Inspiration: Jamal Ali

By Elizabeth Macanufo 

This article first appeared in the Summer 2008 issue of IN magazine.

Jamal Ali envisions himself sitting on Oprah’s couch in the very near future to promote his book Black and Green: Why Black People Should Embrace the Green Movement. He’s positive that at some point Oprah is going to do a show on black people who are doing green. As an author at the forefront of the green movement in his neighborhood and the nation, Ali intends to be there when she does.

Raised with a lot of green influence before the phrase “go green” existed, Ali’s father influenced his earth- friendly ways. The patriarch, concerned about budgeting for his wife and seven children, developed an aversion to waste. Describing his father as “a miser,” Ali remembers a childhood filled with meals cooked with food from their garden, not drive-through dinners. He remembers his dad coming home and complaining that the lights were on in rooms where there were no people.

Slowly, from his childhood to adulthood, Ali gradually turned into an environmentalist. Living inde- pendently after college, he noticed differences between his current situation and his upbringing. After getting married he realized his family was eating more canned and less fresh foods, and the changes started him thinking about the environment.

Household activities, such as taking care of his lawn, further opened Ali’s mind to living green. “If you’re interested in saving the environment, you can’t put pesticide on the lawn.” He transitioned to organic grass seed and an electric lawn mower. Other green initiatives he has undertaken include purchasing a hybrid vehicle for his wife Rosalind who drives everyday, biking more, installing a tankless water heater, composting food and yard waste, installing compact florescent light bulbs through- out the house and washing all clothes in cold water.

Rosalind suggested that Ali keep notes on their green lifestyle. He began jotting down some thoughts and putting texture around them. The thoughts slowly started looking like a book. Ali began his writing process in June 2007 with a specific readership in mind. “Unfortunately, saving the environment is a white thing. I felt I needed to reach out to blacks and Latinos. The issue has not resonated with our communities.”

An advertising professional during his day job, Ali determined his strategy before transferring his thoughts to paper and ultimately translating them into a publishable book. He considered the potential reader as well as his own experience in clothing. “There is waste in consump- tion, and we need to curtail it.” By purchasing products already in existence, Ali argues, individuals could help cut down on resources.