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Oral histories are intimate conversations between and among people who have generously agreed to share these recordings with BHS’s archives and researchers. Please listen in the spirit with which these were shared. BHS abides by the General Principles & Best Practices for Oral History as agreed upon by the Oral History Association and expects that use of this material will be done with respect for these professional ethics.
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[Last name, First name], Oral history interview conducted by [Interviewer’s First name Last name], [Month DD, YYYY], [Title of Collection], [Call #]; Brooklyn Historical Society.
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Alan Fishman
Oral history interview conducted by Sady Sullivan
May 14, 2008
Call number: 2008.030.14
0:02 - Introduction, connection to the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation (BSRC)
1:42 - BSRC's emergence from a time of financial difficulty, changes in leadership, and influence
5:51 - AF's response to a problem of discrimination at Chemical Bank
9:47 - BSRC's successful "Dance Africa" collaboration with the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)
13:45 - Evolution of Bed-Stuy; affordable housing, safety; education, gentrification, displacement
15:36 - Childhood memories of playing basketball in Brooklyn & Bed-Stuy
16:54 - Role of community centers, leadership; BSRC's continued vitality
19:06 - Concluding thoughts
Interview Description
Oral History Interview with Alan Fishman
Alan Fishman grew up in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, where he played competitive basketball throughout the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn and attended Erasmus Hall High School. He attended Brown University as an undergraduate and holds a master's degree in economics from Columbia University. A commercial banker, Fishman's involvement with Restoration began in 1969. At the time of the 2008 interview, Fishman was a former president of Independence Community Bank, the current chairman of the Independence Community Foundation, the current chairman of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and a significant supporter of Restoration.
In this interview, Alan Fishman remembers growing up on the basketball courts of the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, a period he recalls as important in his development. Fishman recounts Restoration's emergence from a time of financial challenges and discontinuity of leadership. He describes a collaboration between the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Restoration in the Dance Africa program, noting the rarity of such successful ventures. Fishman discusses the evolution of Bedford-Stuyvesant and the essential role played by cultural and leadership centers in the maintenance of a vibrant community. Interview conducted by Sady Sullivan.
Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS) and Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation (Restoration) partnered on the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation oral history project in 2007-2008 to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of Restoration's founding as the first community development corporation (CDC) in the United States. Nearly sixty interviews were conducted with founding Board members, supporters, activists, artists, tenants, and other community members. Audio clips from these oral history interviews were included in the exhibit "Reflections on Community Development: Stories from Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation" (BHS 2008, Restoration 2009).
Citation
Fishman, Alan, Oral history interview conducted by Sady Sullivan, May 14, 2008, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation oral histories, 2008.030.14; Brooklyn Historical Society.People
- Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation
- Brooklyn Academy of Music
- Fishman, Alan
- Grannum, Colvin W.
- Thomas, Franklin A.
- Youth Arts Academy
Topics
- Community centers
- Community development corporations
- Gentrification
- Philanthropists
Places
- Bedford-Stuyvesant (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- New York (N.Y.)
Finding Aid
Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation oral histories