The Historic Districts Council (HDC) will host “Parkchester: A Bronx Tale of Race and Ethnicity,” a virtual conversation about Parkchester, one of HDC’s 2022 Six to Celebrate, with Yeshiva University professor, Jeffrey Gurock, set for Thursday, January 19th.
Born and raised in Parkchester in the Bronx, Professor Gurock is an internationally-recognized expert in the discipline of American Jewish history. He is the author or editor of twenty-four books, including Parkchester: A Bronx Tale of Race and Ethnicity (NYU Press, 2019).
In his book, Professor Gurock explains how and why a “get along” spirit prevailed in Parkchester after the neighborhood was opened to all ethnicities. Until the late 1960s, Parkchester was off-limits to African Americans and Latinos. Gurock explains the process of integration that took place once the community was opened to all and explains why transition was made without the significant turmoil and violence that marked integration in other parts of the city.
The conversation will be moderated by Angel Hernandez, president of the Huntington Free Library and co-chair of HDC’s Bronx Borough Landmarks Preservation Committee.
This program will begin at 6 pm and will be held via Zoom. Tickets are $10. For more information or to register for the program, click here.
Greetings from Historic Plattsburgh NY. Picture this: Summer 1970. I was two years graduated from Manhattan College (in The West Bronx). Having successfully completed driving school, I was escorted by my instructor, to the State DMV road-test. RAIN all day. The inspector said at the outset: YES, hand signals required. I rolled down window and followed his instructions … through the bucolic streets of Parkchester neighborhood. I was soaked to my ankles but passed on first try. — Spring 1996. I attended the Union’s pre-retirement planning program at UFT Bronx HQ in Parkchester. Thanks for the memory jog, Jeffrey!