a few weeks ago I was helping a young woman in an after-school program she was
woman in an after-school program she was
woman in an after-school program she was writing a paper on the country of Haiti
writing a paper on the country of Haiti
writing a paper on the country of Haiti and the paper was unorganized and
and the paper was unorganized and
and the paper was unorganized and frankly it’s sort of boring and she was
frankly it’s sort of boring and she was
frankly it’s sort of boring and she was really frustrated with it so I asked her
really frustrated with it so I asked her
really frustrated with it so I asked her just to close her computer and tell me
just to close her computer and tell me
just to close her computer and tell me one interesting thing she had learned
one interesting thing she had learned
one interesting thing she had learned about the country she paused for a
about the country she paused for a
about the country she paused for a moment and then she got really excited
moment and then she got really excited
moment and then she got really excited and said that she had a classmate that
and said that she had a classmate that
and said that she had a classmate that was from Haiti and that she had had a
was from Haiti and that she had had a
was from Haiti and that she had had a conversation with her and she had asked
conversation with her and she had asked
conversation with her and she had asked her about the country as a whole and her
her about the country as a whole and her
her about the country as a whole and her experience there and the answers she
experience there and the answers she
experience there and the answers she said were fascinating I said great let’s
said were fascinating I said great let’s
said were fascinating I said great let’s put this in the paper and she said no I
put this in the paper and she said no I
put this in the paper and she said no I can’t use this my teacher said that I
can’t use this my teacher said that I
can’t use this my teacher said that I couldn’t use my friends stories because
couldn’t use my friends stories because
couldn’t use my friends stories because it wasn’t a serious academic source now
it wasn’t a serious academic source now
it wasn’t a serious academic source now what would make her teacher make this
what would make her teacher make this
what would make her teacher make this choice one that sapped this paper of any
choice one that sapped this paper of any
choice one that sapped this paper of any connection to real lived story the
connection to real lived story the
connection to real lived story the answer I think at least partially lies
answer I think at least partially lies
answer I think at least partially lies in a word it is a word that is rarely
in a word it is a word that is rarely
in a word it is a word that is rarely named much less questioned the word is
named much less questioned the word is
named much less questioned the word is scripto centrism now scripto centrism
scripto centrism now scripto centrism
scripto centrism now scripto centrism basically just means the privileges of
basically just means the privileges of
basically just means the privileges of text especially in academia over any
text especially in academia over any
text especially in academia over any other form or medium of knowledge if you
other form or medium of knowledge if you
other form or medium of knowledge if you google it you will come up with around
google it you will come up with around
google it you will come up with around 1,200 results as a quick comparison if
1,200 results as a quick comparison if
1,200 results as a quick comparison if you google cat memes you will come up
you google cat memes you will come up
you google cat memes you will come up with over 18 million
with over 18 million
with over 18 million it is not very popular but it is hugely
it is not very popular but it is hugely
it is not very popular but it is hugely influential there was a man who knew a
influential there was a man who knew a
influential there was a man who knew a bit about scripto centrism even though
bit about scripto centrism even though
bit about scripto centrism even though the word wasn’t around when he was the
the word wasn’t around when he was the
the word wasn’t around when he was the man was named Frederick and you may know
man was named Frederick and you may know
man was named Frederick and you may know him as Frederick Douglass an escaped
him as Frederick Douglass an escaped
him as Frederick Douglass an escaped slave from Maryland who taught himself
slave from Maryland who taught himself
slave from Maryland who taught himself to read and write even though it was
to read and write even though it was
to read and write even though it was illegal for him to do so at the time now
illegal for him to do so at the time now
illegal for him to do so at the time now Frederick was a prolific writer and
Frederick was a prolific writer and
Frederick was a prolific writer and because he was one of few slaves who
because he was one of few slaves who
because he was one of few slaves who could write his writing is invaluable to
could write his writing is invaluable to
could write his writing is invaluable to us but even he recognized that story
us but even he recognized that story
us but even he recognized that story cannot always be contained in a text and
cannot always be contained in a text and
cannot always be contained in a text and in his autobiography he wrote and I’ll
in his autobiography he wrote and I’ll
in his autobiography he wrote and I’ll paraphrase that sitting in the presence
paraphrase that sitting in the presence
paraphrase that sitting in the presence of slaves
of slaves
of slaves singing slave songs would do more to
singing slave songs would do more to
singing slave songs would do more to tell you about their experience than in
tell you about their experience than in
tell you about their experience than in the reading of whole volumes of books
the reading of whole volumes of books
the reading of whole volumes of books you see scripto centrism tricks us into
you see scripto centrism tricks us into
you see scripto centrism tricks us into believing that all knowledge all history
believing that all knowledge all history
believing that all knowledge all history all research paper worthy truths can be
all research paper worthy truths can be
all research paper worthy truths can be contained in text we are told this
contained in text we are told this
contained in text we are told this through our education system which is
through our education system which is
through our education system which is driven by reading and writing standards
driven by reading and writing standards
driven by reading and writing standards we are given statistics on entire
we are given statistics on entire
we are given statistics on entire country’s education based solely on
country’s education based solely on
country’s education based solely on their literacy rates our government has
their literacy rates our government has
their literacy rates our government has endowed the written word with such power
endowed the written word with such power
endowed the written word with such power that we go from telling people like
that we go from telling people like
that we go from telling people like Frederick that he has done something
Frederick that he has done something
Frederick that he has done something illegal when he is caught with papers to
illegal when he is caught with papers to
illegal when he is caught with papers to telling others they are illegal when
telling others they are illegal when
telling others they are illegal when they are caught without them
they are caught without them
they are caught without them now surely reading and writing can be a
now surely reading and writing can be a
now surely reading and writing can be a powerful tool sometimes even an
powerful tool sometimes even an
powerful tool sometimes even an equalizer and it’s also true that books
equalizer and it’s also true that books
equalizer and it’s also true that books can transport us to places that we’ve
can transport us to places that we’ve
can transport us to places that we’ve never been but text was never the
never been but text was never the
never been but text was never the problem
problem
problem scripto centrism is it dismisses the
scripto centrism is it dismisses the
scripto centrism is it dismisses the voices of those who can’t or don’t care
voices of those who can’t or don’t care
voices of those who can’t or don’t care to speak in an academic way those who
to speak in an academic way those who
to speak in an academic way those who don’t speak in standard English it
don’t speak in standard English it
don’t speak in standard English it tricks us into believing that literacy
tricks us into believing that literacy
tricks us into believing that literacy is synonymous with education it tricks
is synonymous with education it tricks
is synonymous with education it tricks us
us
us to believing that literacy means
to believing that literacy means
to believing that literacy means objectivity but stories are persistent
objectivity but stories are persistent
objectivity but stories are persistent they are crafty and they are finding
they are crafty and they are finding
they are crafty and they are finding their way into the public discourse in
their way into the public discourse in
their way into the public discourse in what some are calling the Golden Age of
what some are calling the Golden Age of
what some are calling the Golden Age of storytelling never before have we had so
storytelling never before have we had so
storytelling never before have we had so many mediums through which to tell and
many mediums through which to tell and
many mediums through which to tell and hear stories and it is democratizing the
hear stories and it is democratizing the
hear stories and it is democratizing the way we produce and consume them film has
way we produce and consume them film has
way we produce and consume them film has expanded to allow award-winning movies
expanded to allow award-winning movies
expanded to allow award-winning movies to be shot on iPhones podcasts and
to be shot on iPhones podcasts and
to be shot on iPhones podcasts and YouTube are shifting the way we think
YouTube are shifting the way we think
YouTube are shifting the way we think about public speaking and who has access
about public speaking and who has access
about public speaking and who has access to it story sharing tools like
to it story sharing tools like
to it story sharing tools like StoryCorps allow people to interview and
StoryCorps allow people to interview and
StoryCorps allow people to interview and immortalize their family members just
immortalize their family members just
immortalize their family members just with the power of an iPhone or a tablet
with the power of an iPhone or a tablet
with the power of an iPhone or a tablet even snapchat and Facebook and Instagram
even snapchat and Facebook and Instagram
even snapchat and Facebook and Instagram can be powerful story sharing tools even
can be powerful story sharing tools even
can be powerful story sharing tools even though they are sometimes just used to
though they are sometimes just used to
though they are sometimes just used to share cat memes last month I was leading
share cat memes last month I was leading
share cat memes last month I was leading a storytelling workshop in a section-8
a storytelling workshop in a section-8
a storytelling workshop in a section-8 nursing home and I had a 94 year old
nursing home and I had a 94 year old
nursing home and I had a 94 year old Russian immigrant who participated her
Russian immigrant who participated her
Russian immigrant who participated her name was Inga Inga told me before the
name was Inga Inga told me before the
name was Inga Inga told me before the session started that she couldn’t hold a
session started that she couldn’t hold a
session started that she couldn’t hold a pencil because of years working in a
pencil because of years working in a
pencil because of years working in a sewing factory and I said that was fine
sewing factory and I said that was fine
sewing factory and I said that was fine she could still participate but when it
she could still participate but when it
she could still participate but when it came time to write from the writing
came time to write from the writing
came time to write from the writing prompts I gave or to draw Inga just sat
prompts I gave or to draw Inga just sat
prompts I gave or to draw Inga just sat there sort of smiling and remembering
there sort of smiling and remembering
there sort of smiling and remembering but when it came time to share she told
but when it came time to share she told
but when it came time to share she told a beautiful story of herself as a young
a beautiful story of herself as a young
a beautiful story of herself as a young child in Russia how she wanted so badly
child in Russia how she wanted so badly
child in Russia how she wanted so badly to be like her grandmother that she
to be like her grandmother that she
to be like her grandmother that she would dress up in her clothes and in her
would dress up in her clothes and in her
would dress up in her clothes and in her shoes even though they were way too big
shoes even though they were way too big
shoes even though they were way too big for her she said her grandmother dipped
for her she said her grandmother dipped
for her she said her grandmother dipped chewing tobacco and that one day as Inga
chewing tobacco and that one day as Inga
chewing tobacco and that one day as Inga put on her dress her grandmother came
put on her dress her grandmother came
put on her dress her grandmother came out with a tin of fake snuff for her
out with a tin of fake snuff for her
out with a tin of fake snuff for her made of cocoa powder and sugar so that
made of cocoa powder and sugar so that
made of cocoa powder and sugar so that Inga could impersonate her more fully
maybe someday you will hear Angas voice
maybe someday you will hear Angas voice because next month I’ll be back at that
because next month I’ll be back at that
because next month I’ll be back at that nursing home and this time I’ll come
nursing home and this time I’ll come
nursing home and this time I’ll come equipped with the StoryCorps app so I
equipped with the StoryCorps app so I
equipped with the StoryCorps app so I can record her stories I really hope she
can record her stories I really hope she
can record her stories I really hope she tells the one of dressing in her
tells the one of dressing in her
tells the one of dressing in her grandmother’s dresses and shoes dipping
grandmother’s dresses and shoes dipping
grandmother’s dresses and shoes dipping fake snuff it would be a real shame if
fake snuff it would be a real shame if
fake snuff it would be a real shame if you missed it
you missed it
you missed it [Applause]
”
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