Clint Smith believes we all share a story, the human story. It’s in the telling, he believes, that we emerge as individuals and celebrate what we have in common. His TED Talk, a presentation of his spoken word poem, The Danger of Silence, has been viewed more than two million times, and was named one of the Top 20 TED Talks of 2014. Using his experience as an award-winning teacher and poet to share personal stories of justice, community, and education, his customizable art-form illuminates how we can all find the courage to create change, overcome challenges, and unite ourselves through the power of the collective voice.
Clint’s latest TED Talk, How to Raise a Black Son in America, was just posted online today. In the talk, he reflects on how as kids, we all get advice from parents and teachers that seems strange, even confusing. This was crystallized one night for him when he was playing with water guns in a dark parking lot with his white friends. In the talk, he paints the scene of his father’s furious and fearful response that night.