"Ode to the Only Black Kid in the Class" by Clint Smith
-
0:02 - 0:06I'm Clint Smith and this is
"Ode to the Only Black Kid in the Class." -
0:08 - 0:11You, it seems,
are the manifestation -
0:11 - 0:14of several lifetimes
of toil. -
0:14 - 0:16Brown v. Board
in flesh. -
0:16 - 0:18Most days
the classroom feels -
0:18 - 0:19like an antechamber.
-
0:19 - 0:21You are deemed expert
-
0:21 - 0:26on all things Morrison,
King, Malcolm, Rosa. -
0:26 - 0:28Hell, weren’t you sitting
on that bus, too? -
0:28 - 0:30You are every-
body’s best friend -
0:30 - 0:32until you are not.
-
0:32 - 0:33Hip-hop lyricologist.
-
0:33 - 0:35Presumed athlete.
-
0:35 - 0:36Free & Reduced sideshow.
-
0:36 - 0:39Exception and caricature.
-
0:39 - 0:41Too black and too white
all at once. -
0:41 - 0:42If you are successful
-
0:42 - 0:45it is because
of affirmative action. -
0:45 - 0:46If you fail it is because
-
0:46 - 0:48you were destined to.
-
0:48 - 0:51You are invisible until they turn on
the Friday night lights. -
0:51 - 0:54Here you are star before
they render you asteroid. -
0:54 - 0:58Before they watch
you turn to dust.
- Title:
- "Ode to the Only Black Kid in the Class" by Clint Smith
- Speaker:
- Clint Smith
- Description:
-
View full poem: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/ode-to-the-only-black-kid-in-the-class-by-clint-smith
This animation is part of the TED-Ed series, "There's a Poem for That," which features animated interpretations of poems both old and new that give language to some of life's biggest feelings.
Poem by Clint Smith, directed by Niv Sekar.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 01:00
lauren mcalpine edited English subtitles for "Ode to the Only Black Kid in the Class" | ||
Elise Haadsma approved English subtitles for "Ode to the Only Black Kid in the Class" | ||
Elise Haadsma accepted English subtitles for "Ode to the Only Black Kid in the Class" | ||
lauren mcalpine edited English subtitles for "Ode to the Only Black Kid in the Class" | ||
lauren mcalpine edited English subtitles for "Ode to the Only Black Kid in the Class" |