Ideas worth spreading

"High School Training Ground"

1,615,226 views |

Malcolm London |

TED Talks Education

• May 2013

Young poet, educator and activist Malcolm London performs his stirring poem about life on the front lines of high school. He tells of the "oceans of adolescence" who come to school "but never learn to swim," of "masculinity mimicked by men who grew up with no fathers." Beautiful, lyrical, chilling.

Young poet, educator and activist Malcolm London performs his stirring poem about life on the front lines of high school. He tells of the "oceans of adolescence" who come to school "but never learn to swim," of "masculinity mimicked by men who grew up with no fathers." Beautiful, lyrical, chilling.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

About the speaker

Malcolm London

Poet, performer, activist

See speaker profile

Young spoken-word poet Malcolm London has been called the "Gil Scott-Heron of this generation" (by Cornel West). His feisty, passionate performances take on the issues of the day, including the Chicago education system in which he grew up.

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Everyday People

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.