TED2018
T. Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison: The most powerful woman you've never heard of
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Everyone's heard of Martin Luther King Jr. But do you know the woman Dr. King called "the architect of the civil rights movement," Septima Clark? The teacher of some of the generation's most legendary activists -- like Rosa Parks, Diane Nash, Fannie Lou Hamer and thousands more -- Clark laid out a blueprint for change-making that has stood the test of time. Now T. Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison, the cofounders of GirlTrek, are taking a page from Clark's playbook to launch a health revolution in the US -- and get one million women walking for justice. (This ambitious idea is part of The Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change.)
T. Morgan Dixon - Health activist
T. Morgan Dixon is the co-founder and CEO of GirlTrek, inspiring more than 100,000 neighborhood walkers. Full bioVanessa Garrison - Health activist
As COO of GirlTrek, Vanessa Garrison mobilizes African-American women and girls to reclaim their health and communities through walking. Full bio
T. Morgan Dixon is the co-founder and CEO of GirlTrek, inspiring more than 100,000 neighborhood walkers. Full bioVanessa Garrison - Health activist
As COO of GirlTrek, Vanessa Garrison mobilizes African-American women and girls to reclaim their health and communities through walking. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
T. Morgan Dixon: I would like to tell you
about the most powerful woman
about the most powerful woman
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you've never heard of.
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This is Septima Clark.
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Remember her name: Septima Clark.
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Dr. King called her the "the architect
of the civil rights movement,"
of the civil rights movement,"
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because she created something
called Citizenship Schools.
called Citizenship Schools.
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And in those schools, she taught
ordinary women the practical skills
ordinary women the practical skills
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to go back into their communities
and teach people to read.
and teach people to read.
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Because if they could read,
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they could vote.
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Well, these women took
those organizing skills,
those organizing skills,
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and they became some of the most
legendary civil rights activists
legendary civil rights activists
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this country has ever seen.
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Women like Diane Nash.
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You may know her.
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She orchestrated the entire walk
from Selma to Montgomery.
from Selma to Montgomery.
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She was a cofounder of the
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee,
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee,
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and they integrated lunch counters,
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and they created the Freedom Rides.
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01:00
Or you may remember Fannie Lou Hamer,
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who sat on the floor
of the Democratic National Convention
of the Democratic National Convention
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and talked about
being beaten in jail cells
being beaten in jail cells
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as she registered people
to vote in Mississippi.
to vote in Mississippi.
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And her most famous student,
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Rosa Parks.
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She said Septima Clark
was the one who taught her
was the one who taught her
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the peaceful act of resistance.
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And when she sat down,
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she inspired a nation to stand.
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These were just three
of her 10,000 students.
of her 10,000 students.
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These women stood
on the front lines of change,
on the front lines of change,
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and by doing so,
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they taught people to read
in her Citizenship School model
in her Citizenship School model
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and empowered 700,000 new voters.
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And that's not it.
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She created a new culture
of social activism.
of social activism.
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Pete Seeger said it was Septima Clark
who changed the lyrics
who changed the lyrics
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to the old gospel song
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and made the anthem we all know:
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"We Shall Overcome."
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Vanessa Garrison: Now,
many of you may know us.
many of you may know us.
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We are the cofounders of GirlTrek,
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the largest health organization
for Black women in America.
for Black women in America.
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Our mission is simple:
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ask Black women,
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80 percent of whom are over
a healthy body weight,
a healthy body weight,
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to walk outside
of their front door every day
of their front door every day
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to establish a lifesaving
habit of walking;
habit of walking;
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in doing so, ignite a radical movement
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in which Black women reverse
the devastating impacts
the devastating impacts
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of chronic disease,
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reclaim the streets
of their neighborhoods,
of their neighborhoods,
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create a new culture
of health for their families
of health for their families
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and stand on the front lines for justice.
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Today, all across America,
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more than 100,000 Black women
are wearing this GirlTrek blue shirt
are wearing this GirlTrek blue shirt
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as they move through their communities --
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a heroic force.
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We walk in the footsteps of Septima Clark.
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She gave us a blueprint for change-making.
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One, to have a bold idea,
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bigger than anyone is comfortable with.
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To two: root down in the cultural
traditions of your community
traditions of your community
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and lean heavily on what has come before.
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To three: name it --
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that one thing that everyone
is willing to work hard for;
is willing to work hard for;
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a ridiculously simple goal
that doesn't just benefit the individual
that doesn't just benefit the individual
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but the village around them.
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And to, lastly:
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never ask permission
to save your own life.
to save your own life.
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It is our fundamental right
as human beings
as human beings
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to solve our own problems.
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TMD: So to the women all out there
gathered in your living rooms,
gathered in your living rooms,
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rooting for us, acting crazy
on social media right now --
on social media right now --
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we see you.
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(Laughter)
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We see you every day. We love you.
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You are not alone,
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and our bigger work starts now.
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VG: You got us onto this stage --
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your leadership;
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auditing blighted streets in Detroit;
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working with hospitals
and health care systems in Harlem;
and health care systems in Harlem;
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praying over the streets of Sacramento,
Charlotte, Brooklyn, Flint
Charlotte, Brooklyn, Flint
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and every community that has seen trauma;
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changing traffic patterns,
making your streets safer;
making your streets safer;
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and most importantly,
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standing as role models.
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And it all started with
your commitment to start walking,
your commitment to start walking,
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your agreement to organize
your friends and family
your friends and family
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and your belief in our broader mission.
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TMD: It's important to me
that everyone in this room understands
that everyone in this room understands
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exactly how change-making
works in GirlTrek.
works in GirlTrek.
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One well-trained organizer has the power
to change the behavior
to change the behavior
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of 100 of her friends.
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We know that is true,
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because the [1,000] women
blowing up social media right now
blowing up social media right now
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have already inspired
over 100,000 women to walk.
over 100,000 women to walk.
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(Applause)
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But that is not nearly enough.
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And so our goal
is to create critical mass.
is to create critical mass.
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And in order to do that,
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we have an audacious plan
to scale our intervention.
to scale our intervention.
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A thousand organizers is not enough.
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GirlTrek is going to create
the next Citizenship School.
the next Citizenship School.
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And in doing so, we will train
10,000 frontline health activists
10,000 frontline health activists
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and deploy them into the highest-need
communities in America.
communities in America.
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Because when we do,
we will disrupt disease;
we will disrupt disease;
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we will create a new culture of health.
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And what we will do is create
a support system
a support system
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for one million Black women
to walk to save their own lives.
to walk to save their own lives.
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(Applause)
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And our training is unparalleled.
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I just want you to imagine.
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It's like a revival, tent-like festival,
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not unlike the civil rights
movement teach-ins.
movement teach-ins.
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And we're going to go
all across the country.
all across the country.
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It is the biggest announcement this week:
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Vanessa and I and a team
of masterful teachers,
of masterful teachers,
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all to culminate next year,
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on sacred ground,
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in Selma, Alabama,
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to create a new annual tradition
that we are calling "Summer of Selma."
that we are calling "Summer of Selma."
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VG: Summer of Selma will be
an annual pilgrimage
an annual pilgrimage
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that will include a walk --
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54 miles,
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the sacred route from Selma to Montgomery.
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It will also include rigorous training.
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Picture it,
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as women come to learn organizing
and recruitment strategies,
and recruitment strategies,
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to study exercise science,
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to take nutrition classes,
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to learn storytelling,
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to become certified
as outdoor trip leaders
as outdoor trip leaders
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and community advocates.
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TMD: This is going to be unprecedented.
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It's going to be a moment in time
like a cultural institution,
like a cultural institution,
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and in fact,
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it's going to be the Woodstock
of Black Girl Healing.
of Black Girl Healing.
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(Laughter)
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(Applause)
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VG: And the need --
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it's more urgent than ever.
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We are losing our communities'
greatest resource.
greatest resource.
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Black women are dying in plain sight.
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And not only is no one talking about it,
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but we refuse to acknowledge
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that the source of this crisis
is rooted in the same injustice
is rooted in the same injustice
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that first propelled
the civil rights movement.
the civil rights movement.
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On December 30 of 2017,
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Erica Garner,
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the daughter of Eric Garner,
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a Black man who died
on the streets of New York
on the streets of New York
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from a police choke hold,
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passed away of a heart attack.
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Erica was just 27 years old,
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the mother of two children.
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She would be one of 137
Black women that day --
Black women that day --
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more than 50,000 in the last year --
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to die from a heart-related issue,
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many of their hearts broken from trauma.
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The impacts of stress on Black women
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who send their children and spouses
out the door each day,
out the door each day,
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unsure if they will come home alive;
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who work jobs where they are paid 63 cents
to every dollar paid to white men;
to every dollar paid to white men;
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who live in communities
with crumbling infrastructure
with crumbling infrastructure
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with no access
to fresh fruits or vegetables;
to fresh fruits or vegetables;
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with little to no walkable
or green spaces --
or green spaces --
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the impact of this inequality
is killing Black women
is killing Black women
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at higher and faster rates
than any other group in the country.
than any other group in the country.
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But that is about to change.
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It has to.
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TMD: So let me tell you a story.
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About three weeks ago --
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many of you may have watched --
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Vanessa and I and a team
of 10 women walked 100 miles
of 10 women walked 100 miles
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on the actual Underground Railroad.
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We did it in five days --
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five long and beautiful days.
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And the world watched.
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Three million people
watched the live stream.
watched the live stream.
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Some of you in here,
the influencers, shared the story.
the influencers, shared the story.
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Urban Radio blasted it across the country.
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VG: Even the E! News channel interrupted
a story about the Kardashians --
a story about the Kardashians --
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which, if you asked us,
is just a little bit of justice --
is just a little bit of justice --
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(Laughter)
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to report that GirlTrek had made it safely
on our hundred-mile journey.
on our hundred-mile journey.
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(Applause)
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TMD: People were rooting for us.
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And they were rooting for us because
in this time of confusion and contention,
in this time of confusion and contention,
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this journey allowed us all to reflect
on what it meant to be American.
on what it meant to be American.
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We saw America up close
and personal as we walked.
and personal as we walked.
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We walked through historic towns,
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through dense forest,
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past former plantations.
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And one day,
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we walked into a gas station
that was also a café,
that was also a café,
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and it was filled with men.
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They were wearing camo
and had hunting supplies.
and had hunting supplies.
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And out front were all of their trucks,
and one had a Confederate flag.
and one had a Confederate flag.
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And so we left the establishment.
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And as we were walking along
this narrow strip of road,
this narrow strip of road,
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a few of the trucks reared by us so close,
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and out of their tailpipe
was the specter of mob violence.
was the specter of mob violence.
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It was unnerving.
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But then it happened.
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Right on the border
of Maryland and Delaware,
of Maryland and Delaware,
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we saw a man standing by his truck.
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The tailgate was down.
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He had on a brown jacket.
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He was standing there awkwardly.
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The first two girls in our group,
Jewel and Sandria,
Jewel and Sandria,
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they walked by because
he looked suspicious.
he looked suspicious.
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(Laughter)
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But the bigger group, we stopped
to give him a chance.
to give him a chance.
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And he walked up to us and he said,
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"Hi, my name is Jake Green.
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I heard you on Christian
radio this morning,
radio this morning,
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and God told me to bring you supplies."
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He brought us water,
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he brought us granola,
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and he brought us tissue.
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And we needed tissue because
we had just walked through a nor'easter;
we had just walked through a nor'easter;
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it was 29 degrees,
it was sleeting on our faces.
it was sleeting on our faces.
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Our sneakers and our socks were frozen
and wet and frozen again.
and wet and frozen again.
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We needed that tissue more
than he could have possibly understood.
than he could have possibly understood.
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So on that day, in that moment,
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Jake Green renewed
my faith in God for sure,
my faith in God for sure,
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but he renewed my faith in humanity.
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We have a choice to make.
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In America, we can fall further
into the darkness of discord, or not.
into the darkness of discord, or not.
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And I am here to tell you
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that the women of GirlTrek
are walking through the streets
are walking through the streets
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with a light that cannot be extinguished.
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VG: They are also walking
through the streets with a mission
through the streets with a mission
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as clear and as powerful
as the women who marched in Montgomery:
as the women who marched in Montgomery:
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that disease stops here,
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that trauma stops here.
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And with your support
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and in our ancestors' footsteps,
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these 10,000 newly trained activists
will launch the largest health revolution
will launch the largest health revolution
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this country has ever seen.
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And they will return to their communities
and model the best of human flourishing.
and model the best of human flourishing.
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And we --
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we will all celebrate.
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Because like Jake Green understood,
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our fates are intertwined.
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Septima Clark once said,
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"The air has finally gotten to a place
where we can breathe it together."
where we can breathe it together."
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And yet,
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the haunting last words of Eric Garner
were: "I can't breathe."
were: "I can't breathe."
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And his daughter Erica
died at 27 years old,
died at 27 years old,
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still seeking justice.
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So we --
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we're going to keep doing Septima's work
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until her words become reality,
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until Black women are no longer dying,
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until we can all breathe the air together.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
T. Morgan Dixon - Health activistT. Morgan Dixon is the co-founder and CEO of GirlTrek, inspiring more than 100,000 neighborhood walkers.
Why you should listen
T. Morgan Dixon co-leads GirlTrek, the largest public health nonprofit for African American women and girls in the United States. GirlTrek encourages women to use walking as a practical first step to inspire healthy living, families and communities. The organization knits local advocacy together to lead a civil rights-inspired health movement to eliminate barriers to physical activity, improve access to safe places, protect and reclaim green spaces, and improve the walkability and built environments of 50 high-need communities across the United States.
Prior to GirlTrek, Dixon was on the front lines of education reform. She served as director of leadership development for one of the largest charter school networks in the country, Achievement First, and directed the start-up of six public schools in New York City for St. Hope and the Urban Assembly, two organizations funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She has served as a trustee for boards of The National Outdoor Leadership School, Teach for Haiti and The Underground Railroad Historic Byway, a $50 million tourism and preservation project in Maryland.
As the leader of GirlTrek, Dixon has received fellowships from Teach for America (2012), Echoing Green (2013), Ashoka (2014) and The Aspen Institute (2015). She has been featured in The New York Times and CNN. She was named a "health hero" by Essence Magazine and appeared on the cover of Outside Magazine's "Icons" edition.
T. Morgan Dixon | Speaker | TED.com
Vanessa Garrison - Health activist
As COO of GirlTrek, Vanessa Garrison mobilizes African-American women and girls to reclaim their health and communities through walking.
Why you should listen
Vanessa Garrison is the co-founder and COO of GirlTrek, the largest public health nonprofit for African-American women and girls in the United States. With more than 100,000 neighborhood walkers, GirlTrek encourages women to use walking as a practical first step to inspire healthy living, families and communities.
Prior to co-founding GirlTrek, Garrison worked within the criminal justice space, helping formerly incarcerated women access critical services. She began her career working in digital media with Turner Broadcasting System in Atlanta, where she managed digital media projects for some the world's most recognizable news and entertainment brands, including, CNN, TNT and Sports Illustrated.
With GirlTrek, Garrison has been a featured in the Washington Post and The New York Times, and she was named a "Health Hero" by Essence Magazine. She has received social innovations fellowships from Teach For America, Echoing Green and the Aspen Institute.
Vanessa Garrison | Speaker | TED.com