For the last 12 years, artist and TED Fellow LaToya Ruby Frazier has photographed friends, neighbors and family in Braddock, Pennsylvania. But though the steel town has lately been hailed as a posterchild of "rustbelt revitalization," Frazier's pictures tell a different story, of the real impact of inequality and environmental toxicity. In this short, powerful talk, the TED Fellow shares a deeply personal glimpse of an often-unseen world.

A visual history of inequality in industrial America

The celebrated revitalization of Braddock, Pennsylvania hides a complex reality of racial erasure, disinvestment, and environmental damage. Generations of Black families have endured the fallout of heavy industry, toxic exposure, and the collapse of local infrastructure. Stories focus on steel and urban renewal but often ignore the lived experiences of the town’s Black residents. A series of personal photographs documents the unseen toll of these forces on bodies, homes, and community history.

Rust Belt Revival Masks Deep Inequality and Environmental Harm

*The Notion of Family*

An unexpected family photo album

TED Fellows

creativity

environment

photography

social change

community

equality

TED Stage Talk

LaToya Ruby Frazier: A visual history of inequality in industrial America