Sarita Daftary-Steel collection of East New York oral histories
The collection consists of twenty oral history interviews (with nineteen narrators) conducted by Sarita Daftary-Steel with residents (past and present) of the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn. The interviews were conducted between January 2014 and February 2015. The project was designed to capture the experiences of East New York residents who lived in the neighborhood during the period when families of color (African American, West Indian, and Puerto Rican) moved in and White families moved out, and the resulting decline of services and quality of life that followed. This process began as early as the 1950s and continued through the rest of the twentieth century. In particular, the narrators discuss race relations, school integration, housing, community organizing, the rise of crime and drug activity, and neighborhood renewal efforts. Public housing, such as the Linden Houses and Starrett City, is frequently discussed. Local schools, especially Thomas Jefferson High School and George Gershwin Junior High School, are referred to throughout the interviews. Several of the narrators (as well as Daftary-Steel) were involved with United Community Centers, a local community activist and integrationist organization, whose activities are also discussed at length. In addition to the interviews, the collection contains digital photographs of some of the narrators.
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 11:16:58 +0000.
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Language: Finding aid written in English
Brooklyn Historical Society
Barksdale, Mary, 2014 March 28, inclusive
In the interview Mary Barksdale discusses her deep involvement in the issues of education and interracial collaboration in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn. She relates how she arrived in East New York in the 1960s, as African American and Hispanic families moved in and White families left. Barksdale speaks in depth on her community activism, especially with United Community Centers. She was heavily involved with improving and integrating the neighborhood's schools. She also discusses her childhood and family, internal conflict at United Community Centers, her hopes for the future, and the worrying trends she sees in our current political climate. The interview was conducted by Sarita Daftary-Steel at United Community Centers in East New York.
Bristol, Carlos, 2014 July 29, inclusive
In the interview, Carlos Bristol speaks about the African American enclave he lived in on Cleveland Street in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn, his experience in school and involvement with low-level youth gangs, his imprisonment, and his return to East New York in 1971, after which he became heavily involved in community organizing, youth development and mentorship, social services work, and the rebuilding of the neighborhood through the Nehemiah housing program. He recalls many ways that he saw racism affect the community and the development of the young people he grew up with, and about the decline in services that followed the decline in White population. He also talks about his belief that there are plans in place that are likely to bring significant changes to the neighborhood in the future. The interview was conducted by Sarita Daftary-Steel at Bristol's home in East New York.
Organizations
East New York Vocational High School (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.);
J.H.S. 64 (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.);
Nehemiah Housing;
P.S. 158 (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.);
Thomas Jefferson High School (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.);
Transit Tech High School (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.);
United Community Centers, Inc
Brown, Johanna, 2014 March 16, inclusive
In the interview, Johanna Brown discusses moving to a predominantly Jewish section of the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn, White flight and the decline of services in the area, racism and resistance to integrating public schools, interracial friendships, life at the Linden Houses and Starrett City, United Community Centers, the devastating effect of drugs on the community, the rise of crime and violence (including the murder of a school friend), and the effect of gentrification on the future of the neighborhood. The interview was conducted by Sarita Daftary-Steel at Brown's home in East New York.
Approximately twelve minutes of the interview has been removed for privacy reasons.
Daniel, Lydia, 2014 July 21, inclusive
In the interview, Lydia Daniel discusses moving to the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn, owning her own business and the difficulties she faced securing loans, White flight and the decline of services in the area, integration, gentrification and affordable housing, moving from the US Virgin Islands to New York, and positive aspects of East New York. She also compares her experiences living in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, the Bronx, and East New York. The interview was conducted by Sarita Daftary-Steel at Cas Cuts, which is a barbershop owned by her son in East New York.
Davidson, Gary, 2014 June 10, inclusive
In the interview, Gary Davidson describes his family's history in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn, the effect the city's policy of planned shrinkage in the 1970s, White flight, changes on his block (Logan Street, between Liberty Avenue and Atlantic Avenue), East Brooklyn Churches and community organizing, the crack cocaine epidemic, police oppression, problems with school integration, and the importance of working together as a community despite racial and ethnic differences. The interview was conducted by Sarita Daftary-Steel at Davidson's home in East New York.
Faulding, Anita, 2014 March 13, inclusive
In the interview, Anita Faulding discusses living her life in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn, especially her experiences with United Community Centers (UCC). She describes how she became involved with UCC as a teenager protesting against school segregation and how she later worked at the organization's integrated day care center. She also discusses living in public housing (Linden Houses and Fairfield Towers), White flight, and eventually leaving East New York for Long Island. Finally, she also speaks on public education, specifically on the effects of segregation and charter schools on students today. The interview was conducted by Sarita Daftary-Steel at Faulding's home in Baldwin, New York.
Foglio, Paulette and Holtzman, Jordan, 2014 July 17, inclusive
In the interview, Paulette Foglio and Jordan Holtzman describe growing up in the Linden Houses in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn in the 1950s and 1960s, their experiences in neighborhood schools (especially George Gershwin Junior High School and Thomas Jefferson High School), neighborhood businesses, White flight from the neighborhood and public housing, the rise in crime in the neighborhood, integration and race relations, and their feelings about the neighborhood today. The interview was conducted by Sarita Daftary-Steel at PS 99 in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York.
Gonzalez, Gladys, 2014 September 12, inclusive
In the interview, Gladys Gonzalez discusses moving from the Fort Greene neighborhood to the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn, life in East New York in the 1960s, establishing community gardens on her block, her school years and race relations at George Gershwin Junior High School, the effect of drugs and crime on the community, and her optimism regarding the future of the neighborhood. The interview was conducted by Sarita Daftary-Steel at Gonzalez's home in East New York.
Organizations
George Gershwin J.H.S. 166 (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.);
P.S. 4K Paradise Garden (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.);
P.S. 108 (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.);
P.S. K004 (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.);
Thomas Jefferson High School (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
Gonzalez, Luis, 2014 October 23, inclusive
In the interview, Luis Gonzalez describes moving from Puerto Rico to Brooklyn, living in the Ocean Hill section of the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn (which he refers to as East New York), relationships with Jewish neighbors, working as a youth, race relations and bullying at school, White flight from the neighborhood, the rise of drugs and crime, and his work as a New York City Housing Police Department officer and detective. The interview was conducted remotely by Sarita Daftary-Steel in Brooklyn, New York and Gonzalez in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
Grizer, Mel, 2014 January 1, inclusive
In the interview, Mel Grizer describes moving to public housing in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn in 1967, working with United Community Centers (UCC) to promote integration and the difficulties they faced from both the White and Black communities, the leadership and evolution of UCC through the years, White flight and the changing demographics of the neighborhood, the rise of crime and arson in the community, violence in local public schools, and political corruption. The interview was conducted at Grizer's home in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn by Sarita Daftary-Steel.
Holtzman, Jordan, 2014 July 17, inclusive
In the interview, Jordan Holtzman describes growing up in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn, attending local schools (PS 190, George Gershwin Junior High School, and Thomas Jefferson High School), working with his father, local businesses on New Lots Avenue, integration of the neighborhood, and the Linden Houses. The interview was conducted by Sarita Daftary-Steel at PS 99 in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York.
Joseph, Edwina, 2014 October 31, inclusive
In the interview, Edwina Joseph describes life in the Linden Houses in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn, where she resided for over forty five years. She discusses being the first Black family to move into the Houses in 1962, relations with her neighbors, White flight from the Houses, and subsequent decline of the quality of life due to the New York City Housing Authority's disregard for residents. She also discusses the schools her children attended and political activism in the neighborhood. The interview was conducted remotely by Sarita Daftary-Steel in Brooklyn, New York and Joseph in Acworth, Georgia.
Joseph, Edwina, 2014 November 7, inclusive
In the interview, Edwina Joseph continues to discuss living in the Linden Houses from 1962 to 2010 and the changes she saw over the years, including a decline in police presence, draconian law enforcement when police were present in the area, the adversarial relationship between the Housing Authority and residents, and the general decline in quality of life. The interview was conducted remotely by Sarita Daftary-Steel in Brooklyn, New York and Joseph in Acworth, Georgia.
Malek, Gloria, 2014 May 12, inclusive
In the interview, Gloria Malek describes growing up in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn in the 1930s through 1950s when it was primarily a Jewish community, living in the Linden Houses and its later decline, White flight, her involvement with political activism and the March on Washington, becoming deeply involved with the United Community Centers and integration, race relations at local schools and bullying, crime and being mugged, and her interracial relationship with a Black man. Throughout the interview she speaks about the challenges she and her family faced living in East New York, but also emphasizes her strong desire to live and socialize in racially mixed communities. The interview was conducted by Sarita Daftary-Steel at Malek's home in the Stuyvesant Town residential development in Manhattan, New York, New York.
Montgomery, Isaiah, 2014 June 20, inclusive
In the interview, Isaiah Montgomery describes his move from South Carolina to Brooklyn; his parents' work and taking care of his sister as a youth; moving to the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn in the 1963; White flight; the rise of crime, arson, and drugs; race conflict at Franklin K. Lane High School; his children's time at South Shore High School and Thomas Jefferson High School; community gardens; and the current development and revitalization of the neighborhood. He also describes his work as a corrections officer in New York City. The interview was conducted by Sarita Daftary-Steel at Montgomery's home in East New York.
Piggott, Conrad Wayne, 2015 January 9, inclusive
In the interview, Conrad Wayne Piggott discusses moving from the Fort Greene Houses to the Boulevard Houses in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn, the rural nature of East New York in the 1950s and 1960s, local businesses, playing in the nearby junkyards and wetlands, joining the Marines and serving in the Vietnam War, his affinity for military life, his love of East New York (especially his time as a youth), his father's work as a New York City Transit Police Department detective, his mother's ancestry, teenagers today, corporal punishment, and his interactions with the police. The interview was conducted by Sarita Daftary-Steel at Brooklyn Public Library's Central Library.
Rabinowitz, Richard, 2014 December 8, inclusive
In the interview, Richard Rabinowitz discusses his parents' lives in the 1930s and 1940s, his childhood growing up in the Jewish community of the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn in the 1950s, local businesses and schools, White flight, race relations, and integration. The interview was conducted by Sarita Daftary-Steel at Rabinowitz's home in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn.
Richardson, Toni, 2015 February 6, inclusive
In the interview, Toni Richardson discusses moving from the Amsterdam Houses to the Linden Houses in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn in 1957, growing up in the neighborhood and interracial friendships, race relations as a teenager, attending Thomas Jefferson High School, her involvement with United Community Centers, the decline of services in the Linden Houses as the residents shifted from predominantly White to Black, the poor quality of education in local schools, her career as a Black woman at IBM, and systemic racism and its effect on society. The interview was conducted by Sarita Daftary-Steel at Richardson's home in Ossining, New York.
Smith, Yvonne, 2014 September 8, inclusive
In the interview, Yvonne Smith discusses moving to the Linden Houses in 1966, the decline of the housing development and moving to Rochdale Village in Queens, sending her children to Catholic schools instead of public schools, the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, the decline of integration in the communities where she has resided, parenting, and racism in society. The interview was conducted by Sarita Daftary-Steel at Smith's home in Rochdale Village, Queens, New York.
Yeancades, Carmen, 2014 August 8, inclusive
In the interview, Carmen Yeancades speaks in detail about her life as a child in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn. She describes the dissolution of the neighborhood, blockbusting, the influx of many Southern Black families, the exodus of Jewish families, White flight, and the reconstruction of the neighborhood in preparation for new housing projects. The interview was conducted by Sarita Daftary-Steel at Yeancades' home in Bardonia, New York.