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.
Leta 1994 sta Charels Murray in Richard Hernsterin napisala "The Bell Curve", zelo kontroverzno knjigo, ki trdi, da so v povprečju nekatere rase pametnejše in bodo lažje uspele od drugih. Murray in Herrnstein pravita tudi, da je pomanjkanje kritične inteligence izvor nasilnega kriminala v revnih Afro-ameriških skupnostih. Ampak Charles Murray in Richard Herrnstein nista edina, ki tako mislita.
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.
Leta 2012 je pisatelj, novinar in politični komentator John Derbyshire napisal članek, ki naj bi bil "ne-temnopolta" verzija nasvetov, ki jih mnogo temnopoltih staršev danes govori svojim otrokom: nasvet o tem, kako ostati varen. V njem predlaga, na primer: "Ne obiskujete dogodkov, ki bodo pritegnili veliko temnopoltih," "izogibajte se pretežno temnopoltim soseskam" in "ne igrajte dobrega samaritana temnopoltim v stiskah." In vendar sem leta 2016 povabil Johna Derbyshira kot tudi Charlesa Murraya, da bi predavala na moji šoli s polnim zavedanjem, da jim dajem prostor in pozornost za ideje, ki jih sam preziram in zavračam. Toda to je le nadaljnji razvoj poti nelagodnega učenja skozi moje življenje.
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.
Ko sem bil star 10 let, so moji mami diagnosticirali shizofrenijo, duševno bolezen, za katero sta značilni nihanje razpoloženja in paranoja. Skozi vse moje življenje je mamin bes spreminjal našo malo hišo v minsko polje. Čeprav sem se njenega besa vsakodnevno bal, sem se od nje tudi marsičesa naučil. Najin odnos je bil zapleten in poln izzivov. Ko sem bil star 14 let, je bilo odločeno, da moram živeti stran od nje. Vendar sem skozi leta pričel ceniti nekatere pomembne lekcije, ki mi jih je dala o življenju. Bila je prva oseba, ki mi je govorila o učenju z nasprotne strani. In ona, kot tudi jaz, je bila rojena in vzgojena v družini predanih liberalnih demokratov. Vendar me je naučila gledati svet in probleme s katerimi se sooča kot kompleksen, kontroverzen in neprestano spreminjajoč se prostor.
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.
Nekoč sem naletel na izraz "pozitivna diskriminacija" v knjigi, ki sem jo bral. Ko sem jo vprašal, kaj izraz pomeni, mi je kakšno uro izčrpno in poglobljeno razlagala na način, ki ga je lahko razumel majhen otrok. Temo je naredila vsaj tako zanimivo kot katerikoli profesor. Razložila mi je razloge zakaj ljudje različnih političnih pogledov nasprotujejo in podpirajo idejo pozitivne diskriminacije in poudarila, da je sama sicer močna podpornica, vendar je pomembno, da vidim kontroverznost teme z dolgo zgodovino, vprašljivo prihodnostjo in vrsto zapletenih dejavnikov. Pozitivna diskriminacija lahko poveča prisotnost manjšin v elitnih izobraževalnih ustanovah, menila pa je, da lahko tudi škoduje delovnim ljudem različnih ras iz bolj bogatih družin. Moja mama je želela, da bi razumel, da ne smem nikoli odpisati mnenj, s katerimi se ne strinjam, ker se lahko iz perspektive drugega vedno kaj naučimo, čeprav je to včasih težko.
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.
Življenje doma z mojo mamo ni bil edini del moje poti, ki je name zelo vplival in je bil hkrati nelagoden. V četrtem razredu se je odločila, da bi moral hoditi na privatno šolo, kjer bi lahko dobil najboljšo možno izobrazbo. Bil sem eden redkih temnopoltih učencev in srečeval sem se z rasnimi stereotipi. Veliko staršev mojih prijateljev je predvidevalo, ko so me spoznali, da je moje najmočnejša spretnost igranje košarke. Res me je jezilo to, da so me zaradi moje rase težje videli kot študenta, ki rad bere, piše in govori. Take izkušnje so me motivirale k trdemu delu, da sem lahko dokazal nasprotno od splošnega predvidevanja. Moja mama mi je tudi rekla, če se hočem zares potruditi, moram biti potrpežljiv, pozoren in se moram brezhibno obnašati. Da bi dokazal, da spadam mednje, sem moral izkazati uravnovešenost in samozavest, sposobnost govorništva in sposobnost dobrega poslušalca. Šele takrat bodo moji vrstniki videli, da si zaslužim biti tam, tako kot 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.
Kljub rasnim predsodkom in nelagodju, ki sem ga pogosto čutil, je bilo učenje, ki sem ga prejel z drugih vidikov obiskovanja elitne šole neverjetno dragoceno. Učitelji so me spodbujali v moji radovednosti, da sem se preizkušal na nove načine in se izpopolnjeval v razumevanju predmetov, ki so me najbolj zanimali. Vpis na fakulteto je bil naslednji korak. Veselil sem se, da bom svojo intelektualno lakoto in zanimanja v svetu idej popeljal na višjo raven. Komaj sem čakal živahnih razprav z vrstniki in profesorji ter z zunanjimi predavatelji; poslušanja, učenja in globljega spoznavanja sebe in drugih. Čeprav sem imel srečo spoznati vrstnike in profesorje ki so jih zanimale enake stvari, pa je moja želja soočati se s težavnimi idejami, naletela tudi na odpor.
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.
Da bi se pripravil na spopad s kontroverznostjo v resničnem svetu, sem se pridružil skupini, ki je na šolo vabila kontroverzne govornike. Toda mnogo ljudi je močno nasprotovalo tej skupini, deležen sem bil zelo negativnega odziva s strani študentov, fakultete in uprave. Mnogi niso mogli razumeti kako bi bilo lahko poslušanje teh govornikov dragoceno, če pa so povzročali škodo. Doživljal sem osebne napade in bil razočaran, ko je uprava odpovedala nastope teh govorcev in ko so ljudje okoli mene napačno razlagali moje namene. Moje delo je prizadelo marsikoga, to sem razumel. Seveda nihče ne mara, da ga žalijo in sam zagotovo ne maram poslušati problematičnih govornikov, ki trdijo, da je feminizem postal vojna proti moškim ali, da imajo temnopolti nižji IQ od belcev. Razumem tudi, da so nekateri ljudje doživeli travmatične izkušnje v svojih življenjih. Za nekatere lahko poslušanje žaljivih stališč pomeni ponovno doživljanje travm, za preseganje katerih so se morali zelo potruditi. Mnogi trdijo, da s tem, ko ponudiš prostor tem ljudem, delaš več škode kot koristi. Vsakič se spomnim na to, ko poslušam taka stališča in čutim, kako se mi obrača želodec.
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.
Pa vendar, ignoriranje nasprotnih mnenj, teh ne odstrani, saj se milijoni ljudi strinjajo z njimi. Da bi razumeli potencial družbe, da bi napredovali, moramo razumeti tudi nasprotne sile. Če se posvetimo problematičnim in žaljivim idejam, verjamem, da bomo lahko našli skupno točko, če ne z govorci samimi, pa z njihovim občinstvom. Verjamem, da lahko na ta način pridemo do boljšega razumevanja, globljega razumevanja naših prepričanj in da ohranimo sposobnost reševanja problemov, kar ni mogoče, če se ne pogovarjamo med seboj in se ne potrudimo biti dobri poslušalci.
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.
Toda kmalu po naznanitvi, da bo John Derbyshire predaval na kampusu, je na družabnih omrežjih študentov izbruhnil močen odpor. Odpor je bil tako velik, da je vodstvo fakultete preklicalo povabilo. Zelo sem bil razočaran, ker se mi zdi, da ne bomo mogli storiti ničesar, ne jaz, ne moji vrstniki, da bi ustavili nekoga, ki se strinja z njim, v pisarnah naših bodočih delodajalcev.
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.
Ko gledam kaj se dogaja na kampusih, vidim jezo. Razumem jo. Rad pa bi povedal ljudem, da je vredno nelagodja, da je vredno poslušati in da smo zaradi tega močnejši, ne šibkejši. Ko pomislim na svoje izkušnje z nelagodnim učenjem in ko razmišljam o njih, ugotavljam, da je zelo težko spreminjati vrednote intelektualne skupnosti, ki ji pripadam. Vendar čutim upanje, ko pomislim na svoja sodelovanja s študenti, ki podpirajo moje delo in s tistimi, ki mi nasprotujejo. Ugotovil sem, da je sicer težko spremeniti vrednote skupnosti, lahko pa veliko pridobimo preko sodelovanja s posamezniki.
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.
Čeprav nisem dobil priložnosti pogovora z Johnom Derbyshirem saj je bilo vabilo preklicano pa sem večerjal s Charlesom Murrayem pred njegovim nastopom. Vedel sem, da bo najin pogovor naporen. Nisem pričakoval, da bo prijeten. Vendar je bil srčen in zdaj bolje razumem njegove argumente. Ugotovil sem, da verjame v ustvarjanje pravičnejše družbe, tako kot jaz. Toda najino razumevanje pravičnosti se je zelo razlikovalo. Tudi način na katerega razume in se loteva problema neenakosti je drugačen od mojega. Ugotovil sem, da je njegovo pojmovanje blaginje in pozitivne diskriminacije povezano in zakoreninjeno v njegovem razumevanju različnih libertarnih in konzervativnih prepričanj glede tega, kaj povečuje in zmanjšuje njuno prisotnost v družbi. Čeprav je spretno zagovarjal svoja stališča, me ni prepričal. Sem pa odšel z globljim razumevanjem.
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.
Verjamem, da je za napredek v težavah potrebno iskreno prizadevanje za večje razumevanja človeštva. Rad bi živel v svetu z več voditelji ki v globino poznajo stališča tistih, ki jim nasprotujejo, da potem lahko razumejo odtenke vseh, ki jih predstavljajo. To vidim kot nenehen proces, ki vključuje neprestano učenje, in prepričan sem, da bom lahko nekaj prispeval k temu procesu, če bom nadaljeval s spodbujanjem empatije in razumevanja skozi soočanje s tujimi perspektivami.
Thank you.
Hvala.
(Applause)
(Aplavz)