And we’re off! Scholars kicked off the “Trash Talks” lecture series last night with a brilliant lecture by Majora Carter about transforming low-status communities through development strategies that are environmentally friendly and economically innovative. She offered insight from her Sustainable South Bronx project, which revitalized her native New York City neighborhood through a combination of green job training, community greening programs, and social enterprise. She also talked about some of her more recent work as co-founder of StartUp Box #SouthBronx, which aims to bridge the production side of the digital divide by encouraging diverse participation in the knowledge economy through entry-level jobs in, for example, quality assurance testing.

Carter spoke to a rapt audience of over 400 people, many of whom were Scholars students eager to hear how communities too often treated as trash could be transformed through grassroots efforts to create genuine “Home(town) Security.” Scholars Talks Trash will offer more detailed reflections on the event and Carter’s message soon. In the meantime, here are a few photos that convey some of the excitement generated by our first “Trash Talks” speaker. Enjoy!