WE WERE FIGHTING AGAINST SOMETHING.

WE ACTUALLY COULD BE FIGHTING FOR SOMETHING.

>> ACTIVIST AND ADVOCATE, SHERYL CARTER.

SHE TALKS ABOUT CHANGES IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

STRAIGHT AHEAD OR "A LIST."

>> MAJORA CARTER, ECONOMIC CONSULTANT, PUBLIC RADIO HOST AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ADVOCATE.

SHE'S THE FOUNDER OF THE NONPROFIT SUSTAINABLE SOUTH BRONX.

A VENTURE THAT SHE SPEARHEADED STRAIGHT OUT OF GRADUATE SCHOOL TO BETTER COMMUNITY THAT SHE CALLS HOME.

THESE DAYS, SHE CAN BE FOUND TRAVELING AROUND THE WORLD AS A CONSULTANT AS WELL AS A GUEST SPEAKER.

>> ARE YOU SPECIFICALLY TRYING TO DO MORE LOCAL ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT OR -- >> WE ARE.

>> AND THAT'S HOW I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP WITH HER.

>> WE HAVE A MARKET ON THE SOUTH SIDE THAT'S AN OLD FOUNDRY SHED.

>> MAJORA, WELCOME TO THE "A LIST."

IT'S AN HONOR AND PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU WITH US TODAY.

>> THANKS.

>> DO YOU TRAVEL ALL OVER THE COUNTRY DOING THIS, ALL OVER THE WORLD?

>> NOW WITH THE MAJORA CARTER GROUP, THAT'S OUR JOB.

WE'RE HOPING TO WORK IN INNER CITY DETROIT HELPING TO DEVELOP AN URBAN FARMING COLLECTIVE.

WE BELIEVE THAT IF THROUGH A DEDICATED SYSTEM, THEY CAN ACTUALLY CREATE AN URBAN AGRICULTURE COLLECTION WHERE THEY'RE SELLING TO THE GREATER DETROIT AREA WHICH WOULD BRING INCOME AND JOBS TO THE AREA.

>> I KNOW YOU'VE SAID THERE'S A LOT OF SIMILARITIES THAT HAVE COME OUT SINCE KATRINA HIT NEW ORLEANS BETWEEN THE POPULATION THERE AND THE SOUTH BRONX.

HAVE THOSE LESSONS BEEN ABLE TO TRANSLATE?

HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO HELP THE COMMUNITY IN NEW ORLEANS THE WAY THAT YOU'VE HELPED YOUR OWN COMMUNITY?

>> I'M SO PLEASED AND SO HONORED RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IN MY NEW CAPACITY, I STARTED MY OWN CONSULTING FARM CALLED THE MAJORA CARTER FIRM.

WE WERE JUST HIRED BY THE MAKE IT RIGHT FOUNDATION, BRAD PITT'S GROUP TO DO WORK IN THE LOWER NINTH WARD.

THEY'VE GONE BEYOND DOING THE HOUSES THAT BRAD WANTED TO BUILD DOWN THERE TO ACTUALLY PLANNING THE COMMUNITY AROUND MORE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE GUIDELINES.

SO ACTUALLY LITERALLY DOING THE STREETS DIFFERENTLY SO THAT THEY RETAIN STORM WATER SO YOU HAVE LESS INTENSE STORM SURGES SO YOU'RE RETAINING MORE STORM WATER IN THE TREE SYSTEMS AND THE URBAN FORESTRY CANOPY AND GREEN SPACES AS WELL.

IT'S DESIGNED BETTER FOR PEOPLE TO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA AS WELL.

IT'S AN EXCITING THINGS.

IT'S A NEW SKILL SET FOR A BUNCH OF PEOPLE AND LEARNING HOW AND GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE TOOLS TO FEEL AS THOUGH THEY CAN GROW THEIR OWN COMMUNITY AND REBUILD IT IN A WAY THAT IT NEEDS TO BE DONE.

>> GROWING UP IN A LARGE FAMILY ROOTED IN THE SOUTH BRONX PROVIDED AN ABUNDANCE OF EXPERIENCES AND OBSERVATIONS FOR MAJORA.

AND IT WAS THE SOMETIMES TURBULENT EXPERIENCES THAT SOMEHOW ENABLED HERE TO HOLD THE UNIQUE UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE STATE OF HER COMMUNITY.

BUT FOR MAJORA, IT WAS THE ACCOMMODATION AND MOTIVATION THAT LAUNCHED HER TO THE CAREER PATH SHE'S ON TODAY.

>> I THINK I READ ON YOUR WEBSITE THE LINE THAT YOU ONCE USED THAT "YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO MOVE OUT OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN ORDER TO LIVE IN A BETTER ONE."

IS THAT'S WHAT'S KEPT YOU IN THE SOUTH BRONX?

>> NOT EXACTLY.

I GREW INTO FEELING THAT WAY.

I ABSOLUTELY GREW UP IN THE SOUTH BRONX WHEN IT WAS POSTER CHILD FOR URBAN BLIGHT.

MY NEIGHBORHOOD WAS ON THE EVENING NEWS.

IT WAS FAMOUS DURING THE 76 WORLD SERIES, IT WAS HELD IN YANKEE STADIUM AND HOWARD COSELL ANNOUNCED THAT THE BRONX WAS BURNING.

THERE WERE THREE HUGE FIRES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

IT WAS AN ERA OF HUGE AMOUNTS OF FINANCIAL DISINVESTMENT.

LANDLORDS WERE TORCHING THEIR BUILDINGS.

THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY TO GET MONEY, COLLECT INSURANCE MONEY, WHICH LEFT HUGE AMOUNTS -- 60% OF THE BRONX RESIDENTS BECAME HOMELESS.

THEY MOVED OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO I GREW UP IN AN AREA THAT LOOKED LIKE BEIRUT, WHICH WAS IN WAR AT THE TIME.

BUT I KNEW THIS WAS NOT A PLACE I WANTED TO BE AT ALL.

SO NO, IT WAS -- I HAD TO GROW INTO FEELING THAT.

>> AND AT WHAT MOMENT DID YOU GROW INTO THAT SENTIMENT?

>> I HAD TO MOVE BACK INTO MY NEIGHBORHOOD GOING BACK TO GRADUATE SCHOOL.

I WAS BROKE.

NEEDED A CHEAP WAY TO SAVE.

MOM AND DAD'S HOUSE WAS THE CHEAPEST I COULD FIND.

I MOVED THERE.

I HATED MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

I WAS LIKE, THIS IS THE PLACE I RAN AWAY FROM.

I WENT TO SCHOOL.

I HAD NO INTENTION OF COMING BACK.

I GOT TO KNOW MY NEIGHBORHOOD A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WAY.

A CITY AND STATE WAS PLANNING ON BUILDING A HUGE WAIST FACILITY ON THE WATERFRONT.

I REALIZED MY COMMUNITY HAD 40% OF THE CITY'S COMMERCIAL WASTE FACILITIES.

THIS WOULD HAVE BROUGHT 40% MORE.

I REALIZED THERE WERE REGULATIONS AND LAWS THAT CONTINUED TO ALLOW MY COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP THE WAY THAT IT HAD, WHICH WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, HEALTHY AND GROWTHFUL AND ENCOURAGED POSITIVE.

YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR SPIRITUAL OR HEALTHY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

BUT REALLY, WE ALWAYS WERE GOING TO GET STUCK WITH THE THINGS THAT WEALTHIER COMMUNITIES COULD AFFORD TO AVOID.

AND IT JUST FLIPPED ME OUT SO MUCH.

I REALIZED, NO, THIS IS NOT HOW ANYBODY SHOULD LIVE.

I REALIZED THIS WAS A POOR COMMUNITY AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED.

LOOKING AROUND THE COUNTRY, I REALIZED IT WASN'T SPECIFIC TO US.

IT WAS HAPPENING IN POOR WHITE COMMUNITIES, POOR NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES.

IT WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE.

IT MADE ME REALIZE THAT IF WE WEREN'T FIGHTING AGAINST SOMETHING, WE COULD BE FIGHTING FOR SOMETHING.

AND THAT'S WHY I STARTED DOING THE WORK THAT I DID.

>> WE'VE BEEN ACTIVELY AT WORK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION MOVEMENT HERE.

>> HERE MAJORA TAKES A TOUR THROUGH THE AREA OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE NEAR DOWNTOWN KNOWN AS THE SOUTH SIDE.

IT'S A PLACE WHERE OLD AND NEW STRUCTURES BLEND.

WHERE AN ARTS DISTRICT IS GROWING WITH EACH PASSING DAY.

AND A DREAM MOVEMENT IS UNDERWAY AND TAKING SHAPE.

>> KIND OF HARD TO GET NATIONAL CREDIT INTO THIS MARKET.

>> IT'S SOMETHING THAT MAJORA IS NO STRANGER TO.

HAVING GAINED MUCH RECOGNITION TO HER OWN WORKS TOWARDS GREENING THE BRONX.

>> NORMALLY DEVELOPED AS AN OUTLET.

>> THERE'S SOME EFFORTS TO CLEAN UP THE CITY WERE ARTS BASED.

I READ SOMEWHERE THAT ONE TREE PER ACRE AND YOU WERE HELPING ARTISTS COME AND DO ARTWORK WHERE TREES NORMALLY WOULD BE IN A WEALTHIER SUBURB.

BUT NOW, IT'S DIFFERENT.

NOW, YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF -- THERE'S TREES AND THEN YOU REALLY PARLAYED THAT INTO SOMETHING INCREDIBLE CALLED SUSTAINABLE SOUTH BRONX.

>> RIGHT.

>> HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT?

>> I STARTED DOING ARTS-RELATED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTS BECAUSE I FIGURED THAT WOULD BE A WAY FOR ME TO GIVE BACK TO LOCAL COMMUNITY.

I WAS, YOU KNOW, FINE ARTS MAJOR.

AND I STARTED THE FIRST FILM FESTIVAL IN THE SOUTH BRONX.

AND THIS IS A PUBLIC ART PROJECT, WHICH IS WAYS TO GET PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

YOU KNOW, SO THAT WAS A REALLY WONDERFUL THING TO DO.

I THINK THE WHOLE IDEA OF JUST ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO SEE THINGS IN A DIFFERENT WAY IS JUST AS MUCH AN ORGANIZING TOOL AS, YOU KNOW, KNOCKING ON THEIR DOOR AND TELLING THEM ABOUT LIKE THE LATEST RESEARCH STUDY THAT YOU JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT.

IT'S JUST A WAY TO ENGAGE PEOPLE IN AN EASY WAY, I THINK.

>> BECAUSE THE BAD CHOICES WE MAKE, ESPECIALLY AS FAR AS THE ENVIRONMENT IS CONCERNED, HIT THE POOR PEOPLE FIRST.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> IT AFFECTS EVERYBODY BUT THE POOR NEIGHBORHOODS -- >> AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, JUST THINK IF WE HAD ACTUALLY CONSTRUCTED, YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR -- WHAT'S CONSIDERED DIRTY INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUT THEM IN WEALTHIER COMMUNITIES.

AS QUICKLY AS WE DID IN POOR ONES, WE WOULD HAVE HAD A CLEAN AND GREEN ECONOMY A LONG TIME AGO.

I DO NOT THINK WE WOULD BE EXPERIENCING THE KIND OF PROBLEMS THAT WE EXPERIENCE RIGHT NOW.

YOU KNOW, IF SOME FOLKS WERE NOT CONSIDERED SO VALUABLE OR EXPENDABLE.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE EXPERIENCING THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CRISIS THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW.

IT'S THE POOR THAT WILL SUFFER FIRST AND THE MOST AND WE SEE THAT RIGHT NOW.

WHEN I HEARD THE WORD "SUSTAINABLE", IT WAS AT A CONVENTION.

IT WAS DEFINED AS YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING THAT WILL HAVE ANY IMPACT UNTIL SEVEN GENERATIONS DOWN YOUR LINE.

IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, YOU WANT TO DO THE HEALTHY THING PERIOD.

IT'S LIKE OH, OKAY.

THAT'S A LONG -- SEVEN GENERATIONS?

THAT'S A LONG TIME AWAY.

IF YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING NOW, EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE.

SO THE IDEA OF STARTING THE ORGANIZATION I STARTED IN 2001, SUSTAINABLE SOUTH BRONX, IS HOW DO WE CREATE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SOLUTIONS TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS THAT WE EXPERIENCE.

BECAUSE WE FELT THAT YOU HAD TO DO BOTH.

YOU KNOW, THE REASON WHY OUR ENVIRONMENT WAS SO BAD IS BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MANY TERRIBLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS THAT WERE INFLICTED UPON US.

YOU DON'T -- WHY WOULD ANYBODY WANT TO PUT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A SQUARE MILE RADIUS 40% OF THE CITY'S COMMERCIAL WASTE?

FOUR OF THE POWER PLANTS.

ANOTHER SEWAGE SLUDGE PELLETIZING CENTER.

ALL OF THIS STUFF IN ONE PLACE.

IT'S LIKE IT'S DEVELOPING -- YOU KNEW ULTIMATELY THE PEOPLE THAT LIVED NEARBY WOULD BE IMPACTED BY IT.

WE HAVE HIGH ACID RATES, DIABETES.

AND ALSO, AS YOU THINK, MUCH MORE BEYOND THAT AREA, ALL OF THE DIESEL TRUCK TRIPS, THE ADDS TO CLIMATE CHANGE.

THIS IS NOT HEALTHY.

IT'S NOT HEALTHY TO THE GENERATION THAT IS LIVING WITH IT NOW AND CERTAINLY NOT HELPFUL TO THE ONE THAT ARE TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, DOWN THE LINE AT ALL.

YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, IF YOU -- IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE THE MOST PROBLEMS GOING ON, THE ONES THAT HAVE THE MOST POLLUTION AND HAVE THE MOST TOXINS, THOSE ARE THE PLACE THAT SHOULD BE CLEANED UP FIRST.

EVERYONE WILL BENEFIT EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT LIVING IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.

>> FOR EVERY GREAT LEADER, THERE SEEMS TO BE A PIVOTAL POINT IN THEIR LIVES THAT AMES THEM TO THEIR APPARENT DESTINY.

I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER WHAT THAT POINT WAS FOR MAJORA.

>> SO THE YOUNGEST OF TEN CHILDREN AROUND YOUR PARENTS NAME YOU MAJORA.

NO PRESSURE THERE.

>> YEAH.

>> WAS THERE AN EXPECTATION EARLY ON THAT YOU WOULD ACHIEVE GREATNESS?

YOU CERTAINLY HAVE BUT -- DID YOU ALWAYS KNOW YOU WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD?

>> MY JOB WAS TO NOT CAUSE AS MUCH TROUBLE AS MY OLDER SIBLINGS DID.

I WAS INCREDIBLY SHY AS A KID.

MY SIBLINGS WERE ATHLETES AND ARTISTS AND JUST WAY INTERESTING.

I WAS NOT.

I WAS PERFECTLY HAPPY WITH IT.

THERE YOU GO.

>> AS DIFFERENT AS THE SOUTH BRONX MUST BE FROM WHEN YOU GREW UP, IT MUST BE TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM WHEN YOUR FATHER FIRST BOUGHT THAT HOUSE IN, YOU KNOW, HUNTS POINT IN 1940.

>> YES.

>> WHAT WAS IT LIKE BACK THEN AND HOW DID -- IT'S NOT EVEN A LONG SPAN.

IN LESS THAN 70 YEARS HAS TRANSITIONS FROM A PLACE THAT WAS SUBURBAN AMERICA TO A PLACE WHERE I THINK YOU'VE SAID THE PUSHERS, THE PIMPS AND THE PROSTITUTES?

>> UH-HUH.

IT WAS THE PLACE THAT PEOPLE -- THE BRONX WAS A PLACE THAT PEOPLE MOVED UP TO.

THERE WERE THESE REALLY ADORABLE, INCREDIBLY WELL-MADE HOMES.

ALL BRICK.

SOME ATTACHED, MOST NOT.

HAD LITTLE BACK YARDS.

IT WAS THE PLACE THAT MY FATHER WAS THRILLED TO MOVE TO.

BUT IT WAS MOSTLY WHITE WORKING CLASS COMMUNITY.

MUCH OF IT -- A LOT OF PEOPLE -- AND SOME OF THE APARTMENT BUILDINGS WOULD WALK TO WORK.

THERE WAS VERY MUCH A RESIDENTIAL CORE AND THEN THERE WAS THE INDUSTRIAL CORE.

BUT THERE WERE MANUFACTURING JOBS.

WE MADE STUFF IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

PEOPLE HAD DECENT LIVING WAGE JOBS AS A RESULT.

I STILL FIND IT FUN THAT MY NEIGHBORHOOD IS REFERRED TO AS LITTLE PITTSBURGH.

THERE WAS A VERY THRIVING STEEL INDUSTRY THERE.

OBVIOUSLY NOT PITTSBURGH BUT CLOSE ENOUGH.

I REMEMBER IT BEING NOT THAT LONG AGO.

LOOKING AT THESE BUILDINGS IN THE MANUFACTURING AREA AND SEEING, WONDERING WHAT THEY WERE AND WHAT COULD HAVE POSSIBLE WILL BE THERE BEFORE GARBAGE WAS IN THERE.

BUT BOTTOM LINE IS, OUR -- THE $15,000 THAT HE BOUGHT OUR HOUSE FOR BACK IN THE LATE 40s, HE COULDN'T HAVE SOLD IT FOR THAT BY THE TIME I WAS SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS OLD.

IT JUST WAS NOT WORTH THE PAPER IT WAS WRITTEN ON.

SO EVEN THOUGH WE OWNED OUR OWN HOME, WE COULDN'T MOVE ANYWHERE.

IT'S LIKE NOTHING.

IT WAS JUST PRETTY MUCH WORTHLESS.

AND THE PEOPLE THAT ENDED UP STAYING IN THE BRONX WERE GENERALLY PEOPLE LIKE MY PARENTS WHO COULDN'T HAVE SOLD THEIR HOME EVEN IF THEY WANTED TO.

SO WE STAYED.

>> SO TELL ME ABOUT HOW YOUR DOG, XENA, PLAYED A ROLE IN THAT RENEWAL.

>> THERE ARE PROBABLY NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE IN THEIR COUNTRY CAN SAY THEY OWE THEIR CAREER TO THEIR DOG.

I CAN.

I STARTED OFF ADVOCATING AGAINST THE CITY'S BAD SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN.

BUT AROUND THE SAME TIME, I GOT MY DOG, YOU KNOW, PUPPY I FOUND TIED UP TO A POST IN THE GREEN.

SHE GREW BIG.

LIKE 80 POUNDS SIX MONTHS LATER.

BUT SHE TOOK ME RUNNING RUN DAY DOWN WHAT I THOUGHT WAS JUST ANOTHER GARBAGE DUMP.

IT'S A PLACE YOU WOULD WANT TO BE UNLESS YOU HAVE AN 80-POUND DOG DRAGGING YOU THROUGH IT.

BUT AS WE WERE STEPPING UP OVER PILES OF IT, IT DEAD-ENDED AT THE RIVER.

AND IF YOU DIDN'T REMEMBER RECALLING ALL THE REALLY DISGUSTING GARBAGE PILES BEHIND YOU, YOU LOOKED AT THE RIVER -- IT WAS JUST THIS GORGEOUS MORNING.

IT WAS CLASSIC SPRING WITH THE SUNLIGHT GLINTING OFF THE WATER.

I WAS LIKE OH, MY GOSH, THERE'S A RIVER IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT IS BEAUTIFUL.

AND I'VE NEVER SEEN IT.

I WENT AND I WROTE A PROPOSAL TO GET A GRANT AND LATER ON DID COMMUNITY RESTORATION PROJECTS WITH FOLKS.

ANYBODY THAT WAS LIKE CRAZY ENOUGH TO SAY, LET'S HELP THE CRAZY CHICK, YOU KNOW, GOT LOTS OF LOCAL BUSINESSES AND LATER ON THE CITY EVEN LIKE PLUMPED DOWN $3 MILLION TO TURN IT INTO ONE OF THE MOST GORGEOUS PARKS IN ALL OF NEW YORK STATE.

>> IS IT STILL THERE?

>> IT'S STILL THERE.

I GOT MARRIED THERE.

IT IS TRULY I THINK A JEWEL IN THE NEW YORK CITY PARK SYSTEM.

IT'S STUNNING.

IT'S ONE OF THOSE CRAZY THINGS.

BUT YOU KNOW, THE PARK ITSELF, LIKE IN ITS CURRENT STATE, IS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD.

LITERALLY.

AND -- BUT PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN TO IT AS IF IT'S BEEN THERE LIKE FOREVER.

THEY LOVE IT AS IF IT'S LIKE THIS TREASURE PIECE OF THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT IS.

BUT I FIND IT SO INTERESTING HOW MUCH PEOPLE WANT TO HAVE THAT KIND OF BEAUTY.

EVERYBODY WANTS IT.

YOU KNOW, BUT WHEN IT'S PRESENTED TO THEM, THEY WILL WANT TO TAKE CARE OF IT AS LONG AS GIVEN THAT OPPORTUNITY.

>> MAJORA REMEMBER AS PLACE IN TIME WHERE SEEING THE RUBBLE OF OLDER BUILDINGS AND BEING TRAPPED UNDER THE REVOLVING CYCLE OF GENERATIONAL POVERTY DOMINATED THE SOUTH BRONX COMMUNITY.

IT WAS A LIFE WHERE HOPE HAD DIMINISHED FOR MANY OF THOSE LIVING THERE.

BUT MAJORA DID NOT WAIT FOR A LEADER.

SHE BECAME ONE.

SETTING ATTAINABLE GOALS AND IMPLEMENTING ONE PROJECT AT A TIME.

SHE SUCCESSFULLY CREATED A NEW AND SUSTAINABLE MOVEMENT IN HER CHILDHOOD COMMUNITY.

>> DO YOU EVER FEEL LIKE THOUGH THAT YOU'RE FIGHTING SUCH AN UPHILL BATTLE?

THAT SOMETIMES THAT -- AS MANY STRIDES AS YOU MAKE, THEY'RE SMALL ON THE GLOBAL SCALE?

>> THEY ARE SMALL ON THE GLOBAL SCALE.

BUT I -- I KNOW IT'S AN UPHILL BATTLE.

I ALSO KNOW THAT THEY ALL ADD UP.

AND THAT THERE'S EXAMPLES TO OTHER FOLKS THAT, YOU KNOW, SEE THEMSELVES IN ME.

AND IN THE WORK THAT WE DO.

SO I THINK THAT -- REALLY LEARNING HOW TO CELEBRATE THE SMALL VICTORIES.

YOU KNOW WHAT?

THE FIRST TIME -- I WAS GOING TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THE PARK I STARTED.

THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST CLEANUPS WERE JUST -- YOU COULD NOT SEE A DIFFERENCE.

I MEAN, YOU'D BE OUT THERE FOR HOURS AND IT WAS SO DISGUSTING THAT IT WAS JUST LIKE DID WE DO ANYTHING?

BUT SOMEBODY TOOK NOTICE.

OUR LOCAL UTILITY WAS LIKE WHAT ARE THOSE GUYS DOING?

IT'S LIKE OH, WE'LL BRING OUR HEAVY EQUIPMENT.

OUR JACKHAMMERS AND LIKE THE BIG CAT MACHINE.

AND YOU KNOW, IN AN HOUR, THEY DID WHAT WE COULD NOT DO IN TWO MONTHS.

AND IT WAS -- BUT THOSE THINGS ADD UP.

IT STILL WASN'T PRETTY BUT IT KEPT GOING AND GOING AND MORE PEOPLE GOT INVOLVED.

THAT'S HOW IT TURNED INTO WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW.

OR JUST KNOWING THAT IF YOU GIVE FOLKS -- I STARTED ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S FIRST GREEN JOB TRAINING AND PLACEMENT SYSTEM.

>> TELL ME WHAT THAT IS.

GREEN COLLAR JOBS.

SOUNDS AWESOME.

>> A GREEN JOB IS ANY JOB THAT HAS A NET BENEFIT ON THE ENVIRONMENT.

SO IT'S -- WHETHER IT'S THROUGH THE PRODUCTS THAT IT MAKES OR THE PROCESSES THAT IT USES OR SOMETIMES THE SERVICES THAT IT PRODUCES AS WELL.

SO WE STARTED WORKING DOING WATERFRONT RESTORATION.

WE WANTED TO RECLAIM OUR WATERFRONT AND USE IT AS A PARK, WHICH WAS GREAT.

BUT WE NOTICED THE CITY WAS PLANNING ON BRINGING IN PEOPLE TO DO THAT WORK.

WE HAD A 25% UNEMPLOYMENT RATE.

WE WERE LIKE, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO ACTUALLY GET SOME OF THESE GUYS WORKING THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN, TRAIN THEM TO DO THE WORK SO THEY CANNOT BE ON THE PUBLIC DOLE.

MOST PEOPLE WILL TAKE A CHOICE TO DO SOMETHING BETTER WITH THEIR LIVES IF GIVEN THE CHOICE.

SO WE STARTED THIS SYSTEM WHERE WE TRAINED PEOPLE TO DO THAT ECOLOGICAL RESTAURANT WORK STARTING WITH WATERFRONT RESTORATION AND LATER ON TEACHING THEM HOW TO DO BROWNFIELD REMEDIATION, GREEN ROOF INSTALLATION AND DOING ALL THOSE THINGS.

THEY WERE ABLE TO AT THAT POINT ALSO GET JOB SKILLS, LIFE SKILLS.

HOW DO YOU SHOW UP ON TIME FOR A JOB.

HOW DO YOU BE A GREAT EMPLOYEE AND SHOW UP AND BE PRESENT.

AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO GET AN 85% SUCCESS RATE, WHICH MEANS WE PLACED 85% OF THE PEOPLE THAT CAME THROUGH OUR PROGRAM, WHICH WAS AN ENORMOUSLY GOOD SUCCESS RATE.

MOST JOB TRAINING SITES, THEY'RE JUST HAPPY IF THEY DO ANYTHING.

THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT IT, FOLKS ENDED UP REALLY FEELING AS THOUGH THEY WERE EMPOWERED TO DO A JOB THAT REALLY NEEDED TO BE DONE.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES THAT THOSE KIND OF JOBS PROVIDED, WHETHER IT'S STORM WATER MANAGEMENT, WHICH IS AN INCREDIBLY ENERGY INEFFICIENT THING.

WHEN WATERFALLS ON YOUR ROOF OR ON THE STREET AND IT HAS TO BE MANAGED BY SEWAGE TREATMENT PLAN.

IT'S NOT REALLY DIRTY WATER.

IT'S NOT.

BUT IF YOU HAD AN INTENSIVE URBAN FORESTRY, GREEN ROOFS, TREES, IT CATCHES THAT.

SOMEBODY HAS TO MAINTAIN THEM.

ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS.

THEY DON'T TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES.

THEY DO NEED A PARTICULAR KIND OF MAINTENANCE AND YOU HAVE TO TRAIN PEOPLE TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PARTICULAR KIND OF WEED AND SOMETHING THAT IS BENEFICIAL.

IT'S NOT ALWAYS THAT EASY.

IT'S TRAINABLE, BUT NOT EASY.

>> IS THIS IN THE BEST PROGRAM?

>> YES.

THAT'S WHAT IT'S CALLED.

LATER ON, THEY DECIDED TO DO MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCY WORK AS WELL.

TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO DO ENERGY RETRO-FITS AND ENERGY AUDITS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT IS A WONDERFUL THING TO CONTINUE DOING.

>> ALL RIGHT.

PLEASED TO MEET YOU.

>> CREATING JOBS.

REPURPOSING OLD BUILDINGS.

AND ESTABLISHING SUSTAINABLE PROGRAMS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

MAJORA IS MAKING AN IMPACT.

AND EVEN THOUGH HER FOCUS HAS CHANGED FROM THE SOUTH BRONX TO HELPING COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE, SHE IS TRUE IN HER ACTIONS AND LIVING THE IDEAS AND CONCEPTS THAT SHE SHARES WITH OTHERS.

>> SO DO YOU THINK YOU'LL ALWAYS LIVE IN THE SOUTH BRONX?

>> IT WILL ALWAYS BE MY HOME, NO MATTER WHAT.

BUT RIGHT NOW, I LIVE IN THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE ONE I GREW UP IN.

IT WILL ALWAYS BE MY HOME.

EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT IN THE COMMUNITY ACTIVIST WORLD ANYMORE, LIKE I STILL FEEL VERY CONNECTED TO MY COMMUNITY.

>> IF YOU COULD JUST PICK ONE WORD THAT WOULD DESCRIBE MAJORA CARTER, WHAT WOULD THAT BE?

>> ONE?

[LAUGHTER] OH, LET'S JUST SAY -- I WOULD LIKE TO SAY FUN.

HOW IS THAT?

YOU KNOW, I CAN BE.

I CAN'T IMAGINE THE WORD FUN WOULD DO YOU JUSTICE.

BUT IT WASN'T FAIR FOR ME TO RELEGATE TO IT ONE WORD.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANKS FOR ALL YOU'RE DOING.

THE BEST PART ABOUT YOU IS YOU'RE SO YOUNG AND VIBRANT.

YOU'RE A GREAT ROLE MODEL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE EVERYWHERE.

PEOPLE OF ALL AGES LIKE TO KNOW THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

>> THANKS VERY MUCH.

COOL.

>> BE SURE TO JOIN ME NEXT WEEK AS I SIT DOWN WITH NATIONALLY SYNDICATED FINANCIAL GURU DAVE RAMSEY.

>> BECAUSE I'M A FINANCIAL NERD, I GOT OUT THE YELLOW PAD AND DID THEIR BUDGET WHILE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT IT.

THAT WAS MY FIRST COUNSELLING SESSION.

>> JUST WHAT ARE PEOPLE PAYING TO HEAR AND WHY?

SEE HOW HE GOT HIS START AND HIS THOUGHTS ON THE ECONOMY.

I'M ALISON LEBOVITZ, SEE YOU THEN.

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