Hattie Carthan (September 7, 1900 – April 22, 1984) was a

community activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...

and

environmentalist An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that se ...

who was instrumental in improving the

quality of life Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...

of the

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

community of Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Biography

Originally from

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

, she moved to Brooklyn in 1928. After she and her husband split, she remarried in 1943. She later separated from her second husband in 1954 while working as a field interviewer for a market research company.Evans, Olive
"For a 'Tree Lady,' A City's 'Thank you'"
"The New York Times", May 20, 1975 Carthan moved to the tree-lined block of Vernon Avenue between Tompkins Ave and Throop Ave in Bedford-Stuyvesant in 1953. By 1964, only three trees remained due to the deterioration of the neighborhood at that time.Ferretti, Fred
"Urban Conservation: A One-Woman Effort"
"The New York Times," July 8, 1982 She sent postcards to everyone on her block and formed the T & T Vernon Avenue Block Association, which raised funds to buy and plant trees by throwing block parties. The City of New York supported her efforts: Mayor John Lindsay attended one of the block parties, and the City Parks Department provided trees under its tree matching program. Carthan founded the Bedford-Stuyvesant Beautification Committee in 1966. As chairman of the organization, the Beautification Committee was awarded a grant in 1971 to teach youth about tree care and provide a stipend for summer work, known as the Neighborhood Tree Corps. She oversaw over 100 block associations which planted over 1,500 trees including those of the ginkgo, sycamore, and honeylocust varieties. When a 40-foot ''

Magnolia grandiflora ''Magnolia grandiflora'', commonly known as the southern magnolia or bull bay, is a tree of the family Magnoliaceae native to the Southeastern United States, from Virginia to central Florida, and west to East Texas. Reaching in height, it is a ...

'' tree that was thriving far north of its natural habitat, was threatened to be cut down for an apartment complex in 1968, Carthan spearheaded a campaign to save the tree. She raised the funds to construct a protective wall behind the tree to shield it from a planned parking lot and it was designated by City Landmarks Preservation Commission as a living landmark. The remaining brownstones intended to be torn down for the apartment complex were purchased in 1976 for $1,200 and became the Magnolia Tree Earth Center of Bedford- Stuyvesant Inc, an educational center.Rule, Sheila
"Hattie Carthan, 83, Proponent of Trees in Brooklyn, Is Dead"
"The New York Times," April 28, 1984 In 1975, she was honored by Parks Commissioner Edwin L. Weisl Jr. for distinguished service to the city of New York.

Death and legacy

She died on April 22, 1984, in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Hattie Carthan Community Garden Farm

In 1985, a vacant lot started to be revitalized into a community garden which eventually was renamed Hattie Carthan Garden in 1998 to honor and continue the work of Hattie Carthan. In 2009, under Yonnette Fleming's leadership, the garden expanded to become the Hattie Carthan Community Garden Farm.

References

External links

Biography
at NYC Parks Department
Hattie Carthan Farmers' Market
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carthan, Hattie 1900 births 1984 deaths American environmentalists American women environmentalists 20th-century American women 20th-century American people Activists from Washington, D.C. Activists from New York City Environment of New York City Environmental justice in New York City African-American environmentalists