FROM

National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People

EWS Pee | ieshe (tape tir a
BSOOKLYN BRANCH

| EDICATION COVMIITER

1722 PLTON STakit Miss Louise Glover 9 GIMME.
BROOKLYN, SEW YORK 400 Herkimer st.”

Brooklyn,’ W.aY.
14273

FOR RELEASE: Irmediately, Nareh 16, 1970

The recent appointment of Dr. Richard D. Trent as
president of Community College 47 in Redford-stuyvesant represents
@ vietory over those forces in our community that would enslave the

rest of us.

In February 1968, representatives of £5 community
organizations (list attached) becave the Steering Committee of the
Bedford-Stuyvesant Coalition on Kducational Reeds and Services, There
were early indieations that "no eoalition" was ever intended on the
part of some of the members. However, there were those of us who eon-
tinued until June 1969 to try to work as a team. At thet tive, 11 of
the 25 organisations comprising the coalition dasuec a statement (eopy
attaehed) of "no confidence" and sought to gucoent the negotiating
team by adding 6 persons fron our vroup of 11 and 5 elected offietals

_from the Bedford-Stuyvesant comunity, Shortly thereafter, our
number was redueed to 10 when one of the signers requested thet his
name be renoved from the docuvent. Verbal abuse, near-physical
violence, and threatened violence prevented the operation of sueh a team.

It is cosmon knowledve that eertain forees in the

New York City dovermnent will fight until hell freezes over to prevent

the establishzsent of an institution of higher learning in our
' eormunity. Some of the members of the Coalition have eontributed rost-
(40 R B)



WAAC? ~ 2
5/16/70

ecenerously to the aid and comfort of those forces.
. We have a merorandun dated November 4, 1968 from Charles

8. Wright, Planning Consultant, outlining his"preliminary and tentative®
report on four sites that might be suitable for the college. Our
Coalition agreed on the building formerly oceupied by the long Islend
College of Pharmacy, and this information was passed on to the NYC
Board of Higher fducation. YET - one year and three months later this
sane site turns up on the agenda of the NYC Board of Fducation in the
form of a resolution to acquire the site for additional seats for high
school students. By the Board's own edmission, the seats currently
available are under-utilized, Who is playing ganes with whom?

One member of the Coalition has said "Edueation is an
afflietion." We say education is our first exit fron of poverty.
Other members have seid "No fihody MeCoy as president - no college."
We say a resounding HELCOWEL to Dr. Trent. The coring of the eollexe to
our eomrunity can bring with it many of the thinzs we want and need so
desperately. It's very coming represents e substantial finanoial ine
vestment, It can place great enphaaia on elerentsary education, nursing,
soeial work, and many other areas where the needs are so very great.
It ean alse provide some fobs tor our residents,

we strongiy urze that those of us who nicht tend to
comprise the silent majority in Bedford-Stuyvesant to gird ourselves.
for the battle that will surely ensne as we move forward toward the
realization of our college.

- BO -