In 1994, Charles Murray and Richard Herrnstein coauthored "The Bell Curve," an extremely controversial book which claims that on average, some races are smarter and more likely to succeed than others. Murray and Herrnstein also suggest that a lack of critical intelligence explains the prominence of violent crime in poor African-American communities. But Charles Murray and Richard Herrnstein are not the only people who think this.
Godine 1994. Charles Murray i Richard Herrnstein izdali su "The Bell Curve", veoma kontroverznu knjigu u kojoj tvrde da su u prosjeku neke rase pametnije od drugih i imaju veće šanse za uspjeh. Murray i Herrnstein također tvrde da je nedostatak kritičkog razmišljanja razlog visoke stope zločina u siromašnim afričko-američkim zajednicama. No, Murray i Herrnstein nisu jedini koji tako razmišljaju.
In 2012, a writer, journalist and political commentator named John Derbyshire wrote an article that was supposed to be a non-black version of the talk that many black parents feel they have to give their kids today: advice on how to stay safe. In it, he offered suggestions such as: "Do not attend events likely to draw a lot of blacks," "Stay out of heavily black neighborhoods" and "Do not act the Good Samaritan to blacks in distress." And yet, in 2016, I invited John Derbyshire as well as Charles Murray to speak at my school, knowing full well that I would be giving them a platform and attention for ideas that I despised and rejected. But this is just a further evolution of a journey of uncomfortable learning throughout my life.
Godine 2012. pisac, novinar i politički komentator, John Derbyshire, napisao je članak po uzoru na savjete koje mnogi Afroamerikanci daju svojoj djeci: savjeti kako ostati na sigurnom. U članku daje savjete poput: "Ne odlazite na događaje gdje bi moglo biti puno crnaca," "Klonite se izrazito crnačkih četvrti" i "Ne pomažite crncima u nevolji." No, 2016. godine pozvao sam Johna Derbyshirea i Charlesa Murraya da održe govor u mojoj školi, dobro znajući da im dajem prostor i pažnju da govore o stvarima koje prezirem i odbacujem. No, to je samo još jedan korak na mojem životnom putovanju učenja neugodnih stvari.
When I was 10 years old, my mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia, a mental illness characterized by mood swings and paranoid delusions. Throughout my life, my mother's rage would turn our small house into a minefield. Yet, though I feared her rage on a daily basis, I also learned so much from her. Our relationship was complicated and challenging, and at the age of 14, it was decided that I needed to live apart from her. But over the years, I've come to appreciate some of the important lessons my mother taught me about life. She was the first person who spoke to me about learning from the other side. And she, like me, was born and raised in a family of committed liberal democrats. Yet, she encouraged me to see the world and the issues our world faces as complex, controversial and ever-changing.
Kada sam imao 10 godina, mojoj majci dijagnosticirana je šizofrenija, duševna bolest poznata po promjenama raspoloženja i paranoji. Majčin bijes uvijek bi našu malu kuću pretvorio u bojno polje. Ipak, iako sam se svakodnevno bojao njezinog bijesa, mnogo sam od nje i naučio. Naš odnos bio je kompliciran i težak, a kad sam imao 14 godina, odlučeno je da više ne mogu živjeti s njom. No, tijekom godina naučio sam cijeniti neke važne životne lekcije koje sam naučio od majke. Bila je prva koja je sa mnom razgovarala o učenju s druge točke gledišta. Poput mene, rođena je i odrasla u obitelji predanih liberalnih demokrata. No, poticala me da gledam na probleme s kojima se naš svijet suočava kao složene, kontroverzne i promjenjive.
One day, I came across the phrase "affirmative action" in a book I was reading. And when I asked her what the term meant, she spent what felt like an hour giving me a thorough and thoughtful explanation that would make sense to a small child. She even made the topic sound at least as interesting as any of my professors have. She explained the many reasons why people of various political views challenge and support affirmative action, stressing that, while she strongly supported it herself, it was important for me to view the issue as a controversial one with a long history, a questionable future and a host of complicating factors. While affirmative action can increase the presence of minorities at elite educational institutions, she felt that it could also disadvantage hardworking people of different races from more affluent backgrounds. My mom wanted me to understand that I should never just write off opinions that I disagreed with or disliked, because there was always something to learn from the perspectives of others, even when doing so might be difficult.
Jednog dana, čitajući knjigu, naišao sam na pojam "pozitivno djelovanje". Kada sam je pitao što to znači, imao sam osjećaj da mi sat vremena detaljno i pažljivo objašnjava, tako da i malo dijete može shvatiti. Učinila je tu temu zanimljivom poput profesora u školi. Objasnila je mnoge razloge zašto ljudi različitih političkih uvjerenja odbijaju i prihvaćaju pozitivno djelovanje, naglašavajući da, iako ga ona podržava, važno je da shvatim kontroverznost problema koji ima dugu povijest, upitnu budućnost i mnogo otežavajućih faktora. Iako pozitivno djelovanje može povećati prisutnost manjina na elitnim obrazovnim institucijama, smatrala je da bi moglo naštetiti marljivim ljudima različitih rasa koji dolaze iz imućnijih obitelji. Moja majka je željela da shvatim kako nikada ne bih trebao samo odbaciti mišljenja s kojima se ne slažem ili koja mi se ne sviđaju, jer se uvijek nešto može naučiti iz tuđe perspektive, čak i kada to može biti teško.
But life at home with my mom was not the only aspect of my journey that has been formative and uncomfortable. In fourth grade, she decided that I should attend a private school in order to receive the best education possible. As a black student attending predominantly white private schools, I've encountered attitudes and behaviors that reflected racial stereotypes. Several of my friends' parents assumed within minutes of meeting me that my best skill was playing basketball. And it really upset me to think that my race made it harder for them to see me as a student who loved reading, writing and speaking. Experiences like this motivated me to work tirelessly to disprove what I knew people had assumed. My mother even said that, in order to put my best foot forward, I had to be patient, alert and excruciatingly well-mannered. To prove that I belonged, I had to show poise and confidence, the ability to speak well and listen closely. Only then would my peers see that I deserved to be there as much as they did.
No, život s mojom majkom nije bila jedina formativna i neugodna stanica na mom putovanju. U četvrtom razredu odlučila je da bih trebao pohađati privatnu školu kako bih dobio najbolje moguće obrazovanje. Kao Afroamerikanac u uglavnom bjelačkoj privatnoj školi, suočio sam se sa stavovima i ponašanjima koja su odražavala rasne stereotipe. Nekoliko roditelja mojih prijatelja, odmah nakon što su me upoznali, pretpostavili su da mi košarka najbolje ide. Stvarno me uzrujalo što im je moja boja kože onemogućila da me vide kao učenika koji voli čitati, pisati i govoriti. Slična iskustva potaknula su me da neumorno radim na opovrgavanju onoga što sam znao da ljudi pretpostavljaju. Majka mi je čak rekla da, ako želim ostaviti dobar dojam, moram biti strpljiv, na oprezu i bolno pristojan. Kako bih dokazao da pripadam, morao sam biti staložen i samouvjeren te govoriti lijepo i pažljivo slušati. Tek tada će moji vršnjaci shvatiti da zaslužujem biti tamo baš kao i oni.
Despite this racial stereotyping and the discomfort I often felt, the learning I gained from other aspects of being at an elite private school were incredibly valuable. I was encouraged by my teachers to explore my curiosity, to challenge myself in new ways and to deepen my understanding of subjects that fascinated me the most. And going to college was the next step. I was excited to take my intellectual drive and interest in the world of ideas to the next level. I was eager to engage in lively debate with peers and professors and with outside speakers; to listen, to learn and gain a deeper understanding of myself and of others. While I was fortunate to meet peers and professors who were interested in doing the same thing, my desire to engage with difficult ideas was also met with resistance.
Unatoč rasnim stereotipima i neugodi koju sam često osjećao, ono što sam naučio od drugih tijekom boravka u elitnoj privatnoj školi bilo je neprocjenjivo. Profesori su me ohrabrili da istražim svoju znatiželju, postavim si nove izazove i produbim razumijevanje onoga što me najviše zanima. Odlazak na fakultet bio je sljedeći korak. Bio sam uzbuđen što ću svoj intelekt i zanimanje za svijet ideja prenijeti na novu razinu. Bio sam željan upustiti se u žive rasprave s vršnjacima, profesorima i ostalim govornicima; slušati, učiti i produbiti znanje o sebi i drugima. Iako sam imao sreće sresti vršnjake i profesore koji su i sami htjeli to isto, moja želja da se suočim s izazovnim idejama naišla je i na otpor.
To prepare myself to engage with controversy in the real world, I joined a group that brought controversial speakers to campus. But many people fiercely opposed this group, and I received significant pushback from students, faculty and my administration. For many, it was difficult to see how bringing controversial speakers to campus could be valuable, when they caused harm. And it was disappointing to me facing personal attacks, having my administration cancel speakers and hearing my intentions distorted by those around me. My work also hurt the feelings of many, and I understood that. Of course, no one likes being offended, and I certainly don't like hearing controversial speakers argue that feminism has become a war against men or that blacks have lower IQs than whites. I also understand that some people have experienced traumatic experiences in their lives. And for some, listening to offensive views can be like reliving the very traumas that they've worked so hard to overcome. Many argue that by giving these people a platform, you're doing more harm than good, and I'm reminded of this every time I listen to these points of view and feel my stomach turn.
Kako bih se pripremio za suočavanje s kontroverzom u pravom svijetu, pridružio sam se grupi koja je u kampus dovodila kontroverzne govornike. No, mnogo ljudi protivilo se toj grupi i zbog toga sam se suočio s otporom studenata, osoblja i administracije. Mnogima je bilo teško shvatiti kako bi dovođenje kontroverznih govornika u kampus bila dobra stvar, kada je očito štetilo svima. Razočaralo me što sam morao trpjeti osobne napade, otkazivanje govora od strane administracije i krivo tumačenje mojih namjera. Moj rad povrijedio je mnoge i to mi je bilo jasno. Naravno da nitko ne voli kad ga se vrijeđa, ni ja nisam volio slušati kontroverzne govornike kako govore da je feminizam prerastao u rat protiv muškaraca, ili da crnci imaju niži IQ od bijelaca. Bilo mi je jasno i da su neki ljudi proživjeli traumatična iskustva. Za neke od njih, slušanje uvredljivih stajališta može biti poput oživljavanja trauma koje su se toliko trudili pobijediti. Mnogi su se složili da davanjem prostora tim ljudima činimo više zla nego dobra i toga se sjetim svaki puta kada čujem taj argument i želudac mi se okrene.
Yet, tuning out opposing viewpoints doesn't make them go away, because millions of people agree with them. In order to understand the potential of society to progress forward, we need to understand the counterforces. By engaging with controversial and offensive ideas, I believe that we can find common ground, if not with the speakers themselves, then with the audiences they may attract or indoctrinate. Through engaging, I believe that we may reach a better understanding, a deeper understanding, of our own beliefs and preserve the ability to solve problems, which we can't do if we don't talk to each other and make an effort to be good listeners.
No, ignoriranje suprotnih mišljenja neće učiniti da ona nestanu, zato jer se milijuni ljudi slažu s njima. Kako bismo razumjeli sposobnost društva da napreduje, moramo razumjeti i sile koje ga vuku unatrag. Suočavajući se s kontroverznim i uvredljivim idejama, mislim da možemo pronaći zajedničko gledište, ako već ne kroz govornike, onda kroz publiku koju oni privlače ili indoktriniraju. Smatram da suočavanjem možemo postići bolje razumijevanje, dublje razumijevanje naših vjerovanja i sačuvati sposobnost rješavanja problema, što ne možemo ako ne razgovaramo jedni s drugima i ako se ne trudimo pažljivo slušati.
But soon after I announced that John Derbyshire would be speaking on campus, student backlash erupted on social media. The tide of resistance, in fact, was so intense, that my college president rescinded the invitation. I was deeply disappointed by this because, as I saw it, there would be nothing that any of my peers or I could do to silence someone who agreed with him in the office environment of our future employers.
Nedugo nakon što sam objavio da će John Derbyshire gostovati u kampusu, društvene mreže preplavio je otpor studenata. Zapravo, otpor je bio toliko jak, da je predsjednik fakulteta povukao poziv. To me jako razočaralo jer, kako sam ja to shvatio, ništa što bih ja ili moji vršnjaci učinili, ne bi nadjačalo nekoga tko se složio s njime u uredu naših budućih poslodavaca.
I look out at what's happening on college campuses, and I see the anger. And I get it. But what I wish I could tell people is that it's worth the discomfort, it's worth listening, and that we're stronger, not weaker, because of it. When I think about my experiences with uncomfortable learning, and I reflect upon them, I've found that it's been very difficult to change the values of the intellectual community that I've been a part of. But I do feel a sense of hope when I think about the individual interactions that I've been able to have with students who both support the work that I'm doing and who feel challenged by it and who do not support it. What I've found is that, while it can be difficult to change the values of a community, we can gain a lot from individual interactions.
Pratim što se događa u sveučilišnim kampusima i vidim ljutnju. I razumijem. No, želio bih da mogu objasniti ljudima da je vrijedno te neugode, vrijedi slušati i zbog toga smo jači, a ne slabiji. Kada se sjetim svojih iskustava s neugodnim učenjem i razmislim o njima, shvatim da je bilo jako teško promijeniti vrijednosti intelektualne zajednice kojoj sam pripadao. No, osjećam tračak nade kada se sjetim pojedinačnih razgovora s onim studentima koji podržavaju moj rad i smatraju ga izazovom, te s onima koji se ne slažu. Shvatio sam da, iako može biti teško promijeniti vrijednosti zajednice, možemo puno dobiti kroz individualnu komunikaciju.
While I didn't get to engage with John Derbyshire due to my president's disinvitation, I was able to have dinner with Charles Murray before his talk. I knew the conversation would be difficult. And I didn't expect it to be pleasant. But it was cordial, and I did gain a deeper understanding of his arguments. I found that he, like me, believed in creating a more just society. The thing is, his understanding of what justice entailed was very different from my own. The way in which he wanted to understand the issue, the way in which he wanted to approach the issue of inequality also differed from my own. And I found that his understanding of issues like welfare and affirmative action was tied and deeply rooted in his understanding of various libertarian and conservative beliefs, what diminishes and increases their presence in our society. While he expressed his viewpoints eloquently, I remained thoroughly unconvinced. But I did walk away with a deeper understanding.
Unatoč tome što se nisam susreo s Johnom Derbyshireom, zbog toga što je predsjednik povukao poziv, uspio sam večerati s Charlesom Murrayom prije njegovog govora. Znao sam da će razgovor biti težak. I nisam očekivao da će biti ugodan. No, bio je srdačan i dobio sam dublji uvid u njegove argumente. Saznao sam da i on, poput mene, vjeruje u stvaranje pravednijeg društva. Stvar je u tome što se njegova definicija pravde veoma razlikuje od moje. Način na koji on želi razumjeti problem, način na koji on želi pristupiti problemu nejednakosti, isto se razlikuje od mojeg. Isto tako, njegov odnos prema problemima poput socijalne skrbi i pozitivnog djelovanja, duboko se temelji na njegovom razumijevanju raznih liberalnih i konzervativnih uvjerenja, što smanjuje i povećava njihovu prisutnost u našem društvu. Iako je vrlo rječito izražavao svoja stajališta, nije me uspio uvjeriti u to. No, nakon razgovora moje se razumijevanje produbilo.
It's my belief that to achieve progress in the face of adversity, we need a genuine commitment to gaining a deeper understanding of humanity. I'd like to see a world with more leaders who are familiar with the depths of the views of those they deeply disagree with, so that they can understand the nuances of everyone they're representing. I see this as an ongoing process involving constant learning, and I'm confident that I'll be able to add value down the line if I continue building empathy and understanding through engaging with unfamiliar perspectives.
Vjerujem da ako želimo napredovati usprkos poteškoćama, trebamo se iskreno posvetiti dubljem razumijevanju čovječanstva. Želio bih vidjeti svijet čiji vođe su dobro upoznati sa stajalištima onih s kojima se nikako ne slažu, kako bi bolje razumjeli sve one koje zastupaju. Vidim to kao kontinuirani proces koji uključuje stalno učenje i uvjeren sam da ću i ja tome pridonijeti, ako nastavim širiti empatiju i razumijevanje kroz suočavanje s drugačijim mišljenjima.
Thank you.
Hvala vam.
(Applause)
(Pljesak)