Essay Example on Majora Carter Greening the Ghetto Inspirational TED Talk

Majora Carter Greening the Ghetto Inspirational TED Talk Majora Carter is one of New York City s most well known activists for environmental justice and economic equality In February 2006 Carter gave an inspiring and emotionally charged eighteen minute speech on Greening the Ghetto at a TED Technology Entertainment Design conference in Monterey California More specifically this convention calls attention to the prevalent issue of environmental inequality and environmental racism among minority communities Not only does Carter underscore the importance of sustainable development and the imperative need for a clean green economy but she also presents a number of feasible ways in which we can maintain economic development without causing environmental pollution or degradation 

Taking everything into account the illuminating TED Talk was certainly worth viewing seeing as Carter was able to effectively convey an empowering message across to her viewers about environmental justice with confidence persuasion passion engaging content and audience awareness Toward the beginning of the presentation Carter vividly narrates her fight for environmental equality in the South Bronx New York City This highlights Carter s capacity to connect with the audience by sharing her back story and life experiences For example she reveals the harsh reality of growing up as a poor black child in the South Bronx and additionally talked about the loss of a loved one at one particular point in her poignant speech Carter s detailed disclosure about her older brother Lenny s tragic death demonstrates her vulnerable side as well Her vulnerability and candidness seems to capture and resonate with people in a way that mere facts and statistics never will By opening up about her life history and experiences Carter is better able to connect with the audience on a more personal level Carter s storytelling process also pulls the viewers focus into her world and establishes a context for why her narrative matters Engaging the audience via a story enables one to see through someone else's eyes This type of involvement evidently appears to be the key to Carter s persuasion An additional strong point that Carter exhibits is her confidence persuasiveness and passionate stance on the fight for environmental and economic justice For instance Carter appeals to the viewers by vehemently stating help me make green the new black 

Help me make sustainability sexy Make it a part of your dinner and cocktail conversations Carter 2006 min 15 44 In making this remark Carter urges viewers to use their own knowledge and influence to support sustainable change everywhere Also if viewers and listeners feel a strong sense of why environmental injustice should concern them the more likely they are to inform and influence others about this important subject matter Moreover Carter content rich visuals data and statistics help to support her findings and establish her credibility in the piece For example Carter utilizes visual imagery to validate and add emphasis to her findings She illustrates how minority neighborhoods and communities of color suffer the most from flawed urban policies Carter explains that in due course economic degradation begets environmental degradation which begets social degradation Carter 2006 min 7 05 In other words Carter believes that the long term consequences of economic environmental and social degradation will adversely affect marginalized communities throughout various parts of the world This is a fundamental aspect of Carter s presentation because it offers viewers a deeper insight into understanding that we are all held accountable for the future that we create Furthermore with regard to audience awareness Carter is highly aware and mindful of what information to present to her viewers as well as how to convey it effectively throughout the entire speech She begins by clarifying the term environmental justice for those who may not be familiar with it According to Carter no community should be saddled with more environmental burdens and less environmental benefits than any other Carter 2006 min 2 40 

Carters point is that Towards the end of the speech Carter concludes by boldly stating please don t waste me Carter 2006 min 17 35 In this comment Carter encourages the audience not let their hard earned experience energy and intelligence go to waste She points out and acknowledges the fact that although the audience may come from diverse backgrounds and different circumstances we all share one incredibly powerful thing we have nothing to lose and everything to gain Carter 2006 min 18 08 The essence of Carter s argument is that in order to create change and make a meaningful difference in the world sometimes the very first step is finding the courage from within All things considered Majora Carter appears to have met her objective at the TED conference Carter conveyed a profound message about the adverse effects of environmental degradation and makes a compelling case about how a healthy and sustainable community is essentially attainable for everyone if individuals are empowered to take control of their own lives For this reason Carter s Greening the Ghetto speech was worth watching since she delivered an effective coherent and poignant presentation punctuated by moments of wit and humor In addition to an engaging content rich speech several other factors that strengthened her overall presentation included her confidence persuasiveness passion audience awareness and the ability to connect with an audience on stage