Barbara Perry

Barbara Perry, first commissioner of the Department of Community Resources, as well as first African-American and first female commissioner in the Town of Greenburgh, shares her experiences as a lifelong and fourth generation resident of Greenburgh with interviewee Tina Harper. 

Watch the full interview here:

BARBARA PERRY

Barbara Perry, born, raised, and lifelong Greenburgh fourth-generation resident, shares her experiences in the town through the decades, starting with her childhood in the 40s.

She recalls her childhood as a beautiful country-like feeling; many in her neighborhood would grow and share food with one another. Most kids in the neighborhood would come and play together. She would be entertained by the radio and her mother, who would often read stories to Barbara and her siblings. There were many black-owned stores, bars, and door-to-door services, like milk, ice, fish, and more. In Barbara’s neighborhood, there were no paved streets, only dirt roads to the local community center; on the other side, with the white kids, all the streets were paved though. It remained that way until junior high.

Though she grew up poor, she believed her family was middle class, especially when compared to other black people in her neighborhood. They always had a meal and owned a thirteen-room house with three bathrooms and a car. She always thought she had what everyone else had. 

She faced a lot of segregation within her school system, as white kids went to a white-only school. She was placed in lower classes due to being black and felt limited in her education with nothing she could do. Barbara was expected to do better in classes; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to achieve anything. She grew up with only one black teacher and wondered why none of her other teachers looked like her.

After high school, she went to college and graduated like the rest of her family, marrying someone while getting a decent job. Even though both she and her husband were professionals, they struggled to find a place to live that was suitable because of large amounts of discrimination. They moved to the Bronx but returned a few years later. When she returned looking for housing, they met a Jewish man who told them he was trying to integrate the neighborhood. He fought with the board to allow them to come to Edgebrook and was successful, thanks to a newly passed law banning discrimination based on race. Though many were very angry that Barbara and her husband were living there, they found some friends who were not biased and welcomed them. They lived in Edgebrook for ten years till they got a house. 

Barbara has defined her experience in Greenburgh through her efforts in the local community center, encouraging a stronger recreation department for black children. When MLK was killed and people began rioting, a law was passed to pour money into African-American communities to give opportunities to black youth. They built a community with these federal and state funds, with the town agreeing to continue funding it for the foreseeable future.

Reflecting on her time in the Greenburgh community, Barbara stated, “I think we really need to improve on how we treat one another because there is an angst out there. We don’t seem to be connecting as we once did. There seems to be a divide. We need to get back to being more humane and kind and generous, and authentic. Because sometimes, when you step on toes, you find yourself outside of the main line… and when you do things people in power don’t like, you will find yourself outside of the mainstream. And that is what I know needs to improve. We need to be able to address this issue honestly. Not doing what other people think is right, but what you think is right, to benefit the people because there are inequities… people need black folk to be in places to make change. Because we are great people, we have ideas, and many of them are unique. I saw it happen at that community center.”