“High School Training Ground”
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0:01 - 0:08At 7:45 a.m., I open the doors to a building
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0:08 - 0:13dedicated to building, yet only breaks me down.
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0:13 - 0:17I march down hallways cleaned up after me every day
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0:17 - 0:20by regular janitors,
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0:20 - 0:24but I never have the decency to honor their names.
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0:24 - 0:27Lockers left open like teenage boys' mouths
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0:27 - 0:30when teenage girls wear clothes that covers
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0:30 - 0:35their insecurities but exposes everything else.
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0:35 - 0:38Masculinity mimicked by men who grew up with no fathers,
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0:38 - 0:42camouflage worn by bullies who are dangerously armed
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0:42 - 0:44but need hugs.
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0:44 - 0:47Teachers paid less than what it costs them to be here.
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0:47 - 0:51Oceans of adolescents come here to receive lessons
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0:51 - 0:53but never learn to swim,
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0:53 - 0:55part like the Red Sea when the bell rings.
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0:55 - 0:58This is a training ground.
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0:58 - 1:00My high school is Chicago,
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1:00 - 1:03diverse and segregated on purpose.
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1:03 - 1:07Social lines are barbed wire.
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1:07 - 1:12Labels like "Regulars" and "Honors" resonate.
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1:12 - 1:17I am an Honors but go home with Regular students
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1:17 - 1:20who are soldiers in territory that owns them.
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1:20 - 1:24This is a training ground to sort out the Regulars
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1:24 - 1:26from the Honors, a reoccurring cycle
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1:26 - 1:30built to recycle the trash of this system.
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1:30 - 1:33Trained at a young age to capitalize,
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1:33 - 1:36letters taught now that capitalism raises you
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1:36 - 1:38but you have to step on someone else to get there.
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1:38 - 1:42This is a training ground where one group
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1:42 - 1:45is taught to lead and the other is made to follow.
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1:45 - 1:47No wonder so many of my people spit bars,
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1:47 - 1:50because the truth is hard to swallow.
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1:50 - 1:54The need for degrees has left so many people frozen.
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1:54 - 1:56Homework is stressful,
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1:56 - 1:59but when you go home every day and your home is work,
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1:59 - 2:01you don't want to pick up any assignments.
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2:01 - 2:03Reading textbooks is stressful,
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2:03 - 2:05but reading does not matter when you feel
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2:05 - 2:07your story is already written,
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2:07 - 2:09either dead or getting booked.
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2:09 - 2:12Taking tests is stressful,
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2:12 - 2:15but bubbling in a Scantron does not stop
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2:15 - 2:17bullets from bursting.
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2:17 - 2:22I hear education systems are failing,
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2:22 - 2:24but I believe they're succeeding at what they're built to do --
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2:24 - 2:26to train you, to keep you on track,
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2:26 - 2:30to track down an American dream that has failed
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2:30 - 2:33so many of us all.
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2:34 - 2:41(Applause)
- Title:
- “High School Training Ground”
- Speaker:
- Malcolm London
- Description:
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Young poet, educator and activist Malcom London performs his stirring poem about life on the front lines of high school. He tells of the “oceans of adolescence” who come to school “but never learn to swim,” of “masculinity mimicked by men who grew up with no fathers.” Beautiful, lyrical, chilling.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 03:00
Thu-Huong Ha edited English subtitles for "High School Training Ground" | ||
Thu-Huong Ha approved English subtitles for "High School Training Ground" | ||
Thu-Huong Ha edited English subtitles for "High School Training Ground" | ||
Thu-Huong Ha edited English subtitles for "High School Training Ground" | ||
Morton Bast accepted English subtitles for "High School Training Ground" | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for "High School Training Ground" | ||
Joseph Geni edited English subtitles for "High School Training Ground" | ||
Joseph Geni added a translation |