Majora Carter
Encyclopedia
Majora Carter is an economic consultant, public radio host, and environmental justice
advocate from the South Bronx
area of New York City
. Carter founded the non-profit environmental justice solutions corporation Sustainable South Bronx
before entering the private sector.
, she entered Wesleyan University
in 1984 to study acting and film and obtain a Bachelor of Arts
. In 1997, she received a Master of Fine Arts
from New York University
(NYU). While at NYU, she returned to her family's home in Hunts Point
, and later worked for The Point Community Development Corporation.
As associate director of the community development corporation, Carter advocated for the development of Hunts Point Riverside Park. Carter was "pulled by her dog into a weedy vacant lot strewn with trash at the dead end of Lafayette Avenue. As the pair plowed through the site they ended up, much to Carter’s surprise, on the banks of the Bronx River."
From there, Carter helped secure a $10,000 grant from a USDA Forest Service program to provide seed money for river access restoration projects. Working with other community groups and the Parks Department, over a five-year period she helped leverage that seed money into more than $3 million from the mayor’s budget to build the park.
In August 2001, after an unsuccessful campaign for City Council, Carter founded Sustainable South Bronx (SSBx), where she served as executive director until July 2008. During that time, SSBx advocated the development of the Hunt's Point Riverside Park
which had been an illegal garbage dump. SSBx has also been involved in other restoration projects on the Bronx River waterfront. In 2003, Sustainable South Bronx started the Bronx Environmental Stewardship Training program. This was one of the nation's first urban green collar training and placement systems. Other SSBx projects have centered around fitness, food choices (including the creation of a community market), and air quality.
A December 2008 New York Times profile called Carter "The Green Power Broker" and "one of the city’s best-known advocates for environmental justice
" but reported that some South Bronx activists (who would not go on record) stated that Carter has taken credit for accomplishments when others should share the credit as well as taking credit for uncompleted projects. Other Bronx activists (who did agree to be named) stated that her recognition was well deserved.
Carter was a torch-bearer for a portion of the San Francisco leg of the torch relay
of the 2008 Summer Olympics
. Many portions of the torch relay, including the San Francisco leg, were met with protests concerning the policies of the Chinese government toward Tibet
. Although Carter had signed a contract pledging not to use an Olympic venue for political or religious causes, when she and John Caldera were passed the torch during their part of the relay, she pulled out a small Tibetan flag that she had concealed in her shirt sleeve.
Members of the Chinese torch security escort team pulled her out of the relay and San Francisco police officers pushed her into the crowd on the side of the street. Fellow torch-bearer, retired NYFD firefighter
Richard Doran, who was honoring the firefighters who died in the September 11 attacks, called Carter's actions "disgusting and appalling" and said that he thought "she dishonored herself and her family". Another torch-bearer, retired NYPD police officer
Jim Dolan, agreed with Doran.
Majora Carter's TED talk was one of the first 6 publicly released talks to launch the TED.com website in 2006.
Carter has made appearances in, and/or written, and produced television and radio programs, including HBO's The Black List volume 2,
American Public Media
's Market Place, and PRX
's This I Believe
series and has hosted several pieces on urban sustainability with Discovery Communications
' Science Channel.
From 2007 - 2010, Carter has appeared on The Green, a television segment dedicated to the environment, shown on the Sundance Channel. The first season consisted of a series of 90 second op-eds shot in studio. The second season consisted of a series of short interview pieces with people who are taking uncommon approaches to environmental problems.
In 2008, Carter and Marge Ostroushko
co-produced the pilot episode of the public radio show, The Promised Land (radio)
, which won a 3-way competition for a Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Talent Quest grant. The one-hour programs debuted on over 150 public radio stations across the US on January 19, 2009, have been renewed for the 2010/2011 season, and has since earned a 2010 Peabody Award
She has also participated in corporate promotional video and advertisements for companies such as Cisco Systems, Frito-Lay, Intel, and Honda.
Carter has co-authored a white paper on Urban Heat Island Mitigation and a peer-reviewed article, Elemental carbon and PM(2.5) levels in an urban community heavily impacted by truck traffic.
magazine, Majora Carter was listed as one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business
Environmental justice
Environmental justice is "the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies." In the words of Bunyan Bryant,...
advocate from the South Bronx
South Bronx
The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhoods of Tremont, University Heights, Highbridge, Morrisania, Soundview, Hunts Point, and Castle Hill are sometimes considered part of the South Bronx....
area of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Carter founded the non-profit environmental justice solutions corporation Sustainable South Bronx
Sustainable South Bronx
Founded by environmental activist Majora Carter in 2001,Sustainable South Bronx is a non-profit environmental justice solutions organization in New York City's South Bronx neighborhood....
before entering the private sector.
Early life
Carter attended primary schools in the South Bronx. After graduating from the Bronx High School of ScienceBronx High School of Science
The Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
, she entered Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
in 1984 to study acting and film and obtain a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
. In 1997, she received a Master of Fine Arts
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
(NYU). While at NYU, she returned to her family's home in Hunts Point
Hunts Point, Bronx
Hunts Point is a low-income neighborhood located on a peninsula in the South Bronx in New York City. It is the location of one of the largest food distribution facilities in the world. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 2. Its boundaries are the Bruckner Expressway to the west and...
, and later worked for The Point Community Development Corporation.
As associate director of the community development corporation, Carter advocated for the development of Hunts Point Riverside Park. Carter was "pulled by her dog into a weedy vacant lot strewn with trash at the dead end of Lafayette Avenue. As the pair plowed through the site they ended up, much to Carter’s surprise, on the banks of the Bronx River."
From there, Carter helped secure a $10,000 grant from a USDA Forest Service program to provide seed money for river access restoration projects. Working with other community groups and the Parks Department, over a five-year period she helped leverage that seed money into more than $3 million from the mayor’s budget to build the park.
Activism
Hunt's Point Riverside Park
Hunts Point Riverside Park is the first new riverside park in the South Bronx, New York City in over sixty years, the first of a planned series of parks to be linked by a bike route, the South Bronx Greenway....
which had been an illegal garbage dump. SSBx has also been involved in other restoration projects on the Bronx River waterfront. In 2003, Sustainable South Bronx started the Bronx Environmental Stewardship Training program. This was one of the nation's first urban green collar training and placement systems. Other SSBx projects have centered around fitness, food choices (including the creation of a community market), and air quality.
A December 2008 New York Times profile called Carter "The Green Power Broker" and "one of the city’s best-known advocates for environmental justice
Environmental justice
Environmental justice is "the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies." In the words of Bunyan Bryant,...
" but reported that some South Bronx activists (who would not go on record) stated that Carter has taken credit for accomplishments when others should share the credit as well as taking credit for uncompleted projects. Other Bronx activists (who did agree to be named) stated that her recognition was well deserved.
Carter was a torch-bearer for a portion of the San Francisco leg of the torch relay
2008 Summer Olympics torch relay
The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from March 24 until August 8, 2008, prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics, with the theme of "one world, one dream". Plans for the relay were announced on April 26, 2007, in Beijing, China...
of the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. Many portions of the torch relay, including the San Francisco leg, were met with protests concerning the policies of the Chinese government toward Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. Although Carter had signed a contract pledging not to use an Olympic venue for political or religious causes, when she and John Caldera were passed the torch during their part of the relay, she pulled out a small Tibetan flag that she had concealed in her shirt sleeve.
Members of the Chinese torch security escort team pulled her out of the relay and San Francisco police officers pushed her into the crowd on the side of the street. Fellow torch-bearer, retired NYFD firefighter
New York City Fire Department
The New York City Fire Department or the Fire Department of the City of New York has the responsibility for protecting the citizens and property of New York City's five boroughs from fires and fire hazards, providing emergency medical services, technical rescue as well as providing first response...
Richard Doran, who was honoring the firefighters who died in the September 11 attacks, called Carter's actions "disgusting and appalling" and said that he thought "she dishonored herself and her family". Another torch-bearer, retired NYPD police officer
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
Jim Dolan, agreed with Doran.
Media
Carter has made appearances in, and/or written, and produced television and radio programs, including HBO's The Black List volume 2,
American Public Media
American Public Media
American Public Media is the second largest producer of public radio programs in the United States of America after NPR. Its non-profit parent, American Public Media Group, also owns and operates radio stations in Minnesota, California, and Florida. Its station brands are Minnesota Public Radio,...
's Market Place, and PRX
PRX
PRX may refer to:* PRX , A telephone switching platform developed by Philips* Public Radio Exchange, a web-based public radio distribution company* PRX *Physical Review X, a scientific journal published by the American Physical Society...
's This I Believe
This I Believe
This I Believe was a five-minute CBS Radio Network program hosted by journalist Edward R. Murrow from 1951 to 1955. A half-hour European version of This I Believe ran from 1956 to 1958 over Radio Luxembourg....
series and has hosted several pieces on urban sustainability with Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications, Inc. is an American global media and entertainment company. The company started as a single channel in 1985, The Discovery Channel. Today, DCI has global operations offering 28 network entertainment brands on more than 100 channels in more than 180 countries in 39...
' Science Channel.
From 2007 - 2010, Carter has appeared on The Green, a television segment dedicated to the environment, shown on the Sundance Channel. The first season consisted of a series of 90 second op-eds shot in studio. The second season consisted of a series of short interview pieces with people who are taking uncommon approaches to environmental problems.
In 2008, Carter and Marge Ostroushko
Marge Ostroushko
Marge Ostroushko , is a public radio producer.-Early life:Ostroushko was born and raised in upstate New York. In 1973, she graduated from Wittenberg University with a Bachelor of Arts in East Asian Studies and Environmental Studies.-Career:In 2001, Ostroushko co-created the public radio show,...
co-produced the pilot episode of the public radio show, The Promised Land (radio)
The Promised Land (radio)
The Promised Land is a public radio program created and hosted by Majora Carter.It is produced by Launch Productions and distributed by American Public Media, and is most often heard on public radio stations in the United States....
, which won a 3-way competition for a Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a non-profit corporation created by an act of the United States Congress, funded by the United States’ federal government to promote public broadcasting...
Talent Quest grant. The one-hour programs debuted on over 150 public radio stations across the US on January 19, 2009, have been renewed for the 2010/2011 season, and has since earned a 2010 Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
She has also participated in corporate promotional video and advertisements for companies such as Cisco Systems, Frito-Lay, Intel, and Honda.
Carter has co-authored a white paper on Urban Heat Island Mitigation and a peer-reviewed article, Elemental carbon and PM(2.5) levels in an urban community heavily impacted by truck traffic.
Consulting
Since leaving Sustainable South Bronx, Carter has been president of a private, for-profit "green" economic consulting firm, The Majora Carter Group, LLC. The New York Times reported that her consulting firm charges $25,000 for some of her speaking appearances. In the June 2010 issue of Fast CompanyFast Company (magazine)
Fast Company is a full-color business magazine that releases 10 issues per year and reports on topics including innovation, digital media, technology, change management, leadership, design, and social responsibility...
magazine, Majora Carter was listed as one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business
Awards and honors
- 2011 Peabody Award - The University of Georgia
- 2011 Commencement speaker at Knox College
- 2010 Star Award: International Interior Design AssociationInternational Interior Design AssociationThe International Interior Design Association is a professional networking and educational association of more than 13,000 members in ten specialty forums, and twenty-nine chapters around the world. IIDA is committed to enhancing quality of life through excellence in interior design...
(IIDA) - 2009 Fellow: Post Carbon InstitutePost Carbon InstitutePost Carbon Institute is a think tank which provides information and analysis on emerging responses and strategies to climate change, energy scarcity, overconsumption, economics and other issues related to sustainability and long term social resilience...
- 2009 Honor AwardHonor AwardThe National Building Museum promotes excellence in architecture, engineering, construction, planning, and design. In furtherance of that mission, the Museum instituted an annual Honor Award in 1986 to recognize individuals and organizations that have made important contributions to the U.S.'s...
: named a "visionary in sustainability" by the National Building MuseumNational Building MuseumThe National Builders Museum, in Washington, D.C., United States, is a museum of "architecture, design, engineering, construction, and urban planning"... - 2008 Named a "visionary" as one of Utne ReaderUtne ReaderUtne Reader is an American bimonthly magazine. The magazine collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment from generally alternative media sources, including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music and DVDs...
magazine's "50 Visionaries Who Are Changing the World." - 2008 Appointed to America's Climate Choices: Panel on Limiting the Magnitude of Future Climate Change: National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of SciencesThe National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
- 2008 Liberty Medal for Lifetime Achievement: The New York Post
- 2008 The Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal: Eleanor Roosevelt Society
- 2008 Hollister Award: United Nations Temple of UnderstandingTemple of UnderstandingThe Temple of Understanding was founded in 1960 by Juliet Hollister, and is a pioneer of the Interfaith Movement.- History :In its early years, the organization convened large “Spiritual Summits” in Calcutta and Geneva bringing together religious and spiritual leaders of diverse traditions to...
- 2008 Paul Wellstone Award: Campaign for America's Future
- 2007 Rachel Carson Award: National Audubon SocietyNational Audubon SocietyThe National Audubon Society is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation. Incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and uses science, education and grassroots advocacy to advance its conservation mission...
- 2007 New York State Women of Excellence Award: Lt. Gov. David Paterson
- 2007 Honorary PhD: Mercy CollegeMercy CollegeMercy College can refer to:* Mercy College of Northwest Ohio* Mercy College , Sydney, NSW* Mercy College , Ireland* Mercy College , Dobbs Ferry, NY* Mercy College , Western Australia...
- 2007 Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Community Service: NYUNew York UniversityNew York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
- 2007 Lawrence Enersen Award: National Arbor Day Society
- 2005 Fellow: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
- 2002 Union Square Award: Fund for the City of New York
External links
- The Majora Carter Group
- The Promised Land Hosted By Majora Carter
- TED Talks: Majora Carter's tale of urban renewal at TEDTED (conference)TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
in 2006 - Majora Carter on the Struggle for Environmental Justice - video report by Democracy Now!Democracy Now!Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...