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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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Bernice McRae
Oral history interview conducted by Bahati Williams
April 11, 2008
Call number: 2008.030.29
0:01 - McCrae's introduction, connection to the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation (BSRC)
4:29 - 30-year evolution of Bed-Stuy, BSRC; career in small-business development, capital fund
17:36 - BSRC small business loans: intent, application process; education for entrepreneurs
26:05 - Merchants associations; redlining & racial barriers to loan provision; career challenges
34:47 - BSRC's social, cultural, & economic programs; housing programs; benefits of Bed-Stuy
43:35 - Final thoughts; interview conclusion
Interview Description
Oral History Interview with Bernice McRae
Bernice McCrae grew up in Georgia and moved to the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn as a young adult. She was a long-time employee of Restoration. At the time of the 2008 interview, she had worked there for thirty years, and held the position of director of small business services, where she worked in consulting would-be local entrepreneurs about business ownership, and mentored them through the loan application process for the Restoration revolving loan fund.
In this interview, Bernice McCrae recalls her start at Restoration and subsequent move to the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. A Restoration employee for over thirty years, McCrae says Restoration is the only true employer she's ever had. McCrae describes three decades of the neighborhood's evolution; much of it greatly influenced by the social, cultural, and economic interventions spearheaded by Restoration. In great detail, she discusses her position in Restoration's small business loan foundation, capital fund, and entrepreneurship education. Interview conducted by Bahati Williams.
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
McRae, Bernice, Oral history interview conducted by Bahati Williams, April 11, 2008, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation oral histories, 2008.030.29; Brooklyn Historical Society.People
- Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation
- Fulton-Nostrand United Merchants Association
- McRae, Bernice
Topics
- Community centers
- Community development corporations
- Discrimination in mortgage loans
- Economic development
- Enterprise zones
- Entrepreneurship
- Housing
Places
- Bedford-Stuyvesant (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
Finding Aid
Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation oral histories