One of my favorite parts of this speech was "But who does not know of literature banned because it is interrogative; discredited because it is critical; erased because alternate? And how many are outraged by the thought of a self-ravaged tongue?" Such a powerful set of words.
Not only does exposure and revelation of truth scream for change, it demands accountability for the wrongs imposed. The struggle around slavery reparations is but one example of how resistant power and politics us to fessing up and cleaning up it's mess. Many times that process requires elites, often immature and selfish brats, to share largesse -- heaven forbid they share with others! And it requires the partners of the elites, the power hungry, to get real self-esteem, not that based on bullying and keeping their feet on the necks of others. These large and small group dynamics are simple to describe; excruciatingly difficult to manage. God help us if we don't though. Vigalantes can't kill their way to solutiobs of these problems for us. We must grow up and be mature adults about our history to accomplish these goals.
What I think she is saying in essence is that anyone can hijack language and misuse it for their own purposes. Of course this happens all the time, everywhere, every day. But language in art, in literature should be taken as a responsibility to be as pure and truthful as possible, not just as more propaganda. And I think she is also saying that by bringing it to the concrete human experiential level of stories--narrative--we get closer to honest and transcendent communication. We never use language in a vacuum--we are all citizens of the world. And concrete narrative can be felt by others almost as their own experience even if it is not their experience. It is the alchemy of art to bring us to sympathy if not empathy, and if not to sympathy, at least to understanding. And if not to understanding, at least to considering and pondering.
I haven't words to express what I feel about this. I can only cry. I understand it fully. I am not dead and fight daily to stay alive no matter what my society does and changes. Life might have been different for me had I heard thoughts like this instead of being shown "Birth Of A Nation" without explanation in the 3rd grade.
There are no words, I must focus on a exstradinary moment years ago when she spoke at The Shorter AME Church in Denver, Colorado. The Public Library sponsored the sold out evening. I was so humbled to make sure Ms Morrison was welcomed and her needs ,just a few were met, I was 40ish and when she hugged me I felt like my Mom who died all too soon was holding me, Let us listen very carefully to these words for such a time as this. Let Us Pray ,Chant or be thankful that it is in our hands and not in his. . Blessings Miss Rosemary 73 years young.
This artist is my hero. She is a wise woman and a Boddhisatvha. "Language alone is meditation." Reading her makes me a better person; I try to be the change I want to see in the world because of people like Ms. Morrison, a gifted writer.
After reading this speech a couple times, decided to find here. What’s amazing is to better understand with her voice. On a page this language oddly looks impenetrable. Ah, but her breath & cadence opens that latch. So cool!
"tell us what it is to be a woman so we know what it is to be a man." "is the nothing in our hands something you could not contemplate, to even guess?" "language was magic without meaning" "the invisible was what imagination stroke to see" "when questions and demands for answers burnt so brightly you trembled with furry at not knowing" "language can never pin down slavery, genocide, or war" "unmalested language searches toward knowledge" please correct me if there are mistakes in the quotations.
"old woman, in my hand i hold a bird... is it alive or dead?" if it'd been me, i would've gotten pissed and snapped at 'em: "i don't know... but the bird in my hand is alive and kicking" and then i'd have flicked the little bastards off glad to hear the old woman isn't quite so short-sighted. As for Toni... She sees everything. Hugely inspirational.
BRILLIANT, FANTASTIC, HOPEFULL FOR CIVILIZATION, and each one of us. Thank you Toni Morrison for making this world a fuller, more understandable and better place to stay alive. We missed you before.
Something to set beside 'I have a dream ... '. But, for me, greater. Because words are the language of dreams. And this is the word the world was made for.
You will be truly missed, i listen to this lecture at least twice a year. Thank for making the strange normal and the old new again. You are gone, may we one day live your words
It's funny because I automatically understood why this person suggested Morgan Freeman and Toni - They both have great orating skills - there ability to draw you in and captivate your attention with the mere sound of their voice... Donald Sutherland and Meryl Streep both have this ability too. -- I don't believe that comment was racial in the least.
Something to set beside 'I have a dream ... '. But, for me, greater. Because words are the language of dreams. And this is the word the world was made for.
really?... thats the first thing you think of? morgan freeman's voice is kinda famous for narrating stuff, and Toni Morrison just gave an incredible speech. and the first two things you link together about them is that they're both black?
1.) language can move people to commit violent physical acts. Beginning as an argument about money the language escalates and one person feels the only way they can be heard is by physically expressing themselves. 2.) language connects to political violence. A people feel grieved by something the state has done and they begin organizing a collective response. Often there are speeches and letters expressing what and how they offended but if there is no response or the response they receive does satisfy them most often they leads to looting or even civil war. Of course that’s not all but just a few thoughts
is there a way to up volume? thx
Go here www.nobelprize.org/mediaplayer/?id=1502
Click the volume up button
One of my favorite parts of this speech was "But who does not know of literature banned because it is interrogative; discredited because it is critical; erased because alternate? And how many are outraged by the thought of a self-ravaged tongue?" Such a powerful set of words.
. . . there will be rousing language."
@Cecilia Carr I completely agree!
Not only does exposure and revelation of truth scream for change, it demands accountability for the wrongs imposed. The struggle around slavery reparations is but one example of how resistant power and politics us to fessing up and cleaning up it's mess.
Many times that process requires elites, often immature and selfish brats, to share largesse -- heaven forbid they share with others! And it requires the partners of the elites, the power hungry, to get real self-esteem, not that based on bullying and keeping their feet on the necks of others. These large and small group dynamics are simple to describe; excruciatingly difficult to manage. God help us if we don't though. Vigalantes can't kill their way to solutiobs of these problems for us. We must grow up and be mature adults about our history to accomplish these goals.
What I think she is saying in essence is that anyone can hijack language and misuse it for their own purposes. Of course this happens all the time, everywhere, every day. But language in art, in literature should be taken as a responsibility to be as pure and truthful as possible, not just as more propaganda. And I think she is also saying that by bringing it to the concrete human experiential level of stories--narrative--we get closer to honest and transcendent communication. We never use language in a vacuum--we are all citizens of the world. And concrete narrative can be felt by others almost as their own experience even if it is not their experience. It is the alchemy of art to bring us to sympathy if not empathy, and if not to sympathy, at least to understanding. And if not to understanding, at least to considering and pondering.
And if not to pondering, Then to a Life Fulfilling Silence!
lovely comment!
I haven't words to express what I feel about this. I can only cry. I understand it fully. I am not dead and fight daily to stay alive no matter what my society does and changes. Life might have been different for me had I heard thoughts like this instead of being shown "Birth Of A Nation" without explanation in the 3rd grade.
Wow. I am so sorry. Have you watched the new Birth of A Nation?
There are no words, I must focus on a exstradinary moment years ago when she spoke at The Shorter AME Church in Denver, Colorado. The Public Library sponsored the sold out evening. I was so humbled to make sure Ms Morrison was welcomed and her needs ,just a few were met, I was 40ish and when
she hugged me I felt like my Mom who died all too soon was holding me, Let us listen very carefully to these words for such a time as this. Let Us Pray ,Chant or be thankful that it is in our hands and not in his. .
Blessings
Miss Rosemary 73 years young.
This artist is my hero. She is a wise woman and a Boddhisatvha. "Language alone is meditation." Reading her makes me a better person; I try to be the change I want to see in the world because of people like Ms. Morrison, a gifted writer.
you nailed it: bodhisattva
Namaste 🙏
That’s really beautiful to hear, I hope many see how possible it is to step in each others shoes and unlearn & grow.
The most amazing speech ever. Thank you for posting. This thing "we have done together."
Where fiction and politic meet, and it is a match made in heaven, you get a Toni Morrison.
Listening to this almost 30 years later..has its time finally come
Toni is past present future. Her time is always
Do we have the live video of the prize ceremony? Pleasee
"like" doesn't seem enough.
This is a speech for the ages- as relevant now as it was both a rapt summation of civilization and remarkably predictive then.
Namaste 🙏
After reading this speech a couple times, decided to find here. What’s amazing is to better understand with her voice. On a page this language oddly looks impenetrable. Ah, but her breath & cadence opens that latch. So cool!
"tell us what it is to be a woman so we know what it is to be a man."
"is the nothing in our hands something you could not contemplate, to even guess?"
"language was magic without meaning"
"the invisible was what imagination stroke to see"
"when questions and demands for answers burnt so brightly you trembled with furry at not knowing"
"language can never pin down slavery, genocide, or war"
"unmalested language searches toward knowledge"
please correct me if there are mistakes in the quotations.
"old woman, in my hand i hold a bird... is it alive or dead?"
if it'd been me, i would've gotten pissed and snapped at 'em:
"i don't know... but the bird in my hand is alive and kicking"
and then i'd have flicked the little bastards off
glad to hear the old woman isn't quite so short-sighted.
As for Toni... She sees everything.
Hugely inspirational.
love this....her voice is so passionate yet soothing.
Thank you for posting this.
BRILLIANT, FANTASTIC, HOPEFULL FOR CIVILIZATION, and each one of us. Thank you Toni Morrison for making this world a fuller, more understandable and better place to stay alive. We missed you before.
Something to set beside 'I have a dream ... '. But, for me, greater. Because words are the language of dreams. And this is the word the world was made for.
This is the best thing on the internet!
An eternal masterpiece. ...
Rest In Peace beloved
Masterful.... Keen... Ripe with Wisdom. Knowledge, and Song.
Toni Morrison is a national treasure.
Correction:Toni Morrison is an international treasure.
oui en effet elle est un trésor international. Repose en paix.
Thanks SilverBuddha for this upload - I needed this today in ways you could never know.
what is a world without Toni Morrison in it rest in perfect piece
You will be truly missed, i listen to this lecture at least twice a year. Thank for making the strange normal and the old new again. You are gone, may we one day live your words
11:21 Oppressive Language if anyone needs this
It's funny because I automatically understood why this person suggested Morgan Freeman and Toni - They both have great orating skills - there ability to draw you in and captivate your attention with the mere sound of their voice... Donald Sutherland and Meryl Streep both have this ability too. -- I don't believe that comment was racial in the least.
nice. thanks a lot, i needed this for my English class.
wow the beginning of this blew my mind.
this lecture is lit man
wtf does it mean though haha
mike milenkovich freedom of speech
Something to set beside 'I have a dream ... '. But, for me, greater. Because words are the language of dreams. And this is the word the world was made for.
A master at work
Simply beautiful.
really?... thats the first thing you think of? morgan freeman's voice is kinda famous for narrating stuff, and Toni Morrison just gave an incredible speech. and the first two things you link together about them is that they're both black?
I Love the lady's work.
May you rest in eternal peace
Preach it, sista!!
"we do die which is life but we do language which might be the meaning of life....powerful
SilverBuddha, thank you. I have shared this media and feel empowered by her sage words. Namaste!
Check out ejtower's reading on TH-cam of T.S. Eliot "The Hollow Men" Moving....
🌹🪶
oh how poetry can wrap us all up
Wow, I'm super late.
riveting :)
She and Morgan Freeman should do speeches together
Beyond brilliant.
hey nerdfighteria
15:56
Light.
Brilliant....
@alovelytime Let those who have ears...
The source audio volume level is low, I know, so...
Elon’s Twitter 🐦 is the dead bird in those kids hands.
@alovelytime
can now tho
@SilverBuddha
lol did that
❤😮😊
kiitos
@alovelytime LIKE my video dammit!
cant hear
A national treasure!!
Speak the truth❤❤❤
Kau siapa?
Otherworldly
@alovelytime you're too easy.
@Feeshmonster1 :)
👏🏿
this shit makes no sense to me please someone help. My question for class is what is the connection between language and violence. HELPPPP
I know I am 4 years late, but I need help for my class on this. It would be nice if you could help :")
1.) language can move people to commit violent physical acts. Beginning as an argument about money the language escalates and one person feels the only way they can be heard is by physically expressing themselves.
2.) language connects to political violence. A people feel grieved by something the state has done and they begin organizing a collective response. Often there are speeches and letters expressing what and how they offended but if there is no response or the response they receive does satisfy them most often they leads to looting or even civil war.
Of course that’s not all but just a few thoughts
this girl...... is absolutely amazing .... one of the greatest this century
girl?
🐷🐷
Kiitos