The cost of code-switching | Chandra Arthur | TEDxOrlando
-
0:10 - 0:13Three years ago,
after moving back from Berlin, -
0:13 - 0:16I had an experience
with local law enforcement. -
0:16 - 0:19I was living in an old family house
at the time but without a car, -
0:19 - 0:23so typically, even when I was home,
there would be no car out front. -
0:23 - 0:26One afternoon, as I was
going through old memories -
0:26 - 0:29and moving around what seemed like
to be a thousand boxes, -
0:29 - 0:32the blinds in my spare room
were being shifted to and fro -
0:32 - 0:35as I was generally
just cleaning out the space. -
0:36 - 0:38My neighbor, an elderly woman,
-
0:38 - 0:42took it upon herself
to be the unofficial neighborhood watch, -
0:42 - 0:44and so, seeing the blinds
moving back and forth -
0:44 - 0:46and no car out front in the driveway,
-
0:46 - 0:51she deduced that my home
was being burglarized on a Sunday at noon -
0:51 - 0:53and called the police.
-
0:54 - 0:56As I continued to clean,
I was pretty unaware -
0:56 - 0:58of what was going on outside of my house,
-
0:58 - 1:00but audible and unfamiliar voices
-
1:00 - 1:02prompted me to pause
my cleaning activities -
1:02 - 1:05and to go outside,
just to see what was going on. -
1:06 - 1:08The scene that I encountered
when I opened my front door -
1:08 - 1:10is one that I will never forget.
-
1:11 - 1:13Four police officers with guns drawn,
-
1:13 - 1:14one pointed directly at me,
-
1:14 - 1:16were surrounding my front porch.
-
1:16 - 1:19"Get out of the house!
Hands in the air! Hands in the air now!" -
1:21 - 1:22I froze.
-
1:22 - 1:24Up until this point,
I had never actually seen -
1:24 - 1:27a real, live, loaded gun this close to me,
-
1:27 - 1:30much less had one pointed in my direction.
-
1:31 - 1:32Now, I'm here before you today
-
1:32 - 1:35because I obviously survived
that encounter. -
1:36 - 1:39I was able to collect myself enough
to answer questions -
1:39 - 1:43and prove that I had
every right to be in that property. -
1:43 - 1:46But what if I had not looked like me?
-
1:46 - 1:48What if I had not spoken like me?
-
1:49 - 1:52What if the person who opened the door
looked like a thug, -
1:53 - 1:56whatever image that pops into your head
when I use that word? -
1:56 - 2:00What if the person who opened the door
had not been able to collect themselves -
2:00 - 2:04in the face of grave danger,
confusion, and potentially even death, -
2:04 - 2:07to prove that they had the right
to be on that property? -
2:07 - 2:10What if I had expressed rightful anger
-
2:10 - 2:13for being mistreated
by police in my own home? -
2:13 - 2:17What if I had been a black man,
instead of a black woman? -
2:18 - 2:21I raised these questions
to illustrate the role -
2:21 - 2:23that behavior plays
as it relates to code-switching. -
2:24 - 2:27As a kid, I was inadvertently
forced to learn to code-switch, -
2:27 - 2:28and perhaps, in my case,
-
2:28 - 2:31that unintentional education
saved my life. -
2:31 - 2:34Code-switching as a concept
is really interesting. -
2:34 - 2:37By definition, it's what happens
when people who speak multiple languages -
2:37 - 2:39alternate between two or more,
-
2:39 - 2:42oftentimes within the same
phrase or sentence. -
2:42 - 2:45In a more colloquial sense,
code-switching is what happens -
2:45 - 2:49when people reflexively or subtly
change the way they express themselves. -
2:49 - 2:52So, for someone like me,
and I'm sure many of you all here, -
2:52 - 2:54I thought, up until about fourth grade,
-
2:54 - 2:57that "y'all" was the correct
contraction for "you all." -
2:58 - 3:01It was only after some point
at around nine or ten -
3:01 - 3:02that I learned that "you all"
-
3:02 - 3:05was the correct way
to address a group of people, -
3:05 - 3:08and that I should absolutely use
"you all," not "y'all," -
3:08 - 3:11when addressing important
people and situations. -
3:11 - 3:15As our world continues to be connected
through technology of all sorts, -
3:15 - 3:18apps and the Internet of Things
and artificial intelligence, -
3:18 - 3:20I guess code-switching
makes a lot of sense -
3:20 - 3:22as people from different backgrounds
-
3:22 - 3:25continue to come into
close contact with one another. -
3:26 - 3:28But when we look more closely
at code-switching, -
3:28 - 3:30and who's expected to make the switch,
-
3:30 - 3:32we discover a hidden reality.
-
3:32 - 3:35And that reality is that
the expectation of code-switching -
3:35 - 3:37threatens true diversity.
-
3:38 - 3:40My first day of third grade
was at a new school -
3:40 - 3:43as I had recently been accepted
to the gifted program, -
3:43 - 3:47which meant that I would be bused
from my neighborhood school of Westside -
3:47 - 3:49to Tomoka, in the next city over.
-
3:49 - 3:51The year was 1992,
-
3:51 - 3:52and so, on the first day of class,
-
3:53 - 3:56I proudly donned my favorite
Jodeci pleather new boots -
3:57 - 3:59and my Cross Colours shorts that -
-
3:59 - 4:04to say that I stuck out like a sore thumb
would be a grave understatement. -
4:04 - 4:07My new classmates were in polite pastels
-
4:07 - 4:10and ribbons and bows and kids' Gap
and Limited Too fashions. -
4:10 - 4:14I knew immediately that if I was going
to fit in and make friends, -
4:14 - 4:16I would have to change
more than just a few things. -
4:16 - 4:20So, over the course of the next few years,
I learned acutely how to do just that. -
4:20 - 4:22I stopped wearing my Jodeci boots,
-
4:22 - 4:24I started choosing softer colors
-
4:24 - 4:29as opposed to the bright hip-hop colors
and fashions that I had chosen previously. -
4:29 - 4:32I started listening to Green Day,
and I eventually - -
4:32 - 4:35(Laughter)
-
4:35 - 4:38and I eventually learned
how to act like my new classmates, -
4:38 - 4:39and eventual friends.
-
4:39 - 4:42Most importantly though,
I learned how to align myself, -
4:42 - 4:44not just so that I fit in,
-
4:44 - 4:46but so that I was culturally compatible.
-
4:46 - 4:50I didn't know it then, but this is
where I learned how to code-switch -
4:50 - 4:51and how to behave and speak in a way
-
4:51 - 4:54that made me a non-threatening
person of color. -
4:55 - 4:58As our society grapples
with police brutality, -
4:58 - 5:00and protests against such violence
-
5:00 - 5:02have become synonymous
with big brand ad campaigns -
5:02 - 5:04and pop culture,
-
5:04 - 5:05it's a person's behavior
-
5:05 - 5:07which indicates whether or not
they have learned -
5:07 - 5:10the language of effective code-switching.
-
5:10 - 5:12There have been countless
instances in recent history -
5:12 - 5:15where a person's ability
or inability to code-switch -
5:15 - 5:18has meant the difference
between life or death. -
5:19 - 5:22Are you all familiar
with Henry Louis Gates Jr? -
5:22 - 5:26Many people know him as the host
of the PBS series "Finding Your Roots," -
5:26 - 5:29and still others may know him
as an esteemed Harvard professor. -
5:29 - 5:33Still others of us may remember him also
from a 2009 incident, -
5:33 - 5:35involving Cambridge, Massachusetts police,
-
5:35 - 5:39when he was arrested for breaking
and entering into his own home. -
5:41 - 5:44No doubt, his ability to articulate,
and him being who he was, -
5:44 - 5:46and being able to explain the situation,
-
5:46 - 5:48led to a relatively okay outcome for him,
-
5:48 - 5:51save the public humiliation
of being arrested. -
5:51 - 5:53For those who opt for authenticity,
-
5:53 - 5:57unapologetically deciding to speak
with the accents of their homeland -
5:57 - 5:58or their grandparents,
-
5:58 - 6:02or to wear their hijab,
or to say "y'all" in the boardroom, -
6:02 - 6:05there are oftentimes
very real consequences that can be felt. -
6:05 - 6:08Consequences like
not getting that promotion -
6:08 - 6:11because the client wants to speak
to someone who sounds American, -
6:12 - 6:15or being jeered at for wearing
symbols of pride from your culture, -
6:15 - 6:17while other people
who appropriate that same culture -
6:17 - 6:20make the pages of Vogue magazine,
-
6:20 - 6:22or being told by HR or administration
-
6:22 - 6:25that your natural hair
is inappropriate for work or school -
6:25 - 6:28and will need to be changed
to avoid disciplinary action. -
6:29 - 6:32For those who aren't even
deciding against code-switching -
6:32 - 6:33because they haven't learned it,
-
6:33 - 6:36the consequences can be even bigger.
-
6:37 - 6:40When I was a kid,
I heard a lot of talk about Oreos, -
6:40 - 6:43and I'm not talking about
the delicious cookie sandwiches -
6:43 - 6:44eaten best with a glass of milk,
-
6:44 - 6:46but I'm talking about the slang term,
-
6:46 - 6:49which refers to a person
who's black on the outside -
6:49 - 6:50and white on the inside.
-
6:51 - 6:53Kids definitely have a way
of putting things plainly. -
6:54 - 6:57But the concept always made me
think a lot about myself: -
6:57 - 7:01who I was and who I was becoming,
where I lived and where my friends lived, -
7:01 - 7:03the music I listened to at home
with friends and family -
7:03 - 7:07versus what I was starting to listen to
with my new friends at school. -
7:07 - 7:10Deep down, I always felt like I had
to hide certain parts of myself -
7:10 - 7:12that I knew were still very much me.
-
7:12 - 7:15I had to be careful to not slip
and say something too ghetto -
7:15 - 7:16in front of my new friends.
-
7:16 - 7:20But I had to also be careful to not talk
too much about cello or classical music -
7:20 - 7:22when I was at home.
-
7:22 - 7:25For the person who's
expected to code-switch, -
7:25 - 7:29to exist almost simultaneously
in two or three different worlds, -
7:29 - 7:32constantly presenting
a slightly edited version of self, -
7:32 - 7:34the pressure can be immense.
-
7:35 - 7:38But what if there was just one world
where we could all be our true selves -
7:39 - 7:40instead of the brand of diversity
-
7:40 - 7:42which purports that minorities
are acceptable, -
7:42 - 7:45provided they behave in a specific way?
-
7:45 - 7:47What about a truer sense of diversity
-
7:47 - 7:49where people are praised
for their uniqueness -
7:49 - 7:52and the cultural capital
they bring to places and situations -
7:52 - 7:54as opposed to being
disciplined or shamed for it? -
7:55 - 7:57What about an acceptance
of different speech patterns -
7:57 - 7:59even within our own American lexicon,
-
7:59 - 8:01so that when a person
says the word "y'all," -
8:01 - 8:05we appreciate what that might mean
about their heritage or upbringing, -
8:05 - 8:08as opposed to what we think it means
about their level of intelligence; -
8:08 - 8:11when we see a person
with a hijab or an afro, -
8:11 - 8:13we embrace the reasons
for someone's decision -
8:13 - 8:17to do or to be something
different than we are? -
8:18 - 8:21I truly believe that most of us
think diversity is a good thing. -
8:22 - 8:26Most of us understand that by exposure
to people and places and ideas -
8:26 - 8:27that are different from us,
-
8:27 - 8:32we actually end up being better,
smarter, more compassionate people. -
8:32 - 8:36But is belief in the goodness
of diversity enough? -
8:37 - 8:39In my professional life,
I'm a tech founder. -
8:39 - 8:42And thanks to biology, I happen
to be a black woman tech founder. -
8:43 - 8:44My startup journey
-
8:44 - 8:47has been like a roller-coaster ride
without the seatbelt, -
8:47 - 8:48similar to most people's.
-
8:48 - 8:52But, it's because I've learned
the language of code-switching -
8:52 - 8:53and check some of the boxes
-
8:53 - 8:56that means I get access
to some of the opportunities. -
8:57 - 8:58I chose to be a tech founder
-
8:58 - 9:00because, like most ambitious people,
-
9:00 - 9:02I want to change the world
in a positive way, -
9:02 - 9:05even though the data says
specifically for my demographic -
9:05 - 9:08any kind of success in the tech industry
-
9:08 - 9:09is the least likely.
-
9:09 - 9:11In this case, when I speak of success,
-
9:11 - 9:15I mean the ability to raise capital
to start, grow, and scale a venture. -
9:16 - 9:19The National Center
for Education Statistics reports -
9:19 - 9:21that black women are actually
the most educated group -
9:21 - 9:22in the United States.
-
9:22 - 9:25And a recent article
from "Fast Company" highlights -
9:25 - 9:28that we're also the largest growing sector
of new business owners, -
9:28 - 9:33with a whopping 265% increase
in black-women-owned businesses -
9:33 - 9:36from 1997 to 2014.
-
9:36 - 9:37(Applause)
-
9:38 - 9:39Yes.
-
9:39 - 9:42(Applause)
-
9:42 - 9:45Yet, when it comes to
who receives the venture capital, -
9:45 - 9:47particularly in the tech industry,
-
9:47 - 9:51women CEOs get just 2.7%.
-
9:51 - 9:53And women of color CEOs?
-
9:54 - 9:57We get 0.2% - also known as none.
-
9:58 - 10:01(Laughter)
-
10:01 - 10:03The cost of code-switching
on society is huge -
10:03 - 10:06because it means that those of us
who belong to minority groups -
10:07 - 10:10spend a lot more time learning
the language of cultural compatibility -
10:10 - 10:13and less time doing the things
that matter to all of us, -
10:13 - 10:16like living, like spending time
with friends and family, -
10:16 - 10:18like starting successful businesses.
-
10:19 - 10:22As the tides of acceptance
change in our nation, -
10:22 - 10:23and cultures continue to shift,
-
10:24 - 10:26I challenge all of us
to really give every person, -
10:26 - 10:27regardless of who they are,
-
10:27 - 10:30the space to really be and exist
as their true selves. -
10:30 - 10:33Because it's only when each of us
can really live in our truth, -
10:33 - 10:36that we all gain the incredible
benefits of true diversity. -
10:36 - 10:37Thank you.
-
10:38 - 10:41(Applause)
- Title:
- The cost of code-switching | Chandra Arthur | TEDxOrlando
- Description:
-
Taught from a young age to culturally code-switch, Chandra Arthur discusses how learning default conformity in different settings now creates access and opportunity in her adult life as an underrepresented minority (URM) in tech.
Chandra Arthur is the founder and CEO of Friendish, a fun, new app designed to help people easily make friends based on shared interests. Her commitment to assisting others in making lasting, quality friendships was born out of a personal need when she returned home from Germany after four years abroad and found it difficult to make new, like-minded friends once back in the States. As a second-time startup founder, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the startup landscape.
Chandra is passionate about being a black woman in tech and hopes that, through Friendish, she is able to build and grow a successful, sustainable business and become a role model for young women of color who aspire to careers in tech. Chandra is also a co-founder of B.O.T. (Black Orlando Tech), a group created to mobilize and support black creatives in Central Florida. When she’s not working on Friendish, she spends most of her time with her sweet and very energetic black lab puppy, Trudy Garland.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx - Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 10:44
Robert Tucker approved English subtitles for The cost of code-switching | Chandra Arthur | TEDxOrlando | ||
Robert Tucker edited English subtitles for The cost of code-switching | Chandra Arthur | TEDxOrlando | ||
Robert Tucker edited English subtitles for The cost of code-switching | Chandra Arthur | TEDxOrlando | ||
Zsófia Herczeg accepted English subtitles for The cost of code-switching | Chandra Arthur | TEDxOrlando | ||
Zsófia Herczeg edited English subtitles for The cost of code-switching | Chandra Arthur | TEDxOrlando | ||
Zsófia Herczeg edited English subtitles for The cost of code-switching | Chandra Arthur | TEDxOrlando | ||
Robert Tucker edited English subtitles for The cost of code-switching | Chandra Arthur | TEDxOrlando | ||
Robert Tucker edited English subtitles for The cost of code-switching | Chandra Arthur | TEDxOrlando |