DAVID DINKINS | 1927–2020 DAVID DAVID DAVIDDINKINS DINKINS DINKINS|| |1927–2020 1927–2020 1927–2020
Dinkins: Dinkins: Dinkins: AAFriend Friend in Deed A Friendin inDeed Deed By Moikgantsi Kgama By ByByMoikgantsi Moikgantsi MoikgantsiKgama Kgama Kgama
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Mayor Dinkins and his wife, Mrs. Joyce Dinkins Mayor Dinkins and his wife, Mayor Mayor Dinkins Dinkins and and his his wife, wife, Mrs. Joyce Dinkins Mrs. Mrs. Joyce Joyce Dinkins Dinkins
n 1986, a group of Harlem clergy formed Harlem forof Community Improvement, Inc. n n1986, 1986, 1986,aa agroup group group ofof Harlem Harlemclergy clergy clergy formedHarlem Harlem nCongregations Harlem formed (HCCI) in an effort to revitalize Harlem. Their initial Congregations Congregationsfor for forCommunity Community CommunityImprovement, Improvement,Inc. Inc. Congregations focus would be the 40-block north Harlem. central Harlem area (HCCI) (HCCI) inin anan effort effort toto revitalize revitalize Harlem. Theirinitial initial (HCCI) in an effort to revitalize Their known as Bradhurst. In direct response toHarlem the cries of focus focus would would bebe the the 40-block 40-block north north central Harlem area focus would be the 40-block north central area Harlem’s poor and struggling middle-class residents, known known asasBradhurst. Bradhurst. Bradhurst.In InIndirect direct directresponse response responsetotothe thecries criesofof known as men and women ofand faith walked hand-in-hand electHarlem’s Harlem’s poor poorand and struggling struggling middle-class middle-classwith residents, Harlem’s poor struggling middle-class residents, ed officials, community activists, educators, and engaged men men and and women women ofof faith faith walked walked hand-in-hand hand-in-hand withelectelectmen and women of faith walked hand-in-hand with residents tocommunity remove blight and rebuild the Harlem comeded officials, officials, community community activists, activists, educators, educators, andengaged engaged ed officials, activists, educators, and munity. From the birth of and HCCI until his death latecomlast residents residents toto remove remove blight blight and and rebuild rebuild the Harlem comresidents to remove blight rebuild the Harlem year, the beloved Mayor David N. Dinkins remained one munity. munity.From From From the the birth birth ofof HCCI HCCI until untilhishisdeath deathlate latelast last munity. the birth of HCCI until of HCCI’s strongest allies. year, year, the the beloved beloved Mayor Mayor David David N.N. Dinkins Dinkinsremained remainedone one year, the beloved Mayor David N. Dinkins Borough President David N. Dinkins supported fundofof HCCI’s HCCI’s strongest strongest allies. allies. of HCCI’s strongest allies. ingBorough the institution, then, as the first Black Mayor offundNew Borough Borough President President David David N.N. Dinkins Dinkins supported fundPresident David N. Dinkins supported York City, Dinkins leveraged his position to implement ing ing the the institution, institution, then, then, asas the the first first BlackMayor MayorofofNew New ing the institution, then, as the first Black HCCI’s blueprint for the revitalization of Bradhurst. York York City, City, Dinkins Dinkins leveraged leveraged his hisposition position position implement York City, Dinkins leveraged his totoimplement Mayor Koch, whom Dinkins succeeded, didn’t believe HCCI’s HCCI’s blueprint blueprint for for the the revitalization revitalization Bradhurst. HCCI’s blueprint for the revitalization ofof Bradhurst. Black churches had the capacity to pull off the massive Mayor Mayor Koch, Koch, whom whom Dinkins Dinkins succeeded, succeeded,didn’t didn’t didn’tbelieve believe believe Mayor Koch, whom Dinkins succeeded, plan. His thrust was to exclude HCCI and take the plan to Black Black churches churches had had the the capacity capacity to to pull pull off off the the massive massive Black churches had the capacity to pull off the massive an outside developer. However, Mayor Dinkins set aside plan. plan. His His thrust thrust was was toto exclude exclude HCCI HCCI and and take take the the plan plan toto plan. His thrust was to exclude HCCI and take the plan to an an outside outside developer. developer. However, However, Mayor Mayor Dinkins Dinkins set set aside aside an outside developer. However, Mayor Dinkins set aside
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The Positive Community Winter 2021
$18.4 million in the capital budget for the Bradhurst community at ainin time hebudget was striving to $3 bil$18.4 $18.4million million the thewhen capital capital budget for forthe thecut Bradhurst Bradhurst capital budget for the Bradhurst lion from the budget. community communityatata atime timewhen whenhe hewas wasstriving strivingto cut$3 $3bilbilwhen he was striving totocut cut $3 bilDinkins made grassroots neighborhood revitalization lion lion from fromthe thebudget. budget. andDinkins the Bradhurst Plan a cornerstone of revitalization his adminisDinkins made madegrassroots grassroots neighborhood neighborhood revitalization grassroots neighborhood revitalization tration. The project—which represented pioneering, and andthe theBradhurst BradhurstPlan Planaa acornerstone cornerstoneof hisadminisadminisPlan cornerstone ofofhis his adminisunprecedented social engineering by a municipal govtration. tration.The Theproject—which project—which represented represented pioneering, pioneering, project—which represented pioneering, unprecedented unprecedentedsocial socialengineering engineeringby municipalgovgovsocial engineering bybyaa amunicipal municipal gov-
HCCI Board Chair Joan O. Dawson with Mayor Dinkins at 15th Annual HCCIwith Gala HCCI HCCIBoard BoardChair Chair Joan Joan O. Dawson with HCCI Board Chair Joan O.O.Dawson Dawson with Mayor Mayor Dinkins Dinkins at at 15th 15th Annual Annual HCCI HCCI Gala Gala Mayor Dinkins at 15th Annual HCCI Gala www.thepositivecommunity.com
