This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Why rest on the notion of just being the Scenic City? Leading with scenic merely suggests a commitment to optics—a vision of Chattanooga that invites oohs and ahs. What if we committed ourselves to being the City of Equity? What if we found value in the many people, places, and ideas that make us Chattanooga as opposed to arbitrarily picking which culture received our time and attention? At this critical juncture in our journey towards being a regional powerhouse and a model for mid-sized cities across America, we have to choose between meaningful progress towards socio-economic equality or settling for appearances. Simply put, as Chattanoogans we have to choose: Equity or Optics.
Robert Fisher, a Brock Scholar and Student Government Association President at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, was recently named a 2014 Truman Scholar by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation.
Among his many public service appointments, Fisher currently serves as the UT Student Representative to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, as well as a member of the UT Advocacy Council (UTAC) Executive Oversight Committee.
Recently he was appointed by Mayor Andy Berke to co-chair the Downtown Revitalization Taskforce of the Chattanooga Forward Initiative—a committee of civic innovators who will lead Chattanooga's downtown through its next phase of growth.
Fisher's awards and honors include being named an Institute Scholar at the Institute for Responsible Citizenship and a Presidential Fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event 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)
