News Flash

DO YOU REMEMBER SPEAKING WITH GRANDPARENTS OR GREAT GRANDPARENTS ABOUT FAMILY MEMBERS WHO WERE SLAVES?DO YOU WANT TO SHARE YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH DISCRIMINATION WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WITH FUTURE GENERATIONS?DID YOU LIVE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY (or locally) AND HAVE AN INTERESTING STORY TO TELL ABOUT HOW YOU WERE TREATED?GREENBURGH IS PLANNING A LIVING HISTORY INITIATIVE --PRESERVING MEMORIES

Town Supervisor Paul Feiner and the Greenburgh Town Board are creating a living history initiative, collecting and preserving family stories of residents for future generations to appreciate.  We are asking senior residents to share family photos, heirlooms and dialogues that illustrate the history of slavery, discrimination and race relations in our community.  These memories will be preserved as video presentations that can be shared for many generations to come.  This is an important initiative that will help promote cultural diversity and highlight the rich history and heritage of our residents and our town.  If you are interested in participating in this project, please contact Tina Harper at tharper@greenburghny.com or by phone at 914-989-3620.

In 2018 I interviewed  on WVOX radio Elaine Finsilver and her daughter Jane about their experiences integrating the Ardsley school system. Ron Cook was the first African American to graduate from Ardsley schools in 1965 He mentioned that when he graduated  he received a standing ovation but he was not allowed to swim a local residents pool during the graduation party.  Elaine, who was a forster parent, mentioned that people spit on the grass of her home after Ron moved to her house from South Carolina. This is the kind of stories that the living history initiative will highlight.  Local experiences. Family experiences. Experiences of racism that impacted your family.

OTHER GREENBURGH LIVING HISTORY INITIATIVES:

Veterans living history initiative - about 150 half hour interviews with Greenburgh veterans who served in WWII and Korean conflict

911 Living History initiative- interviews with residents who experienced 9-11

Holocaust Living history initiative- interviews with survivors of the holocaust

PAUL FEINER