Terms of Use
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.
Every oral history relies on the memories, views, and opinions of the narrator. Because of the personal nature of oral history, listeners may find some viewpoints or language of the recorded participants to be objectionable. In keeping with its mission of preservation and unfettered access whenever possible, BHS presents these views as recorded.
The audio recording should be considered the primary source for each interview. Where provided, transcripts created prior to 2008 or commissioned by a third party other than BHS, serve as a guide to the interview and are not considered verbatim. More recent transcripts commissioned by BHS are nearly verbatim copies of the recorded interview, and as such may contain the natural false starts, verbal stumbles, misspeaks, and repetitions that are common in conversation. The decision for their inclusion was made because BHS gives primacy to the audible voice and also because some researchers do find useful information in these verbal patterns. Unless these verbal patterns are germane to your scholarly work, when quoting from this material researchers are encouraged to correct the grammar and make other modifications maintaining the flavor of the narrator’s speech while editing the material for the standards of print.
All citations must be attributed to Brooklyn Historical Society:
[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.
These interviews are made available for research purposes only. For more information about other kinds of usage and permissions, see BHS’s rights and reproductions policy.
James Shipp
Oral history interview conducted by Judith Anglin
January 11, 2008
Call number: 2008.030.40
0:13 - Shipp's life history & connection to the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation (BSRC)
6:06 - BSRC's early work in physical & economic development: home renovation & retail recruitment
13:30 - BSRC's institutional evolution; challenges & returns on its capital & human investments
23:45 - Affordable housing in Bed-Stuy; gangs as business enterprises; BSRC's funding strategy
33:35 - Shipp's diagnosis of Bed-Stuy's economic future & impact on other boroughs
38:44 - Successes of Shipp's tenure at BSRC; need for good-fit retailers in Bed-Stuy's development
49:13 - BSRC's legacy; success in "working itself out of business" & a later narrowed focus
56:10 - BSRC's reputation among community development corporations; interview conclusion
Interview Description
Oral History Interview with James E. Shipp
James E. Shipp (born 1941) grew up in Illinois, where he attended high school and graduated with a bachelor's degree from Western Illinois University in 1964. He earned a master's degree in city and regional planning from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, and a master's degree in urban studies from Occidental College. After his studies, Shipp worked as a youth gang counselor in Chicago's juvenile justice system, where he developed an interest in community economic development as a way to fight juvenile delinquency. Shipp's involvement in a Ford Foundation-funded training program led to a mentorship under Franklin Thomas, and eventually to his role with Restoration in Brooklyn. Shipp served as Restoration's first vice president, from its inception in 1969 through 1979. After leaving Restoration, Shipp served as the chief executive officer of Cummins Metropower, the distribution and service arm of Cummins Engine Company, a manufacturer of diesel engines.
In this interview, James E. Shipp provides a short biography of his professional career, beginning with his time as a youth gang counselor in Chicago's juvenile justice system. He describes the realization that juvenile delinquency is caused by dysfunctional community systems, and his determination to build healthier urban communities. Shipp details his path to Restoration; laying out Restoration's essential role and functions. Shipp details Restoration's evolution as an institution, lists its successes in human and capital investment, and advocates for the confinement of its activities to housing renovation and commercial development. At the interview's end, Shipp reflects on Restoration's legacy and major successes, and gives an optimistic prognosis of the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn's economic future. Interview conducted by Judith Anglin.
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
Shipp, James, Oral history interview conducted by Judith Anglin, January 11, 2008, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation oral histories, 2008.030.40; Brooklyn Historical Society.People
- Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation
- Shipp, James E.
- Thomas, Franklin A.
Topics
- Community development corporations
- Discrimination in mortgage loans
- Economic development
- Mortgages
Places
- Bedford-Stuyvesant (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
Finding Aid
Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation oral histories