Love this woman. She's since gone on to start her own green-economic consulting firm.
Published on womenworking.com April 2009
Green Awareness
Majora Carter
Founder
Sustainable South Bronx
Majora initiated the development of the first waterfront park South Bronx, NY has seen in over 60 years. She lives in a house with a green roof and speaks internationally on "green" awareness. But, she does not refer to herself as an "environmentalist"--at least, not in the traditional sense. "Environmentalists have been associated with elitism and failure since the 80s," she says. "The impression they give is that the average American lifestyle is wrong--'You are to blame, now change everything.' You will never bring anyone along with that approach."
Majora isn't your typical environmental leader for at least two other reasons: she is an African American woman who grew up in the ghetto (the youngest of ten siblings), and she publicly challenged green campaigner Al Gore in front of nearly 1,000 people. During a speech where Gore was present, she informed the audience that when she'd asked him if he planned to include grass-roots groups like hers in his global marketing strategy, she was merely told to submit a grant proposal. "I don't think he understood that I wasn't asking him for money. I was making him an offer," she explained to the crowd. Following the speech, the former VP invited her to join the board of the Alliance for Climate Protection.
It was not until Majora returned home during graduate school at New York University that she became a vocal activist. She was working on community art projects when she heard of the mayor's plan to dump more of the city's municipal waste in her neighborhood. The South Bronx--a predominantly Latino and African American neighborhood--already handled 40% of the city's commercial waste. Applying the notion that "self-image is influenced by surroundings," and being aware of the fact that low-income minority neighborhoods are more likely to be polluted than wealthier white communities, Majora set out for "environmental justice."
After staging a series of protests, Majora founded her non-profit group Sustainable South Bronx (SSBx) in 2001. "I realized, if I didn't do this work, who would?" Her first major project, developing waterfront park space, was inspired by her adopted puppy. For as long as she had lived there, the water view had been obstructed by sewage plants, electrical power plants, and waste. But, while jogging one morning, the dog swerved into a lot that at first appeared to be just another illegal dump. "Lo and behold, at the end of that lot was the river. Then, I knew that this little street end, abandoned like the dog that had brought me there, was worth saving."
The project grew into the revitalization of Hunts Point where 11 miles of bike and pedestrian paths connect neighborhoods, clean the air and storm water run off, and provide a safe place to exercise. These initiatives have been augmented by Majora's creation of the Bronx Environmental Stewardship Training (BEST) program--one of the country's first urban "green-collar" job training and placement systems. All of the graduates were formerly on public assistance and many of them had been incarcerated. Now 85% of them hold environment-related jobs and 10% attend college.
For her unique leadership approach, Majora has been recognized in Newsweek's "25 to Watch" list and Essence Magazine's "25 most influential African Americans," and she received the MacArthur Foundation's "Genius" award. She says, "My proudest accomplishment thus far has been building SSBx to the point where the staff and board will continue to do amazing things without me. Now I can do something similar in the for-profit world--consulting business and communities on how they can unlock their green-collar economic potential. As we nurture and protect our natural resources, they will nurture us."
More From Majora
On Motivating Change:
"Talk to people with respect and meet them where they are in their lives. Show them the positive potential of their actions, and let them know you have faith in them to surpass everyone's expectations--even your own."
On 'Environmental Racism':
"While there are elements of 'racism' all over the place, I don't think it is a useful term insofar as arriving at solutions. Most folks don't believe they are racist, so they don't listen as they might, if instead, we ask them to aspire to 'environmental justice.' Everyone should have equal access to clean air, water, and food. Who can disagree with that?"
On Her Greatest Asset:
"I don't cheat, and I don't quit. I wouldn't say I learned those traits, but I have learned to live with them and accept that I have no 'poker face.' I accept my strengths instead of denying them. Doing that will always make a positive difference in your life and in those around you."
Published on womenworking.com April 2009
Green Awareness
Majora Carter
Founder
Sustainable South Bronx
Majora initiated the development of the first waterfront park South Bronx, NY has seen in over 60 years. She lives in a house with a green roof and speaks internationally on "green" awareness. But, she does not refer to herself as an "environmentalist"--at least, not in the traditional sense. "Environmentalists have been associated with elitism and failure since the 80s," she says. "The impression they give is that the average American lifestyle is wrong--'You are to blame, now change everything.' You will never bring anyone along with that approach."
Majora isn't your typical environmental leader for at least two other reasons: she is an African American woman who grew up in the ghetto (the youngest of ten siblings), and she publicly challenged green campaigner Al Gore in front of nearly 1,000 people. During a speech where Gore was present, she informed the audience that when she'd asked him if he planned to include grass-roots groups like hers in his global marketing strategy, she was merely told to submit a grant proposal. "I don't think he understood that I wasn't asking him for money. I was making him an offer," she explained to the crowd. Following the speech, the former VP invited her to join the board of the Alliance for Climate Protection.
It was not until Majora returned home during graduate school at New York University that she became a vocal activist. She was working on community art projects when she heard of the mayor's plan to dump more of the city's municipal waste in her neighborhood. The South Bronx--a predominantly Latino and African American neighborhood--already handled 40% of the city's commercial waste. Applying the notion that "self-image is influenced by surroundings," and being aware of the fact that low-income minority neighborhoods are more likely to be polluted than wealthier white communities, Majora set out for "environmental justice."
After staging a series of protests, Majora founded her non-profit group Sustainable South Bronx (SSBx) in 2001. "I realized, if I didn't do this work, who would?" Her first major project, developing waterfront park space, was inspired by her adopted puppy. For as long as she had lived there, the water view had been obstructed by sewage plants, electrical power plants, and waste. But, while jogging one morning, the dog swerved into a lot that at first appeared to be just another illegal dump. "Lo and behold, at the end of that lot was the river. Then, I knew that this little street end, abandoned like the dog that had brought me there, was worth saving."
The project grew into the revitalization of Hunts Point where 11 miles of bike and pedestrian paths connect neighborhoods, clean the air and storm water run off, and provide a safe place to exercise. These initiatives have been augmented by Majora's creation of the Bronx Environmental Stewardship Training (BEST) program--one of the country's first urban "green-collar" job training and placement systems. All of the graduates were formerly on public assistance and many of them had been incarcerated. Now 85% of them hold environment-related jobs and 10% attend college.
For her unique leadership approach, Majora has been recognized in Newsweek's "25 to Watch" list and Essence Magazine's "25 most influential African Americans," and she received the MacArthur Foundation's "Genius" award. She says, "My proudest accomplishment thus far has been building SSBx to the point where the staff and board will continue to do amazing things without me. Now I can do something similar in the for-profit world--consulting business and communities on how they can unlock their green-collar economic potential. As we nurture and protect our natural resources, they will nurture us."
More From Majora
On Motivating Change:
"Talk to people with respect and meet them where they are in their lives. Show them the positive potential of their actions, and let them know you have faith in them to surpass everyone's expectations--even your own."
On 'Environmental Racism':
"While there are elements of 'racism' all over the place, I don't think it is a useful term insofar as arriving at solutions. Most folks don't believe they are racist, so they don't listen as they might, if instead, we ask them to aspire to 'environmental justice.' Everyone should have equal access to clean air, water, and food. Who can disagree with that?"
On Her Greatest Asset:
"I don't cheat, and I don't quit. I wouldn't say I learned those traits, but I have learned to live with them and accept that I have no 'poker face.' I accept my strengths instead of denying them. Doing that will always make a positive difference in your life and in those around you."
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