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Joseph, Edwina, 2014 October 31, inclusive

Scope and Contents

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.

Biographical note

Edwina (Greene) Joseph was born in 1940. She moved from the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn to the Linden Houses (in the East New York neighborhood) with her husband and children in 1962, and lived there until 2010. Joseph worked at the Wells Fargo bank international branch on Wall Street for many years. After her retirement, she was active in the East New York Farms! Project as a member of a Community Supported Agriculture program. In 2010 she moved to Acworth, Georgia.

Center for Brooklyn History
128 Pierrepont Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201