ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa - Writer, youth worker, freedom fighter
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa is a storyteller, a truth-teller, a builder and breaker trying to figure out what it means to be human in a world that removes so much of our humanity in order to survive.

Why you should listen

Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa is a Kenyan Queer Womyn speaker and performer. Katwiwa is an award-winning, internationally touring poet, author, host, youth worker, social-justice speaker, teaching artist and workshop leader who has spent her life at the intersection of arts, education and activism. Her work in Reproductive Justice, the Movement for Black Lives, LGBTQ+ advocacy and poetry have been featured on Upworthy, OkayAfrica, the New York Times, For Harriet, Everyday Feminism and more.

As a writer, Katwiwa has always centered storytelling as an avenue to create change and believes in "speaking things into existence." Her work is heavily influenced by her heritage and her pan-African upbringing, and centers "the other" and "the in between," places she has often found herself occupying as a black, queer immigrant and emigrant. Her experience of the power of words and stories to impact the lives of those sharing and receiving has pushed her to share and teach the craft as a tool of resistance and advocacy.

More profile about the speaker
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa | Speaker | TED.com
TEDWomen 2017

Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa: Black life at the intersection of birth and death

曼达·卡提哇: 生死边缘的黑人生活

Filmed:
935,328 views

“揭露人们想用时间和自满掩盖的真相,是艺术家的职责。”身为诗人和自由战士的曼达·卡提哇如是说。演讲自己的诗作“为母之乐”的同时,卡提哇挖掘了美国黑人母亲的生活经历,并且讨论了黑人运动的影响。因为,她认为这两者是不能分割开的。
- Writer, youth worker, freedom fighter
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa is a storyteller, a truth-teller, a builder and breaker trying to figure out what it means to be human in a world that removes so much of our humanity in order to survive. Full bio

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

00:12
My name名称 is Mwende姆文德 Katwiwa卡特维瓦
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我叫曼达·卡提哇,
00:15
and I am a poet诗人,
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我是一个诗人,
一个泛非主义者,
00:17
a Pan-Africanist泛非主义
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也是一名自由卫士。
00:18
and a freedom自由 fighter战斗机.
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00:21
I was 23 years年份 old
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我23岁时,
第一次听说生育公平。
00:22
when I first heard听说
about Reproductive生殖 Justice正义.
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00:25
I was working加工 at Women妇女 with a Vision视力,
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我当时在《卓识女性》工作,
在那里,我了解到
“姐妹之歌”这样定义生育公平:
00:27
where I learned学到了 that Reproductive生殖 Justice正义
was defined定义 by Sister妹妹 Song歌曲 as:
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首先,女性有权决定是否与何时生育,
00:31
One: A woman's女人的 right to decide决定
if and when she will have a baby宝宝
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也有权决定具体的生育条件。
00:36
and the conditions条件
under which哪一个 she will give birth分娩.
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第二,女性有权选择不生育,
00:38
Two: A woman's女人的 right
to decide决定 if she will not have a baby宝宝
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有权避孕或终止妊娠。
00:42
and her options选项 for preventing防止
or ending结尾 a pregnancy怀孕.
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第三,妇女有权
00:45
And three: A woman's女人的 right
to parent the children孩子 she already已经 has
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在安全健康的环境下抚养孩子,
00:49
in safe安全 and healthy健康 environments环境
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不用担心
00:51
without fear恐惧 of violence暴力
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来自个人或者政府的暴力事件。
00:53
from individuals个人 or the government政府.
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00:56
I've always wanted to be a mother母亲.
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我一直想成为一位母亲。
00:59
Growing生长 up, I heard听说
all about the joys欢乐 of motherhood母亲.
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从小到大,
我听说过几乎所有为母的快乐。
我那时一直梦想,
用自己的子宫孕育奇迹,带到这个世界上。
01:02
I used to dream梦想 of watching观看 my womb子宫
weave编织 wonder奇迹 into this world世界.
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01:07
See, I knew知道 I was young年轻.
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我知道我那时还很年轻。
但我觉得,
01:08
But I figured想通,
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01:10
it couldn't不能 hurt伤害 to start开始 planning规划
for something so big, so early.
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生育这么重大的事,
再早规划也不早。
01:15
But now,
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但如今,
01:17
I'm 26 years年份 old.
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我26岁了。
01:19
And I don't know if I have what it takes
to stomach motherhood母亲 in this country国家.
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我不确定在这个国家,
我是否享有的孕育孩子的权利。
01:23
See, over the years年份, America美国
has taught me more about parenting育儿
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这些年,在养育孩子这方面,
美国教给我的
远比相关书籍要多得多。
01:26
than any book on the subject学科.
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它让我知道女性如何分娩,
01:28
It has taught me how some women妇女
give birth分娩 to babies婴儿
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产下他人眼中的嫌犯。
01:31
and others其他 to suspects犯罪嫌疑人.
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它让我知道黑人
01:32
It has taught me
that this body身体 will birth分娩 kin亲属
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被关进监狱的概率
01:35
who are more likely容易
to be held保持 in prison监狱 cells细胞
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高于获得大学学位。
01:38
than to hold保持 college学院 degrees.
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01:40
There is something
about being存在 Black黑色 in America美国
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黑人在美国
多少让“成为母亲”
01:44
that has made制作 motherhood母亲 seem似乎
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01:47
complicated复杂.
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变得有点复杂。
01:49
Seem似乎 like,
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就好像,
我不知道如何让我的孩子正直成长,
01:50
I don't know what to do
to raise提高 my kids孩子 right
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不知道如何让他们好好活着。
01:52
and keep them alive.
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我教导我的儿子不要偷窃,
01:54
Do I tell my son儿子 not to steal
because it is wrong错误,
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因为这件事是错误的,
还是因为这可能会陷他于死地?
01:56
or because they will use it
to justify辩解 his death死亡?
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01:59
Do I tell him
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我告诉他
即使你花了钱买彩虹糖和甜茶,
02:01
that even if he pays支付
for his Skittles吃喝玩乐 and sweet tea
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还是有人会监视着你,
02:03
there will still be those
who will watch him
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像看一个偷窃犯而不是一个小孩;
02:05
and see a criminal刑事 before child儿童;
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他们会报警,
但又会在警察来之前离开。
02:08
who will call the police警察
and not wait for them to come.
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我希望警察来吗?
02:11
Do I even want the police警察 to come?
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打911之前,
我的脑袋会蹦出无数个肖恩·贝尔。
02:13
Too many许多 Sean肖恩 Bells钟声 go off in my head
when I consider考虑 calling调用 911.
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他们可能会像杀了奥斯卡·格兰特那样
杀了我的儿子,
02:17
I will not take it for Oscar奥斯卡 Grant-ed赠款
that they will not come and kill my son儿子.
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02:21
So, we may可能 have gotten得到 rid摆脱
of the nooses套索,
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所以,尽管我们已经废除绞刑,
但当他们谋杀黑人男孩时,
我仍觉得那是一种私刑,
02:24
but I still consider考虑 it lynching私刑
when they murder谋杀 Black黑色 boys男孩
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私刑后,再把他们的尸体
放在太阳下暴晒四个小时。
02:27
and leave离开 their bodies身体
for four hours小时 in the sun太阳.
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02:30
As a historical历史的 reminder提醒
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以儆效尤,
因为一些事情,
美国的黑人
02:32
that there is something
about being存在 Black黑色 in America美国
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使成为母亲这件事
02:35
that has made制作 motherhood母亲 sound声音
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听起来十分悲惨。
02:37
like mourning.
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02:39
Sound声音 like one morning早上 I could wake唤醒 up
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就像是某天早晨我醒来,
看到上周的悲剧重演在我儿子身上。
02:41
and see my son儿子 as a repeat重复
of last week's本周 story故事.
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听起来就好像我醒过来发现,
02:44
Sound声音 like I could wake唤醒 up and realize实现
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我女儿的死甚至都不值得上新闻。
02:46
the death死亡 of my daughter女儿
wouldn't不会 even be newsworthy新闻价值.
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你总不能告诉我
只有桑德拉·布兰德这位黑人女性
02:49
So you can't tell me that Sandra桑德拉 Bland布兰德
is the only Black黑色 woman女人
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所经历的暴行才值得我们站起来。
02:52
whose谁的 violence暴力 deserves值得
more than our silence安静.
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那其他正在受难的黑人女同胞呢?
02:55
What about our other
dark-skinned皮肤黝黑的 daughters女儿 in distress苦难
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我们还能记得住谁的牺牲呢?
02:57
whose谁的 deaths死亡 we have yet然而 to remember记得?
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我们的孩子怎么办?
02:59
What about our children孩子
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他们怎么能适应这样的生活呢?
03:00
whose谁的 lives生活 don't fit适合 neatly整洁
between之间 the lives生活 of your genders性别?
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显而易见,如果你天生是个黑皮肤,
03:03
See, apparently显然地,
nothing is a great protector保护者
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什么都救不了你。
03:05
if you come out of a body身体
that looks容貌 like this.
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03:08
See, there is something
about being存在 Black黑色 in America美国
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所以,黑人在美国这样的事,
让成为母亲
03:12
that has made制作 motherhood母亲 sound声音
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听起来与我所愿相悖。
03:14
like something I'm not sure
I look forward前锋 to.
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03:17
I've written书面 too many许多 poems
about dead Black黑色 children孩子 to be naïve已经
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我写了很多
关于黑人小孩无辜牺牲的诗,
总有一天我的孩子可能也遭遇非难。
03:23
about the fact事实 that there could one day
be a poem written书面 about my kids孩子.
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03:28
But I do not want to be a mother母亲
who gave birth分娩 to poems.
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但我不想只做诗歌的母亲。
03:32
I do not want a stanza for a son儿子
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我要的不是诗节这样的儿子,
也不是诗句这样的女儿,
03:35
nor也不 a line线 for a little girl女孩
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更不是脚注这样
不能适应社会的孩子。
03:37
nor也不 a footnote脚注 for a child儿童
who doesn't fit适合 into this world世界.
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03:40
No.
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不。
我不想要
03:42
I do not want children孩子
who will live生活 forever永远
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只能活在诗歌里的孩子,
03:44
in the pages网页 of poetry诗歌,
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而他们的生命
03:46
yet然而 can't seem似乎 to outlive活得比
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比我还短。
03:48
me.
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(掌声)
03:49
(Applause掌声)
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03:58
I was invited邀请 to the TEDWomenTEDWomen conference会议
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我受邀到TED女性大会
做一首诗。
04:01
to perform演出 a poem.
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04:03
But for me, poetry诗歌 is not
about art艺术 and performance性能.
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但于我而言,
诗作无关艺术或表演。
04:07
It is a form形成 of protest抗议.
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它是一种抗议。
04:10
Yesterday昨天,
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昨天,
在排练时,
04:11
during rehearsal排演,
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我被告知最近有两三场TED演讲
04:13
I was told that there had been
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04:15
two to three recent最近 TEDTED Talks会谈
about Black黑色 Lives生活 Matter.
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涉及黑人生存问题。
04:19
That maybe I should cut down my TEDTED Talk
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所以,我可能需要缩短演讲时间,
所以演讲可能仅仅涉及
生育公平这个话题。
04:23
so it could "just" be
about Reproductive生殖 Justice正义.
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04:27
But that poem and this talk
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但是那首诗和这个演讲
对我而言是不能分割的。
04:29
is fundamentally从根本上 about
my inability无力 to separate分离 the two.
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04:33
I was 21 years年份 old --
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我21岁时——
(掌声)
04:35
(Applause掌声)
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04:43
I was 21 years年份 old
when Trayvon塔拉万 Martin马丁 was murdered谋杀.
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我21岁时,特雷文·马丁被谋杀了。
04:47
Trayvon塔拉万 Martin马丁, a 17-year-old-岁 Black黑色 boy男孩,
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特雷文·马丁,
一个17岁的黑人男孩,
一个黑人小孩,
04:51
a Black黑色 child儿童,
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警示了我,
04:52
reminded提醒 me
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警示了我们所有人,
04:54
reminded提醒 us
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这个国家多么轻视黑人的生命。
04:55
how little this nation国家
actually其实 values Black黑色 life.
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04:59
The hashtag井号 #BlackLivesMatterBlackLivesMatter
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“黑人的生命事关紧要”的话题标签
变成黑人大众和孩子们
05:02
became成为 the most recognized认可 call
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广泛认可的诉求,
05:04
for Black黑色 people and our children孩子
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即可以生活在安全的环境
和健康的社会团体中,
05:07
to live生活 in safe安全 environments环境
and healthy健康 communities社区
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而不用感到害怕
05:09
without fear恐惧
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来自任何个人、州或政府的暴力行为。
05:11
from violence暴力 from individuals个人
or the state or government政府.
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05:15
Months later后来,
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几个月后,
当乔治·齐默尔曼被判
05:17
when George乔治 Zimmerman齐默尔曼
was not held保持 responsible主管
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无需为特雷文·马丁的死亡负责时,
05:19
for murdering谋杀 Trayvon塔拉万 Martin马丁,
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我听到塞丽娜·富尔顿,
05:21
I heard听说 SybrinaSybrina Fulton富尔顿,
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特雷文·马丁母亲的讲话。
05:23
Trayvon塔拉万 Martin's马丁 mother母亲, speak说话.
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05:26
Her testimony见证 so deeply impacted影响 me
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她的证词对我的影响十分深远,
我开始不停地问
05:29
that I found发现 myself constantly经常 asking,
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05:32
what would it mean to mother母亲
in the United联合的 Stated of America美国
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在美国,身为黑人母亲
究竟意味着什么?
05:35
in this skin皮肤?
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05:37
What does motherhood母亲 really mean,
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母亲的真正意义是什么,
对于那么多像我一样的黑人而言,
05:38
when for so many许多 who look like me
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母亲就是默哀的同义词吗?
05:41
it is synonymous代名词 with mourning?
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05:45
Without没有 realizing实现 it,
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在不自知的情况下,
我已经开始将
生育公平的框架
05:46
I had begun开始 to link链接
the Reproductive生殖 Justice正义 framework骨架
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和黑人运动联系起来。
05:49
and the Movement运动 for Black黑色 Lives生活.
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05:52
As I learned学到了 more
about Reproductive生殖 Justice正义
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当我在《卓识妇女》
了解了更多的生育公平,
05:54
at Women妇女 With A Vision视力,
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当我积极参与黑人运动时,
05:56
and as I continued继续 to be active活性
in the Movement运动 for Black黑色 Lives生活,
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我希望他人能看到并体会
这些相似之处。
06:00
I found发现 myself wanting希望 others其他
to see and feel these similarities相似之处.
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06:04
I found发现 myself asking:
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我不禁在问:
在这样的时代,谁的工作
06:06
Whose谁的 job工作 is it in times like this
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会将观念、现实和人民联系起来?
06:09
to connect ideas思路 realities现实 and people?
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06:14
I want to dedicate奉献 this talk and that poem
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我想将此演讲和那首诗
送给康斯坦茨·马尔科姆。
06:16
to Constance康斯坦斯 Malcolm马尔科姆.
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06:19
She is the mother母亲 of Ramarley拉马利 Graham格雷厄姆
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她是拉玛莉·格雷厄姆的母亲,
拉玛莉·格雷厄姆是另一个黑人孩子,
06:21
who was another另一个 Black黑色 child儿童
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在先前被谋杀。
06:23
who was murdered谋杀 before their time.
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06:26
She reminded提醒 me once一旦 over dinner晚餐,
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有一次吃饭时,康斯坦茨·马尔科姆曾提醒过我,
我当时正在写那首诗,
06:28
as I was struggling奋斗的 to write that poem,
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她说艺术家有职责
06:30
that it is the artist's艺术家 job工作
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去揭露一些
06:32
to unearth挖掘 stories故事 that people try to bury埋葬
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人们想用自满和时间来掩盖的真相。
06:34
with shovels of complacency自满 and time.
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06:38
Recently最近,
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最近,
托妮·莫里森写了一句话,
06:40
Toni托尼 Morrison莫里森 wrote,
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06:42
"In times of dread恐惧,
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“面对恐惧时,
艺术家绝不能保持沉默。
06:44
artists艺术家 must必须 never choose选择
to remain silent无声.
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06:47
There is no time for self-pity自怜,
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我们没有时间自怨自艾,
也没有恐惧的余地。”
06:49
no room房间 for fear恐惧."
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06:52
Yesterday昨天, during rehearsal排演,
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昨天彩排时,
当得知我可能要删减
06:54
when I was told that I should
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“黑人的生命事关紧要”这段演讲时,
06:55
"maybe cut the Black黑色 Lives生活 Matter
portion一部分 from my talk,"
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我察觉到自己害怕了好一会儿。
06:59
I found发现 myself fearful可怕 for a moment时刻.
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07:01
Fearful可怕 that again
our stories故事 were being存在 denied否认
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害怕我们的故事再一次被否定,
尤其是在这样大的舞台上。
07:04
the very stages阶段
they deserve值得 to be told on.
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07:07
And then I remembered记得
the words I had just spoken.
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但我想起刚刚我所说的话。
07:11
"In times of dread恐惧,
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“面对恐惧时,
艺术家绝不能选择沉默。
07:13
artists艺术家 must必须 never choose选择
to remain silent无声.
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2920
07:17
There is no time for self-pity自怜.
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我们没有时间自怨自艾。
(掌声)
07:19
(Applause掌声)
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07:27
There is no time for self-pity自怜.
157
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我们没有时间自怨自艾。
也没有恐惧的余地。”
07:30
And no room房间 for fear恐惧."
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07:32
And I have made制作 my choice选择.
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我已经做了决定。
永不停息。
07:34
And I am always choosing选择.
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07:37
Thank you.
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谢谢大家。
(掌声)
07:38
(Applause掌声)
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Translated by 娟 郁
Reviewed by Chen Yunru

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa - Writer, youth worker, freedom fighter
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa is a storyteller, a truth-teller, a builder and breaker trying to figure out what it means to be human in a world that removes so much of our humanity in order to survive.

Why you should listen

Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa is a Kenyan Queer Womyn speaker and performer. Katwiwa is an award-winning, internationally touring poet, author, host, youth worker, social-justice speaker, teaching artist and workshop leader who has spent her life at the intersection of arts, education and activism. Her work in Reproductive Justice, the Movement for Black Lives, LGBTQ+ advocacy and poetry have been featured on Upworthy, OkayAfrica, the New York Times, For Harriet, Everyday Feminism and more.

As a writer, Katwiwa has always centered storytelling as an avenue to create change and believes in "speaking things into existence." Her work is heavily influenced by her heritage and her pan-African upbringing, and centers "the other" and "the in between," places she has often found herself occupying as a black, queer immigrant and emigrant. Her experience of the power of words and stories to impact the lives of those sharing and receiving has pushed her to share and teach the craft as a tool of resistance and advocacy.

More profile about the speaker
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa | Speaker | TED.com