d'affection.
00:55
TeachersEnseignants paidpayé lessMoins than what it costsfrais them to be here.
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Des enseignants dont le salaire
ne compense pas ce que leur coûte leur présence
00:58
OceansOcéans of adolescentsadolescents come here to receiverecevoir lessonscours
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Des flots d'adolescents
qui viennent suivre des cours
01:02
but never learnapprendre to swimnager,
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mais qui n’apprennent jamais à nager,
01:04
partpartie like the RedRouge SeaMer when the bellcloche ringsanneaux.
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et se séparent comme la Mer Rouge
dès que la sonnerie retentit.
01:07
This is a trainingentraînement groundsol.
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C'est un terrain d'entraînement.
01:09
My highhaute schoolécole is ChicagoChicago,
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Mon lycée est Chicago,
01:12
diversediverse and segregatedséparé on purposeobjectif.
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plein de diversité et
ségrégué intentionnellement.
01:15
SocialSocial lineslignes are barbedbarbelé wirecâble.
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Les frontières sociales sont barbelées.
01:18
LabelsÉtiquettes like "RegularsHabitués" and "HonorsMention assez bien" resonaterésonner.
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Des étiquettes telles
que « Passable » et « Avec Mention » résonnent.
01:24
I am an HonorsMention assez bien but go home with RegularRégulière studentsélèves
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J'ai eu une Mention mais je rentre chez moi
avec des étudiants Passables
01:28
who are soldierssoldats in territoryterritoire that ownspossède them.
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qui sont les soldats
d'un territoire qui les possède.
01:31
This is a trainingentraînement groundsol to sortTrier out the RegularsHabitués
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C'est un terrain d'entraînement
pour distinguer les
01:35
from the HonorsMention assez bien, a reoccurringreproduise cyclecycle
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Avec Mentions des Passables, un cycle infini
01:37
builtconstruit to recyclerecycler the trashpoubelle of this systemsystème.
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conçu pour recycler les déchets du système.
01:41
TrainedUne formation at a youngJeune ageâge to capitalizetirer parti des,
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Entraînés dès l'enfance
à écrire en capitale,
01:44
lettersdes lettres taughtenseigné now that capitalismcapitalisme raisessoulève you
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on leur enseigne que dorénavant
c'est le capitalisme qui nous élève,
01:47
but you have to stepétape on someoneQuelqu'un elseautre to get there.
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mais qu'il nous faut écraser
quelqu'un d'autre pour arriver au sommet.
01:50
This is a trainingentraînement groundsol where one groupgroupe
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C'est un terrain d'entraînement
sur lequel un groupe
01:53
is taughtenseigné to leadconduire and the other is madefabriqué to followsuivre.
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est dressé pour guider,
et l'autre pour suivre.
01:56
No wondermerveille so manybeaucoup of my people spitSpit barsbarres,
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Et on s'étonne qu'autant de gens
crachent des rimes,
01:59
because the truthvérité is harddifficile to swallowavaler.
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à cause d'une vérité difficile à avaler.
02:02
The need for degreesdegrés has left so manybeaucoup people frozencongelé.
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Le besoin en diplôme
a paralysé tellement de gens.
02:06
HomeworkTravail à domicile is stressfulstressant,
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Les devoirs sont stressants,
02:08
but when you go home everychaque day and your home is work,
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mais quand tu rentres chez toi,
et que chez toi, faut te mettre au travail,
02:11
you don't want to pickchoisir up any assignmentsaffectations.
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tu n'as pas envie de t'y mettre, à tes devoirs.
02:13
ReadingLecture textbooksmanuels is stressfulstressant,
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Les manuels sont stressants,
02:14
but readingen train de lire does not mattermatière when you feel
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mais les lire n'est plus important lorsque tu sens
02:17
your storyrécit is alreadydéjà writtenécrit,
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que ton histoire est déjà écrite,
02:19
eithernon plus deadmort or gettingobtenir bookedréservé (e).
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qu'elle soit achevée, ou en cours d'écriture.
02:21
TakingEn tenant teststests is stressfulstressant,
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Passer des examens est stressant,
02:24
but bubblingformation de bulles in a ScantronSCANTRON does not stop
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mais bouillir devant un QCM n'arrête
02:26
bulletsballes from burstingéclatement.
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pas la course des balles.
02:28
I hearentendre educationéducation systemssystèmes are failingéchouer,
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On dit que les systèmes éducatifs
sont en échec
02:33
but I believe they're succeedingréussir at what they're builtconstruit to do --
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mais je crois qu'ils font très bien
ce pourquoi ils sont conçus :
02:36
to traintrain you, to keep you on trackPiste,
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vous former, vous garder dans les rangs,
02:38
to trackPiste down an AmericanAméricain dreamrêver that has failedéchoué
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et vous faire courir
après un rêve américain qui n'existe plus
02:41
so manybeaucoup of us all.
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pour beaucoup d'entre nous.
02:45
(ApplauseApplaudissements)
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(Applaudissements)
Translated by Jordan Bouvier
Reviewed by Kevin Monthé

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Malcolm London - Poet, performer, activist
Young spoken-word poet Malcolm London has been called the "Gil Scott-Heron of this generation" (by Cornel West). His feisty, passionate performances take on the issues of the day, including the Chicago education system in which he grew up.

Why you should listen

This poet wields a dynamic spirit for speaking engagements utilizing his feisty and passionate performances as words of encourage for next generations to tell their stories. In 2011, Malcolm London won the Louder than a Bomb youth poetry slam in his native Chicago, scooping the top award as both individual performer and with a team. The poet, performer and activist has performed on stages throughout his home city as well as across the United States. A member of the Young Adult Council of the prestigious Steppenwolf Theater, London brings vim and vigor to his energetic performances tackling tough contemporary issues head-on. He wrote & directed a spoken word0infused play responding to the Zimmerman verdict called Two Years Later, and 

London attends University of Illinois at Chicago & is a member & co-chair of BYP100 Chicago Chapter, a national organization of black activists & organizers. Deeply interested in working on ways to improve the national education system, London regularly visits high schools, youth jails, colleges and communities to work with students on writing workshops and performances. London is currently devoted to being a youth advocate & coordinator of The Know Your Rights Project out of Northwestern Law School, a project dedicated to educating young people on their rights within the juvenile justice system, & continuing his work as teaching artist on staff at Young Chicago Authors, a program working to transform the lives of young people by cultivating their voices through writing, publication and performance education. His work has been featured on national outlets including CBS, NPR, The Huffington Post, The Root, and the Chicago Tribune.

More profile about the speaker
Malcolm London | Speaker | TED.com