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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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Aricka Westbrooks
Oral history interview conducted by Bahati Williams
April 15, 2008
Call number: 2008.030.52
0:00 - Westbrooks' introduction & description of her business, Jive Turkey
1:19 - Financing Jive Turkey; funding by Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation (BSRC) loan program
3:01 - Relationship with BSRC; business improvement districts; merchants associations
11:37 - Future plans for Jive Turkey; conclusion
Interview Description
Oral History Interview with Aricka Westbrooks
Aricka Westbrooks, born 1970, was the Chief Executive Officer and President of Jive Turkey, a quick-order restaurant that specialized in deep-fried turkey, located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. At the time of the 2008 interview, the restaurant had been open for five years. Jive Turkey was Westbrooks' first business; prior to her entrance into entrepreneurship, she worked in fashion public relations. Westbrooks' business was enabled by support from Restoration's revolving loan capital fund. Westbrooks served on the board of the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District, and was active in the local merchants' association.
In this interview, Aricka Westbrooks describes the process she went through to finance her quick order fried turkey restaurant, which was enabled through Restoration's revolving capital fund. She describes her current work as an entrepreneur, and imagines what she might have done if she hadn't received a Restoration small business loan. 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
Westbrooks, Aricka, Oral history interview conducted by Bahati Williams, April 15, 2008, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation oral histories, 2008.030.52; Brooklyn Historical Society.People
- Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation
- Westbrooks, Aricka
Topics
- Business enterprises
- Community development corporations
- Community development, Urban
- Economic development
- Entrepreneurship
- Fundraising
- Restaurants
Places
- Bedford-Stuyvesant (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
Finding Aid
Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation oral histories