At 7:45 a.m., I open the doors to a building dedicated to building, yet only breaks me down. I march down hallways cleaned up after me every day by regular janitors, but I never have the decency to honor their names. Lockers left open like teenage boys' mouths when teenage girls wear clothes that covers their insecurities but exposes everything else. Masculinity mimicked by men who grew up with no fathers, camouflage worn by bullies who are dangerously armed but need hugs. Teachers paid less than what it costs them to be here. Oceans of adolescents come here to receive lessons but never learn to swim, part like the Red Sea when the bell rings.
U 07:45, otvaram vrata zgrade posvećene građenju, koja me razara. Marširam hodnicima koje za mnom čiste svakog dana obični domari, ali nikad nisam dostojan poštivati njihova imena. Ormarići ostavljeni otvorenima poput usta tinejdžera kada tinejdžerice nose odjeću koja pokriva njihove nesigurnosti, ali izlaže sve ostalo. Muževnost koju imitiraju muškarci koji su odrasli bez očeva, kamuflaža koju nose nasilnici opasno naoružani ali kojima je potreban zagrljaj. Nastavnici koji su plaćeni manje nego što ih stoji da budu ovdje. Oceani adolescenata koji dolaze po lekcije ali nikada ne nauče plivati, razdvoje se poput Crvenog mora kada zvono zazvoni.
This is a training ground. My high school is Chicago, diverse and segregated on purpose. Social lines are barbed wire. Labels like "Regulars" and "Honors" resonate. I am an Honors but go home with Regular students who are soldiers in territory that owns them. This is a training ground to sort out the Regulars from the Honors, a reoccurring cycle built to recycle the trash of this system.
Ovo je poligon za trening. Moja srednja škola je Chicago, namjerno raznolik i odvojen. Društvene linije su bodljikava žica. Odjekuju etikete poput 'običnih' i 'naprednih'. Ja sam napredan ali kući idem s običnim učenicima koji su vojnici na teritoriju koji ih posjeduje. Ovo je poligon za treniranje za razvrstavanja običnih od naprednih, ciklus koji se ponavlja, izgrađen da reciklira smeće ovog sustava.
Trained at a young age to capitalize, letters taught now that capitalism raises you but you have to step on someone else to get there. This is a training ground where one group is taught to lead and the other is made to follow. No wonder so many of my people spit bars, because the truth is hard to swallow. The need for degrees has left so many people frozen.
Trenirani od mladosti da kapitaliziraju slova koja vas sada uče da kapitalizam odgaja, ali morate pregaziti nekog da do tamo dođete. Ovo je poligon za trening gdje jednu grupu uče da vodi a drugu da ih prati. Ne treba čuditi što većina mog naroda pljuje na mikrofonu, jer je istina teška za progutati. Potreba za diplomama zamrzla je mnogo ljudi.
Homework is stressful, but when you go home every day and your home is work, you don't want to pick up any assignments. Reading textbooks is stressful, but reading does not matter when you feel your story is already written, either dead or getting booked. Taking tests is stressful, but bubbling in a Scantron does not stop bullets from bursting.
Domaća zadaća je stresna, ali kada dođete do doma svakog dana i vaš dom je posao, ne želite pokupiti nikakve zadatke. Čitanje udžbenika je stresno, ali čitanje nema smisla kada osjećate da je vaša priča već napisana, bilo da ste mrtvi ili ste iza rešetaka. Pisanje testova je stresno, ali stvaranje Scantron testova ne zaustavlja metke od pucanja.
I hear education systems are failing, but I believe they're succeeding at what they're built to do -- to train you, to keep you on track, to track down an American dream that has failed so many of us all.
Čujem kako obrazovni sustavi ne uspjevaju, ali vjerujem da uspjevaju u onome za što su napravljeni -- da vas istreniraju, drže na pravom putu, da uđu u trag američkom snu koji je iznevjerio toliko nas.
(Applause)
(Pljesak)