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CONSTANCE MOTLEY

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It is said that Judge Constance Baker Motley was too good for the office of Borough President and I agree. Mrs. Motley not only brought dignity to the office but a sense of responsibility never before witnessed or practiced at the Board of Estimate while she was there as the First female Borough President.

An Astute lawyer who really interpreted the law, Mrs. Motley had the bad habit of asking her colleague a simple question "What has this bill to be passed have to do with helping Blacks." This I know because I was there and in many of the Executive Meetings where the boys decided how they wanted the pie was to be cut——Many a time I believed if Mrs. Motley was a man many of her colleagues would have invited her to slug it out.

Mrs. Motley aided by an astute staff and particularly Mrs. Hilda Stokely, her Educational Consultant, decided to push George Gregory's Community Planning 10 plans for the rehabilitation of Harlem. In doing this, she developed a seven point plan for the rehabilitation of the area. Mrs. Motley pursued this matter vigorously and succeeded in getting funds for the plan started from the federal government.

Mrs. Motley's seven point plan began with the (1) holding a conference of Community leaders at City Hall under her program the new city administration would do these things:

1. Commence the immediate development of a master plan for the revitalization of the Harlem and East Harlem communities (10th to 155th Streets, river to river) taking cognizance of those improvements already underway, and develop to the maximum the residential, recreational, cultural and economic potential of the area.

2. Immediately assign the necessary full-time personnel under the suervision [[supervision]] of the City Planning Commission for the development of this master plan in consultation with community representatives.

3. Actively support legislation for a special appropriation of money by Congress to carry out the development of such a master plan on a demonstration basis.

4. Locate new public buildings in Harlem and East Harlem on a scale sufficient to stimulate redevelopment in the vicinity of such new buildings.

5. Construct new housing in Manhattan over highways, roadways, railroad tracks, and new low rise public buildings in which families can be relocated until new housing is provided in their former locations which will permit them, if they wish, to return to their former communities.

6. Ensure that maximum opportunity will be provided under the master plan to enable local residents to invest in new businesses, new housing, and new facilities resulting from the plans.

7. Expedite the processing of all current proposals for improving the physical environment of the Harlem community.

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