My Black Year: Maggie Anderson at TEDxGrandRapids

Margarita Anderson and her family were featured in national headlines as they lived exclusively off Black businesses, professionals and products for an entire year. Her stand, chronicled in her book, "Our Black Year," was called The Empowerment Experiment. Now, she tours the country to increase awareness about economic inequalities that starve Black neighborhoods and deny Black businesses, and how proactive support of these businesses can create jobs and curb crime in America.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)