“Reclaiming Your Community” with Majora Carter (S2C E53)
“Reclaiming Your Community” is Majora Carter’s recently published book in which she talks about her experiences in life, being an advocate, and in recognizing her inner capitalist (for good).
Quite frankly, we are star-struck.
We spent a wonderful hour, and a bit more, exploring with her her story. She struggled to overcome the stigma of growing up in the South Bronx, the community that was the poster child for inner city poverty and urban blight. She talks about looking at the world differently, in a way that gives people something to dream on (Thanks, Jimi Hendrix), and in using that vision and that dream to change her own relationship to her home and community.
She explains how the non-profit realm and affordable housing projects usually only serve to concentrate poverty, intensify the desperation, and force more and more young talent to leave their community of birth to feel whole and valued. This is a concept that rings so very true to both Lauren and I, and we are better for having heard it and explored it with Majora. Innovation is needed.
Most of all, in her gracious, happy, honest, and dog-enamored way, she talks about learning and growing and finding her own purpose in the world. Her journey has been hard and lonely. It has also been joyful, and funny, challenging and tiring, and ultimately healing. And I, personally, cannot wait to see what she will undertake in her second century (yeah, I said it) full of passion and life fully lived!
We invite you to enjoy several cuts of our chat time with Majora.
As Lauren said, quite frankly, we are star-struck.
As always, we ask you to like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Share it on FB, LinkedIn, twitter, and Instagram! We have so many connections to make and there are so very many people that can be inspired by these connections!
Help us to change the world. It’s simple, really.
Below are the resources Majora mentioned in our chat. Copy them into your browser to learn more.
- Majora’s site – http://www.majoracartergroup.com/home.html
- B Corp – https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/
- Living Future Just Transparency – https://living-future.org/just/
- Johnson C Smith University – https://www.jcsu.edu/
- Cass Gilbert Rail Station – https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/28/realestate/cass-gilbert-train-stations-bronx.html
- Bronx River House – https://bronxriver.org/visit-the-river/explore-the-greenway/river-house
- Boogie Down Grind – https://boogiedowngrind.com/
- Dune Lankard – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dunelankard and https://fivemedia.com/essay/healing-our-waters-healing-ourselves-through-a-sustainable-economy/
- Reclaiming Your Community – https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/692820/reclaiming-your-community-by-majora-carter/ (Buy from a local bookstore if you can)
Thanks for supporting and engaging in our chats! It takes a shared journey 2bgreener,
Jodi and Lauren
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