Brownsville Boys Club
1939 - 1959
In 1939, New York City closed access to schools across the city for young people over the age of 14 after school. In Brownsville, this left the young men without a place to play other than the street corner. Young men, led by Jacob "Doc" Baroff, organized a campaign to get the Board of Educaiton to allow them to use the facilities at P.S. 189. After this successful campaign, the Brownsville Boys Club (BBC) was founded. Youth-led, the groups mantra "No Adult Control" ensured that the young men of Brownsville would lead the organization, which developed a democratic governing structure. Bringing together over 1,000 young men from Brownsville by 1945, the BBC provided not only recreational activities, but social and political training as well. As Brownsville progressed through the middle of the century, and integration was met with social unrest, the BBC led the integrationist efforts in Brownsville creating a space where Black, Puerto Rican, and white (mostly Jewish) young men could organize together, compete in integration sport competitions, and host social events.
Details
- Categories
- Club, Organization/Association
- Instructional Level
- High School, Middle/Junior High School
- Audience
- Teenagers
- Tags
- integration, sportsorganization, boysclub, youthledorganization, jewish
Location
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417 Christopher Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11212, USA? - ?
References
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Pritchett, Wendell. "Brownsville, Brooklyn: Blacks, Jews, and the Changing Face of the Ghetto." Chicago: Univerity of Chicago Press, 2002.
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Sorin, Gerald. "The Nurturing Neighborhood: The Brownsville Boys' Club and Jewish Community in Urban America, 1940-1990." New York, New York University Press, 1990.