SPOTLIGHT ON: BLACK HISTORY MONTH

By Christine Bruzzese

February has been designated Black History Month in honor of African-American culture and achievements. This article focuses on three African-American political figures in New York City.

Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. was born in 1904. An ordained Baptist minister, he was the first African-American elected to the City Council in 1941. In 1944, he was elected to the U.S. Congress, where he served until 1968. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.: the Political Biography of an American Dilemma by Charles V. Hamilton details Powell's often controversial career, his work in advancing civil rights and his eventual downfall. Adam by Adam is Powell's autobiography published in 1971. Powell recalls his career and personal life, providing his own explanation and viewpoints of the events that led to his expulsion from Congress in 1967 and re-election the following year. He died in 1972.

J. Raymond Jones, born in 1899 in the Virgin Islands, arrived in New York City in 1918. He eventually became the first African-American leader of the Manhattan Democratic organization. The Harlem Fox: J. Raymond Jones and Tammany, 1920-1970 by John C. Walter describes Jones's rise to power within the Democratic party and his career as district leader, City Council member and party chairperson. Jones went on to encourage blacks to become involved in the Democratic party, promoted the careers of several successful African-American politicians and worked to fight segregation in the ranks of the party. His influence extended to national politics. Jones died in 1991.

Shirley Chisholm, born in 1924, was the first African-American woman elected to the U. S. Congress in 1968, representing a district in Brooklyn. She also was a candidate for the Presidential nomination in 1972. The Good Fight is Chisholm's first-person account of her 1972 campaign. Chisholm recounts her experiences on the campaign trail, discusses problems and power struggles within the Democratic party and offers recommendations for future change. Shirley Chisholm died in 2005.

Consult the biographical clippings files for information on the lives and careers of African-American politicians and officials. The library catalogue and vertical files also contain diverse resources on African-American history, culture and life in New York City.

ACQUISITIONS LIST, JANUARY 2007

The following publications were received by the City Hall Library in the past month. Additional government publications can be found online in our Government Publications section.

AKRF, Inc. West 61st Street rezoning and citywide general large-scale development text amendment: final environmental impact statement. Prepared for Dept. of City Planning, December 2006. (CEQR No. 05DCP063Y)

Design Trust for Public Space. Designing the taxi: rethinking New York City's moveable public space. New York: In cooperation with Parsons The New School, November 2005.

Fiscal Policy Institute. New York State workers' compensation: how big is the coverage shortfall? January 25, 2007.

Interstate Environmental Commission. Annual report, 2006. January 27, 2007.

Lerner, Sharon. "There's no such place": Family Assessment Program, PINS and the limits of support services for families with teens in New York City. New York: Center for New York City Affairs, The New School, January 2007.

Maguire, Sheila. Locally grown: key strategies for expanding workforce services. New York: Public/Private Ventures, October 2006.

McKinsey & Company. Sustaining New York's and the US' global financial services leadership. A joint report from the offices of N.Y. City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer.

New York Academy of Medicine and the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence. Nurse retention and workforce diversity: two key issues in New York City's nursing crisis. November 2006.

New York City. Aging, Department of. Ready New York: for seniors & people with disabilities. (No date).

New York City. Comptroller. Affordable no more: an update. New York City's Mitchell-Lama and limited dividend housing crisis is accelerating. Policy report, May 25, 2006.

New York City. Comptroller. Audit report on the development and implementation of the S-Elect Project by New York City Board of Elections. January 26, 2007. (Report no. 7753).

New York City. Comptroller. Audit report on the financial and operating practices of the Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District. January 29, 2007. (Report no. 7754).

New York City. Comptroller. Audit report on the financial and operating practices of the 12 Bronx community boards. January 29, 2007. (Report no. 7755).

New York City. Comptroller. Audit report on the financial practices and procedures of the Pomonok Neighborhood Center July 1, 2003-June 30, 2004. January 25, 2007 (Report no. 7752).

New York City. Comptroller. Audit report on the New York Yankees rental credits for the first quarter of 2006 (January 1-March 31, 2006). January 10, 2007. (Report no. 7751)

New York City. Comptroller. Highway robbery: the high cost of automobile insurance in New York. Policy report, November 2006.

New York City. Comptroller. The MacBride principles and the equality agenda in Northern Ireland: a status report. November 2006.

New York City. Comptroller. A review of MTA New York City Transit "state of good repair" capital expenditures. February 2007.

New York City. Council. Kick-off to a rip-off: loose laws lead to inflated prices for rent-to-own consumers. [January 2007]

New York City. Council. Safer nights, safer city: recommendations of the NYC Council from the Nightlife Safety Summit. December 28, 2006

New York City. Education, Department of. Annual financial statement for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006.

New York City. Education, Department of. Citywide Council on High Schools. Annual report 2005-2006. November 2006.

New York City. Emergency Management, Office of. Ready New York: emergency planning: a guide for small & mid-sized companies.

New York City. Emergency Management, Office of. One year later... June 2005.

New York City. Independent Budget Office. City's fiscal picture continues to brighten. January 2007 (IBO Fiscal Outlook)

New York City. Investigation, Department of. The Department's findings regarding fraud and financial management at the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club. September 2006.

New York City. Mayor. State of the City address: "Taking the next step". January 17, 2007.

New York City. Mayor. New York City Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee. Annual report, 2006.

New York City Investment Fund. Cleantech: a new engine of economic growth for New York State. January 2007.

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council. The basics of freight transportation in the New York region. (No date)

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council. Congestion Management System: description and procedures. (No date).

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council. HUB bound: 2003 travel report. February 2006.

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council. NYMTC regional freight plan: an element of the regional transportation plan. Final. June, 2004.

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council. Rail freight yard requirements: land assessment for the East of Hudson Area. March 2003.

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council. Regional transportation statistical report: 2002. January 2005.

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council. Regional transportation statistical report: 2003. March 2006.

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council. Regional transportation statistical report: 2004. November 2006.

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council. 2006-2010 Transportation Improvement Program. August 4, 2005.

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council. Transportation safety: 2001 report. January 2005.

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council. Transportation safety: 2002 report. January 2006.

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council. Transportation safety statistical report: 2003-2004.

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council. Truck toll volumes report: 2003-2004. February 2006.

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council. Truck toll volumes: 2005. December 2006.

New York City. Public Advocate. Giving birth in the dark: city hospitals still failing to provide legally mandated maternity information. December 2006.

New York City. Public Advocate. Improving access to city services: fiscal year 2006.

New York City. Taxi and Limousine Commission. Annual report to the New York City Council, 2006.

New York City keeps trucking - a lot: a study of truck traffic in NYC 1998-2007. Prepared by the Office of Congressman Anthony D. Weiner, U. S. House of Representatives. January 12, 2007.

New York State. Department of Public Service. Draft staff report on its investigation of the July 2006 equipment failures and power outages in Con Edison's Long Island City network in Queens County, New York. January 2007.

Public Health Association of New York City. Steps to get New Yorkers moving: public recommendations for increasing opportunities for physical activity in New York City. 2006.

Schaller, Bruce. Battling traffic: what New Yorkers think about road pricing. (A Rethinking Development Report, No. 3). New York: Center for Rethinking Development, Manhattan Institute, December 2006.

Schaller, Bruce. Choices at a critical junction: New York's mobility and highway infrastructure needs for 2005-2010. Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & Management, NYC Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, March 2005.

Schaller Consulting. Traffic information in NYC: what we know, what we need to know. Prepared for Transportation Alternatives. January 23, 2007.

Schaller Consulting. Curbing cars: shopping, parking and pedestrian space in SoHo. Prepared for Transportation Alternatives. Brooklyn: December 14, 2006.

United States Federal Highway Administration. PEDSAFE: Pedestrian Safety Guide and Countermeasure Selection System. Washington: September 2004.

For more info on the City Hall Library, please visit our website.

To unsubscribe please go to this link:
https://www.nyc.gov/portal/signin.jsp

Comment on this news service:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/news_feedback.html

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE!