LaGuardia and Wagner Archives at LaGuardia Community College/ CUNY
Society & Culture:History
Dr.June Jackson Christmas, a psychiatrist, was the first African-American womanappointed Commissioner of the New York City Department Health and MentalRetardation Services by Mayor Lindsay in 1972. She was re-appointed by MayorsBeame and Koch, and sat on the Board of the Health and Hospitals Corporation,the city agency that operates Municipal Hospitals and neighborhood family carecenters.
Inthis podcast, Dr. Christmas discusses the symbolic importance of Sydenham Hospitalas the first integrated not-for-profit hospital in the city to the blackcommunity in Harlem. Dr. Christmas was forced to support the controversial closingof the hospital in 1980 saying “I had orders to support the closing becausethat was the city policy.” However, she offered alternatives for the hospital’sfuture that were rejected.
Openedin 1925 as a private hospital, Sydenham was the only place black doctors hadadmitting privileges. By the time Sydenham was taken over by the city in 1949, whenit went into bankruptcy, black doctors were slowly able to admit patients inmore hospitals across the city.
Duringthe 1970s New York City fiscal crisis, Sydenham was one of the four hospitals designatedto close in order to save the newer hospitals in the Health and HospitalsCorporation system. New York State cited Sydenham, high maintenance costs and itsdifficulty complying with newer hospital codes.
Protestorsopposed the closing of Sydenham citing a public health concern that the nearesthospital, Harlem Hospital was 12 blocks away and often operated at full capacity.Much opposition came from union members over the loss of jobs, although anagreement between the City and Federal Government stipulated that workers wouldbe moved to other health facilities across the city.
Todaythe former Sydenham hospital is a 10- story building housing the elderly andhandicapped. Mayor Koch has since admitted that he was wrong to close thehospital and failed to see the symbolism for the Harlem community.
Coming Out on Univision: Maritza Martinez, Latina Lesbian Activist in Queens, 1990s
Daniel Dromm: Queens Pride Parade fundraising in gay bars
Stephen Joseph: AIDS and the Needle Exchange
Stephen Joseph: New York vs San Francisco
The Knapp Commission: Jay Kriegel and Mike Armstrong
Sam Roberts on Labor History
Professor Richard K. Lieberman: Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
The Great Snow Storm of 1969
Alice and Bill Havlena
John Lindsay's Re-election and Getting the Jewish Vote
Rise of the Reformer: La Guardia Radio Programs
LA GUARDIA AND RELIEF: LA GUARDIA RADIO PROGRAMS
Health and Housing- La Guardia Radio Programs
La Guardia and Aviation
La Guardia and The Physical City- La Guardia Radio Programs
Study with the Best: Steinway & Sons
Public Education in America
Dr. John Hope Franklin
AIDS Activism: Tom Kalin and Gran Fury
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
Irish Songs with Ken Murray
History Obscura
Historycal: Words that Shaped the World
Thoughtfuel - Strange True Stories & Trivia
The Vanished Podcast