I am Awele. Daughter of Alice, granddaughter of Ruth,

我是 Awele，Alice 的女兒，Ruth 的孫女

great-granddaughter of Big Momma Alice and Madir Corine

Alice 大媽和 Madir Corine 的曾孫女

great, great granddaughter of Anna and Zitii Benyen.

Anna 和 Zitii Benyen 的玄孫女

It is my hope

我的希望是

to find my best possible self in the service of others.

在貢獻他人時，尋求最好的自我

Now my daddy? He used to tell me stories.

那麼我爸爸呢？他曾向我敘說故事

My daddy, he would say,

我爸爸會說：

"I want you to know who you are and where you come from.

「我想讓你知道你是誰、你從哪裡來

That will guide you as you discover who you must be.

讓你在尋找自我的時候，指導你

Now you listen to this story, you hear me baby girl?

現在聽聽這個故事 聽著吧，寶貝女兒

It's not going to be in a book.

你不會在書裡讀到它

Your teacher's not going to tell it,

你的老師不會告訴你

but you need to understand who you are."

但你必須要了解你是誰。」

That became a guiding principle

在我想要訴說的故事中

in the stories that I wanted to tell.

存在一個指導原則：

Stories about legacy of who we are.

那些，就是關於我們身份的故事

I used to hear all the time that children are the future,

我常聽人說：「孩子就是未來」

but what does that cliche really mean

這種陳詞濫調到底意謂著什麼？

and how are we preparing them?

我們幫助他們面對未來？

So I looked for narratives about young people

所以我找了一些關於

and the legacy that they bring

一些年輕改革者

as agents of change.

留傳給後人的故事

The power that you have right now.

這就是你們擁有現在的能力

Today, March 2, 1955,

今天，我希望和你分享的故事

the story that I want to share with you

發生在 1955 年

comes from 1955, March 2nd.

3 月 2 日

It's about a courageous 16-year old girl,

這是一個勇敢的 16 歲女孩

Claudette Colvin.

Claudette Colvin 的故事

And it comes full circle today

我們回到過去

because a week ago today, in San Francisco,

一週前的今天

my middle school students,

在舊金山，我的中學學生們

they performed a program that I had written,

演出了我寫的戲劇

"Agents of Change,"

〈改革者〉

starting with the reenactment of Plessy vs. Ferguson

從 1892 年到 1896 年

from 1892 to 1896,

Plessy 對 Ferguson 案

moving to Brown vs. Board and a student-led strike

到 Brown 對 Board 案 以及由 Barbara Rose Johns 所領導的

by Barbara Rose Johns,

學生罷工

jumping to Claudette Colvin and the Montgomery Bus Boycott

一直到 Claudette Colvin 以及蒙哥馬利巴士抵抗事件 (Montgomery Bus Boycott)

and ending in 1960 with the sit-in movement,

和 1960 年末的

the non-violent movement led by students.

由學生所領導的非暴力靜坐運動

So I'm going to share the story

我要分享這個故事

and I would like to also share the work I do with it

我也希望能分享這個

as a case study.

我以它作為案例的研究

I paid my dime at the front of the bus, and then I ran to the back door

我在巴士前面付了錢

with the rest of the colored kids so the driver wouldn't take off

接著我和其他有色孩子跑到後門

before we got on.

司機在我們跑到前不會開車

Also, well, whites don't want us walking down the aisle next to them.

嗯，白人也不想讓我們 走在他們旁邊的過道

When I got back on the bus, the colored section was full,

當我從車後轉回來時 有色人種座位區已滿了

so, I sat in the middle section.

所以，我跑去坐中間區域

I took the last row seat on the left,

坐在那兒最後一排的左邊

it was right by the window,

它就在窗邊

wasn't thinking about anything in particular.

我當時沒別的什麼意思

"Hey."

「嘿...」

I didn't know the girl next to me either, this older girl.

我不認識身邊的女孩 這個較為年長的女孩

So I just looked out the window.

所以我就只是看著窗外

Driver went more stops, more people were getting on,

司機走了幾站，更多人坐上車了

colored and white.

有色人、白人

Pretty soon, no more seats were available.

很快地，座位滿了

"Give me those seats," the driver called out.

「把那些位子給我！」司機大喊著

Colored folks just started getting up.

有色人種們開始起身

White folks started taking their seats, but I stayed seated.

白人開始坐他們的位子 但我依然坐著

Girl next to me and the other two across, they stayed seated.

我和其他兩個旁邊的女孩也仍坐著

I knew it wasn't the restricted area.

我知道這不是禁區

"Make light on your feet!"

「動一下！離開座位！」

The girl next to me got up immediately.

我身邊的女孩立刻起來了

She stood in the aisle, then the other two girls.

她站在過道上，接著 其他兩個女孩也站起來了

But I told myself, this isn't the restricted area.

但我告訴自己，這不是禁區

The driver, he looked up,

那司機，他抬頭看

looked in the window, that mirror.

看著窗上那面鏡子

He pulled over. A pregnant lady, Mrs. Hamilton, got on the bus.

他停下車，一位懷孕的女士 Hamilton 夫人上了公車

She ran to the back and got on,

她跑上車

not knowing he was trying to have me relinquish my seat.

她不知道司機正試著 要我放棄我的座位

And she sat right next to me.

她坐在我旁邊

"The two of you need to get up so I can drive on."

「你們兩個給我站起來，這樣我才可以開車。」

"Sir, I paid my dime, I paid my fare.

「先生，我已付了我的車錢

It's my right, you know, my constitutional ... "

你知道，這是我的權利，我的憲法......」

"Constitutional? Ha ha, let me get the police."

「憲法嗎？哼，我去把警察找來。」

Well he got off and he flagged down two motormen

他跑下車，招呼了兩名車長

and they came.

他們來了

And those motormen, they came onto the bus.

那些車長，他們上了公車

Looked at Mrs. Hamilton,

看著 Hamilton 夫人

"Now the two of you need to get up so the driver can drive on."

「現在，你們兩個必須起來， 這樣司機才可以開車。」

"Sir, I paid my dime. I'm pregnant.

「先生，我付了車錢，我懷孕了

If I were to move right now, I'd be very sick, sir."

如果我現在移動的話，身體會很不適。」

"Sir, I paid my dime too, you know, and it's my right,

「先生，我也付了車錢 你知道，這是我的權利

my constitutional right.

我的憲法權利

I'm a citizen of the United States.

我是美國公民

You just read the Thirteenth and Fourteenth amendment --

你去讀讀憲法第十三 和第十四修正案 ——

it'll tell you so.

它會告訴你答案

I know the law. My teacher, she taught it at school."

我知道這法律。我的老師 她就在學校教這個。」

You see, my teacher, she taught the Constitution,

你看，我的老師，她教憲法 、

the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence,

她教人權法案、獨立宣言、

Patrick Henry's speech -- I even memorized it.

Patrick Henry 的演說——我甚至能背出來

My teacher, she would prick our minds,

我的老師，她會看穿我們的腦袋

trying to see what we thinking about.

參透我們的思維

She would say, "Who are you? Hmm?

她會說：「你是誰？

Who are you sitting right here right now?

現在坐在這兒的是誰？

The person that people think they see

妳是人們從外表

from your outside?

就能評斷的嗎？

Who are you on the inside? How you think?

妳的本質為何？你是如何思考的？

How you feel? What you believe?

你是如何感覺的？你相信什麼？

Would you be willing to stand up for what you believe in

你會願意為 你的信念奮鬥嗎？

even if someone wants to hold you back

即使有人僅因為你長相不同

because you're different?

而想控制你

Do you love your beautiful brown skin children? Hmm?

你愛你美麗的、棕色皮膚的孩子嗎？

Are you American?

你是美國人嗎？

What does it mean to be an American? Huh?

作為一個美國人意味著什麼？

Homework tonight, write me an essay: What does it mean to be an American?

今晚的家庭作業，給我寫一篇文章： 作為一個美國人，意味著什麼啊？

You need to know who you are, children!"

孩子，你需要知道你是誰！」

My teacher, she would teach us history and current events.

我的老師，她會教我們歷史和時事

She said that's how we can understand everything that's going on

她說，這就是我們可以 理解現狀的方式

and we can do something about it.

與我們可以為之奮鬥的事

"Sir, all I know is I hate Jim Crow.

「先生，我只知道，我討厭 Jim Crow

I also know that if I ain't got something worth living for,

我也知道，如果我沒有什麼值得的生活

I ain't got nothing worth dying for.

我就沒什麼值得渴望

So give me liberty or give me death!

所以給我自由，否則就給我死亡！

Ouch! I don't care! Take me to jail."

哎呀！我不在乎！帶我去監獄。」

They dragged her off the bus.

他們把她拖下車

Next thing, Claudette Colvin was in a carseat,

接下來，Claudette Colvin 坐在汽車上

backseat of the police car,

警車後座

handcuffed through the windows.

在窗邊，扣著手銬

The following year, May 11, 1956,

在這之後的一年 1956 年 5 月 11 日

Claudette Colvin was the star witness in the federal court case,

Claudette Colvin 在聯邦法院案件中

Browder vs. Gayle.

成為 Browder 對 Gayle 案的關鍵證人

Her, an 18-year-old teenager

她，一個 18 歲青少年

and two others, women, Mrs. Browder.

Browder 夫人和另外兩位女人

Their case, Browder v. Gayle, went up to the supreme court.

他們的案件，也就是 Browder 對 Gayle 案 一直上訴到最高法院

On the heels of Brown vs. Board of Education, the Fourteenth Amendment

Brown 對教育董事會一案中

and her powerful testimony that day, the rest is history.

十四修正案與她有力的證詞，改變了歷史

Now why is it we don't know this story?

為什麼我們不知道這故事呢？

The Montgomery Busy Boycott --

聯合抵制蒙哥馬利公車運動 (Montgomery Bus Boycott)

we hear Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King,

我們聽到羅莎 · 派克 (Rosa Parks)、 馬丁 · 路德 · 金 (Martin Luther King)

they will forever be lifted up.

他們將永遠為人崇敬

But the role of women that played in that movement,

但其中女人所發揮的作用

the role of Claudette, as an upstander,

Claudette 這個發起者

it teaches us important lessons that challenge us today.

今天給予我們一個重要的教訓

What does it mean to be a participant?

何謂參與者？

A responsible citizen in a democracy?

是民主社會中負責任的公民？

And lessons of courage and of faith?

是勇氣與信心的展現？

So I find freedom movement history that includes young people

所以我研究年輕人 參與自由運動的歷史

so that they can explore these big ideas

他們可以藉此探索這些大哉問：

of identity, your chosen identity

關於你所選擇的身份

and the imposed identity.

與那被強加了的身份

What does membership in society mean?

何謂社會中的一員？

Who has it? How do we make amends?

誰擁有它？我們如何修正它？

Race and violence in America,

美國的種族、暴力

as well as participatory citizenship.

以及那些參與的公民

So these stories allow me to have conversations,

這些故事讓我想要發聲

to speak the unspeakable, that many are afraid to have.

談論讓人卻步的議題

Once in Eugene, Oregon, a young, blond-haired, blue-eyed boy middle schooler,

有一次，在俄勒岡州尤金市

at the end of a performance in the dialogue said,

一位年輕、金髮、 藍眼睛的學童問：

"But Ms. Awele, racism's over right?"

「但 Awele 女士，種族主義已經結束了，不是嗎？」

And not wanting to answer for him, I said, well,

我不想回答他，我說，好吧，

"Turn to the person sitting next to you.

「去問問坐在你旁邊的人，

See if you can come up with evidence."

看看你是否能拿出證據。」

And I gave them four minutes to talk.

我給他們四分鐘的時間談話

Soon they began to tell stories, evidence of racism in their community.

很快地，他們開始說 社區中種族歧視的證據

A girl wrote to me, a high school student in San Francisco:

一個在舊金山的高中女孩寫信給我，說：

"I was going to skip school but then I heard we had an assembly so I came.

「我本來想翹課，但後來 我聽說有個集會，所以我就來了

And after listening to the students talking and seeing your performance,

在聽完學生討論和你的表演後

I thought I should organize my friends

我認為我應該把 我的朋友們組織起來

and we should go down to a board meeting

我們應該去參加董事會議

and tell them we that want to have advanced classes

告訴他們：「我們要有

for A through G requirements."

由 A 到 G 所要求的高等課程。」

And so, I tell you this story today

所以，我今天告訴你們這故事

in honor of the legacy of young people that have come before

向那些寫下傳奇的年輕人致敬

so that they will have guidesposts and signs

他們提供了改變的典範

to be the change that they want to see in this world,

使我們投入這個 他們想要在這個時代見到的改革運動

as Claudette Colvin was.

如同 Claudette Colvin 的所作所為

Because she struck down the constitutionality of segregated seats

因為她在阿拉巴馬州的蒙哥馬利市

in Montgomery, Alabama.

推翻了種族隔離坐席的合法性

Thank you.

謝謝

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you.

謝謝