The Surprising History of Scarsdale's Black Community
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With the issue of race in the forefront, Scarsdale attorney, teacher and historian Jordan Copeland has produced a fascinating video highlighting his research on the Black community in Scarsdale, from slavery to the modern era. Originally delivered as a public cosponsored by the Scarsdale Forum, Scarsdale Public Library, and Scarsdale Historical Society, the video is posted on YouTube and can be viewed here:
The research includes historic photos, documents, maps, newspaper articles and live interviews with the descendants of Scarsdale’s first black residents Black people who grew up in Scarsdale from the 1950’s to 80’s. They paint a portrait of a strong Black community which has been an important part of Scarsdale but has not always been fully accepted.
He begins with the story of Scarsdale’s earliest Black residents who were two thirds of Scarsdale’s population in 1712. In fact, Thomas Hadden, the first owner of what is now Wayside Cottage and 150 acres of land, had three children with his wife and another five with his slave or “wench Rose” who he provided for in his will at the time of his death in 1762.
As evidence, Copeland shows a set of murals that is still displayed in the Scarsdale Post Office that depicts the formation of Scarsdale in 1701 when Caleb Heathcote bought the land from the widow Richbell. The mural includes one slave tending to a horse.
Though discrimination was not unusual throughout Village history, Black children were permitted to attend school with their white peers, which was highly unusual. He shows several school photographs, including a one room Quaker School in the 1890 and another of the students of the Griffin School in the 1920’s. Both pictures show both white and black children and adults in attendance at school and the building that housed the Griffin School remains today on the grounds of the Quaker Ridge Golf Club.
By the 1930’s, Scarsdale’s Black population had grown to 482, but many were living in white households as maids, butlers and chauffeurs.
One of neighboring Edgemont’s first Black homeowners ended up in court. Joshua Cockburn, a wealthy steamship captain purchased a tract of land in what was known as “Edgemont Hills.” He built a Tudor style home there in 1937 but was sued because the covenant on the land barred black homeowners. A neighbor feared that Black families would harm their own real estate values. Cockburn was defended in court by Thurgood Marshall but lost the case. Despite the defeat he remained in the home because the decision was not enforced.
Copeland shows that Blacks did not significantly participate in Scarsdale’s transition from an agrarian to a suburban community. Even as late as the 1960’s, Blacks met discrimination when attempting to purchase homes in Scarsdale.
Copeland includes an interview with Joretta Evans Crabbe who shared what happened when her parents tried to buy a home in Scarsdale in 1969. They went into contract to purchase a home in Heathcote without meeting the current owners face to face. When the sellers realized that the buyers were Black, the homeowner called Crabbe’s father and asked him to back out of the deal. He said, “My wife is threatening to kill herself and pull up all the plants if we sell it to a Black family.” He then offered the buyers $10,000 on a $40,000 house to back off, but her parents refused.
Black and White Students at school in the 1890's
This is just one of the scores of revealing stories that Copeland elicited in his hours of interviews with current and former black residents of Scarsdale.
Here are a few quotes from others who shared what it was like to grow up in Scarsdale.
"We had wonderful friends who were white – but we were “other.”
“I didn’t go to my prom because there was no one to invite me.”
“I had to work twice as hard to be half as good.”
“What was hard, was not coming from a family with money.”
Some of the listeners who posed questions to Copeland during his presentation hosted by the Scarsdale Forum asked if he would seek changes based on his findings. One wanted to know if streets like Cornell and Griffin that were named after slaveholders should be changed. Another asked if the mural at the post office should be taken down. Copeland made it clear that his purpose for now was to uncover Scarsdale’s history rather than to proscribe change.
Copeland is continuing his research and welcomes input. He has set up a discussion and avenues for people to learn more, take action, and support each other. If you are interested, please fill out this form.
Trick or Treat Virtually for UNICEF and Give Back on Halloween
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Do you ever wonder what happened to the orange UNICEF box that was used to collect pennies on Halloween? Like everything else, that box has gone virtual. According to UNICEF, only 27% of parents expect to take their children trick-or-treating this Halloween, so UNICEF USA has launched a Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF virtual experience. In honor of the 70th anniversary of this iconic, American tradition, this year’s initiative will be comprised of fun, digital and interactive experiences all while teaching children the importance of giving back and fundraising for a socially distanced Halloween.
Parents and teachers can register and create an online profile by visiting trickortreatforunicef.org where they will receive a Virtual Collection Box with a customized link and QR code. By participating in fun activities and watching educational videos, children will earn Trick-or-Treat Coins that add up to real-life donations. As coins are collected, children will be able to say where they would like their earnings to go, empowering them and connecting their efforts to positive impact for children around the world.
“After a stressful year for so many children and young people, we know they need a way to have fun this Halloween, while also feeling empowered to give back.” said UNICEF USA President and CEO Michael J. Nyenhuis. “Keeping children safe and healthy has always been at the core of UNICEF’s mission and Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF’s virtual offering enables children to safely celebrate Halloween while having fun and learning the importance of giving back.”
Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF began 70 years ago as a way to help kids affected by World War II. Since 1950, the annual tradition of Kids Helping Kids® - involving donations big and small - has raised $180 million to help UNICEF support children with health care, nutrition, safe water, emergency relief and education.
Scarsdale resident Shelley Diamond is UNICEF USA’s Chief Marketing Officer. She says, “For many of us, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF was our first fundraising experience. The iconic, orange box is a powerful memory of how we were empowered as children to help other children all over the world. While Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF is virtual this year, the goal remains the same - to encourage global citizenship and teach the importance of giving back while making Halloween fun and meaningful.”
Parents and educators are encouraged to visit www.trickortreatforunicef.org to learn more.
Scarsdale Bowl Recipients BK Munguia and Jon Mark Honored at Private Reception
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Jon Mark and BK Munguia, 2020 Recipients of the Scarsdale BowlThough it was not the celebration that was originally planned to recognize the 2020 recipients of the Scarsdale Bowl, a warm and unique gathering was held on Thursday night September 24 to finally bestow the coveted bowl on this year’s honorees, husband and wife Jon Mark and BK Munguia.
The two were originally scheduled to be honored at the 77th annual Bowl celebration on April 22 but larger forces prevailed and prevented the traditional affair. The Scarsdale Bowl Committee was deep into the planning of a reimagined Bowl Dinner, scheduled for the first time at Brae Burn Country Club, when the COVID crisis hit, causing the delay of the dinner. Hopeful that the virus would loosen its hold on New York by the fall, the Bowl Committee rescheduled the dinner for September, only to find that it was still impossible to gather.
Rather than put off the celebration until April 2021, the Bow Committee opted to hold a small gathering in the backyard of the home of Scarsdale Foundation President Randy Guggenheimer on Thursday September 24. They invited the members of the foundation, members of the bowl committee, the mayor, representatives of the board of education and the board of trustees and a few others to witness the ceremony and cheer two very deserving honorees. In accordance with COVID guidelines, chairs were set up six feet apart, attendants were masked and snacks were distributed in individually wrapped boxes.
Scarsdale Bowl Chair Nancy Michaels led the proceedings and explained “Nothing about the past six months was expected - The Covid pandemic, Hurricane Isiais and power failures, forest fires out west, and needing to quarantine here in New York. We were off to an amazing start before everything went bonkers: we changed venues to Brae Burn Country Club, raised over $5,000 from the Honor Roll alone, honoring more than 300 community volunteers, secured 11 table hosts and about $25,000 in corporate sponsors, introduced a Bowl Theme of Shine on Scarsdale, and sent out a reformatted, bright, colorful invitation to a much expanded mailing list. Imagine how far we would have gone if things had gone as planned! What is the saying- “man plans, and God laughs?”
Scarsdale Foundation President Randy Guggenheimer thanked the members of the Scarsdale Bowl Committee who planned the dinner and the members of the Scarsdale Foundation, who raises and distribute scholarship funds to Scarsdale students in their sophomore, junior and senior years of college. About Jon and BK, Randy said, “Both Jon and BK show us how to live the Scarsdale motto “non sibi” and I am proud to call them friends.”
Hosts Randy and Liz Guggenheimer
In her remarks, Munguia said, “We all know what the corona virus has taken away from us--personally, as a community, as a nation. But it has also given us an opportunity to reassess what is important in our lives, our community and our nation. All around us, we have witnessed sacrifice, bravery and resilience in our children, our neighbors and complete strangers. While cancelling the 2020 Scarsdale Bowl dinner, twice, pales in comparison to the many life cycle events that were affected this year, your desire to honor Jon and me with tonight’s celebration has touched us very deeply. Each of you represent the selflessness of the Scarsdale community we have witnessed over and over again.”
Mark gave more lengthy remarks, saying” BK and I are honored to be recognized by the Scarsdale Bowl Committee. It is not why we volunteered in Scarsdale, but it is deeply moving to be recognized so publicly by our community.
We are here tonight for at least two reasons. One is to acknowledge the robust commitment to volunteerism in our community. That is the historic purpose of this annual celebration – and it is a laudable reason to bring our community together. The second reason is to provide some financial support to those in our community who could use help in following through on their college educational goals, and to support the community organizations and individual civic projects in the Village that play a part in supporting those goals. That charitable purpose has long been an important mission of The Scarsdale Foundation, but in past years it has not been explicitly linked to the Scarsdale Bowl dinner. This year the Bowl Committee decided to make that link – and why not? However, I will save my remarks on that objective for our larger gathering next April since our group tonight is comprised solely of those already fully vested in that mission.
Scarsdale Bowl Chair Nancy MichaelsTherefore, as to the first of the two reasons for this gathering I would like to say that while BK and I happen to be standing before you this evening, tonight is equally about all of you who volunteer in myriad ways in tasks that matter to the Village of Scarsdale. The mere existence of the annual Scarsdale Bowl award speaks volumes about what we value. It is true that Scarsdale is distinguished economically, but we are so much more than fine homes and beautiful surroundings. First and foremost, we value education and strive to provide the best for our children. The high quality of our schools is what attracted Ruth and Sandor Mark to Scarsdale in 1951 – and the same was true for BK and me in 1992 – more than four decades later. It continues to be true today, even as the School District struggles mightily with the large scale social and economic disruption brought on by the pandemic. What comes next on the list of our community’s priorities can be debated, but I believe volunteerism on the part of residents is an appropriate candidate as a close second. The fact that an award, and one night a year, has been set aside to honor volunteers – each year for 77 years, even in the face of our global health crisis – supports my claim.
So what does volunteering in Scarsdale look like? Well, the experience BK and I have had provides some instruction on this question. Volunteering can range from the task of planting gardens at an elementary school – to the task of sitting on the dais in Village Hall to address important decisions affecting our residents. Helping at our children’s schools, coaching our children’s sports teams and yes, addressing the School Board with respect to the school budget and, this year, re-opening plans are all in the spirit of volunteerism at its best. Volunteering means training to be a firefighter to lend a hand to the professionals in dire situations or joining an ambulance corps that has come to the rescue of Village residents for years. Volunteering means stepping up to contribute time, thought and energy to a community activity for the collective good.
Family and friends gathered on Zoom to watch the proceedings.
The extent to which all of you here tonight have done some or many of these things is extraordinary – and distinguishes the community in which we live. It provides a means for sharing our values – our hopes and aspirations – for ourselves, our families, our neighbors and our village. On a good day – and most of them are, volunteering helps us work toward common goals and to knit us together as a community. Like any community, there are less good days as well. But on those days, our commitment to each other and an understanding that we are all in this together, helps us work through them. One only need to look around at this gathering together to honor a concept of giving back to conclude that Scarsdale is a very special place indeed.
BK and I thank you for this honor and for joining us this evening to celebrate volunteerism in Scarsdale.”
Though the evening was planned to shine the light on an extraordinary couple, they reflected that light back onto the attendees and the community at large. The two are exemplars of the spirit of volunteerism in Scarsdale, and their work improves the lives of everyone who is fortunate enough to live here.
Chair Nancy Michaels Gives the Bowl to Mark and MunguiaBoth recipients have lengthy volunteer resumes. Here are the details:
Jon Mark, grew up in Scarsdale and moved back to town to raise his own family. He served as a two-term Village trustee before becoming the Mayor in 2015. He chaired the Scarsdale Bowl Committee in 2014-2015. In 2017, following his service on the Village Board, Mark joined the board of trustees at Westchester Reform Temple, where he currently serves as a vice president. Concurrently, he was the president of the Scarsdale Forum. Additionally, Mark chaired the Citizens Nominating Committee and then co-chaired the Scarsdale Non-Partisan Party Campaign Committee. In the most recent election, scheduled for March, but delayed until September, Mark again co-chaired the Non-Partisan Party Campaign committee, and put in countless hours over the past six months to defend Scarsdale’s Non-Partisan system of governance.
BK Munguia has a long history of volunteering to serve Scarsdale. She began her volunteer work at Heathcote School, where she organized gardening projects in the atrium and around the school grounds. She served on the School Board’s Legislative Committee, and the School Board Nominating Committee and Administrative Committee. Munguia also served on the Scarsdale Bowl Committee. Munguia, a tireless advocate for youth and teens, has spent several decades volunteering for the Girl Scouts in various capacities. Munguia served on the Citizens Nominating Committee, the Procedure Committee, and chaired the Scarsdale Citizens Non-Partisan Campaign Committee. She served on the Board of the Scarsdale Forum and as its president in 2011-2012. Most notably, Munguia was a board member and president of the now closed Scarsdale Teen Center, starting her service in 2001 and concluding with the closing of the center in 2018. She is also a trustee of The Scarsdale Foundation. Along with Jon, she worked tirelessly to support the non-partisan slate of candidates in the Village election on September 15, 2020.
Celebrants were masked and distanced.
Scarsdale Bowl Committee Members:
Farley Baker, Karen Ceske, John Clapp, Dorothy Finger, Melpo Fite, Dara Gruenberg, Bob Miller, Matt Martin, Dana Matsushita, Jeff Robelen, Andrea Seiden, Janice Starr, and Amber Yusuf.
Scarsdale Foundation Members:
Randy Guggenheimer, BK Munguia, Jane Veron, Tom Giodano, Marc Greenwald, Michelle Lichtenberg, Jennifer Love, Anne Lyons and Suzanne Seiden.
Scarsdale Athletes Back on the Field
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Grades 9-12 of cohort A playing field hockey coached by Coach Bryant and Coach Barton.After a delayed start to the season, student athletes are now out on the tennis courts, track and fields at both Scarsdale High School and Scarsdale Middle School. From the early morning hours as the sun comes up to evenings as the sun goes down, players can be seen training and conditioning throughout the town. While there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the fall sports season, the players are making the most of their training.
Day one of tennis tryouts for cohort A.
Not all of the traditional fall sports teams are playing. Only cross country, field hockey, boys soccer, girls soccer, and girl’s tennis are able to have their fall season this year. Cheerleading, football and volleyball, which are usually fall sports, will wait to begin their seasons until March 1, 2021. Additionally, because Scarsdale High School is split into two cohorts, cohort A and cohort B, coaches are required to keep the two cohorts separate during practices. Both cohorts practice every day, but at separate times.
Senior Varsity A tennis player, Natalie Schonfeld said, “the season is definitely different than I hoped it would be but I’m glad we are able to play.” Players feel grateful that they are permitted to play this season at all, especially seniors who are now able to participate during their last year on the team.
Athletes wear their masks during practice.
Boys soccer, girls soccer, and track and field plan on playing games this season against other schools. However, coaches for the girls tennis and girls field hockey remain unsure about whether games will occur this season since cohorts cannot be mixed. Senior Emily Felder who plays on the field hockey team explained, “Our first game was supposed to be Saturday, but we can’t combine cohorts until hopefully the 15th. If we can combine cohorts, then hopefully we can play games.”
Fortunately for girl’s tennis, doubles will continue as planned this season. A very noticeable difference this year, is the appearance of masks on everyone’s faces, one of the many consequences of COVID that makes it difficult to breathe at times. Natalie described, “It’s a little challenging adjusting to these changes. Playing with a mask is a little tricky, but as I play more often with it, I think it is getting easier. Mask breaks during games also help.”
While the sports teams do face some obstacles, both athletes and coaches alike remain optimistic about this season and hope that eventually the cohorts will be able to mix to form full teams.
Trustees Offer Kudos to Jane Veron at her Final Village Board Meeting
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Trustee Jane Veron completed 4 and half years on the Village BoardTrustee Jane Veron, who served four years and an additional six months as Scarsdale Village Trustee due to the delay in electing her successor, sat at her final Village Board meeting on Tuesday night September 8, 2020. The postponed Village election is scheduled for Tuesday September 15.
Village Clerk Donna Conkling let the Board know that whoever wins the election will take office almost immediately and be sworn in on September 20, 2020. So Veron, who is now the longest serving trustee in Scarsdale’s history, appeared on the dais for the last time as trustee.
Mayor Marc Samwick called Veron “nothing short of a dynamo.” He added, “Scarsdale is a much better place because of what she has done,”…. and thanked her, saying “It has been an absolute pleasure working with you.”
Lena Crandall said it was an honor to serve with Jane saying she was “intelligent, kind, hardworking and always prepared.” She thanked Veron for “helping me to become a better public servant,” and reminded her to take some time to “eat and put your feet up.”
Justin Arest said, “Getting to know you as a friend has been an honor; learning from you has been a privilege.” He added, “ Obviously this is not goodbye -- I expect your work for Scarsdale to continue.”
Jonathan Lewis said, “Jane, you set a high bar for public service and an extraordinary example for collaboration. You have the vision to see what’s important and you sweat the details. Thank you for your years of service.”
Seth Ross said, “I had high expectations for serving with you. You foster collegiality while getting the right things done.” Hinting at a possible run for Mayor, Ross said, “This is not goodbye – its not the end of anything – it’s just a transition to the next phase. Expectations for your future service remain sky high. You never let us down in the past and I am sure you won’t in the future.”
Rochelle Waldman said, “I am sorry that this is our last meeting together. You will be missed. I want to thank you for your guidance and support. I know we will work together in the future in some capacity.”
During public comments, Dara Gruenberg called in and thanked Veron for exceptional service. She said, “I loved working with on the communications committee” and “You have been a champion of the library…. I can’t wait to celebrate the opening with you.”
Veron thanked said, “It has been a privilege to do this job.”
Village Clerk Donna Conkling provided information for voting either in-person or by absentee ballot until Monday September 14. Voting will take place on Tuesday September 15 between 6 am and 9 pm at the Scarsdale Congregational Church at 1 Heathcote Road. Conkling said the Village will take precautionary safety measures. The area will be sanitized and there will be extra gloves and masks on hand. Anyone who prefers to vote before hand, can go to Village Hall through Monday and apply for an absentee ballot and then cast their vote immediately.
Village Manager Steve Pappalardo reviewed the problem with the school tax bills. Though 
the two installment payment coupons are correct, the property tax assessment and the total tax on the bottom of the bill was incorrect. “ He said, “The amounts on the two pink coupons are correct. Homeowners should pay the amount shown.”
However he reported that Village Hall has fielded over one hundred phone calls from residents about the error in the bills. After consulting with their attorney they decided to send corrected tax bills to each property owner at the end of this week. They will be mailed to all property owners – whether or not they already paid. The Village will also meet with their vendor to see what went wrong.
Pappalardo also reviewed the sanitation schedule saying, “the majority of services have returned to normal operation. Trash, recycling and food scraps are all back to their normal schedules however the furniture donation bin is closed.
When visiting the Recycling Center, Pappalardo reminded everyone to social distance and wear masks.
He reported that a visit from the county’s mobile shredder on Saturday attracted a crowd, with cars lined up to Mamaroneck Road to participate.
Public Comments
Bob Berg, now from Black Birch Lane, reported on the proceedings of the Board of Assessment Review of which he is a member. He praised the new Village Assessor Victoria Sirota, calling her a “breath of fresh air.” He said, “She fights for the Village but deals with the public in an effective way.” He reported that the BAR received 492 grievances, 15 were withdrawn and they considered 477 applications. They granted reductions to 24.3%. He also told residents that they can file a grievance on their own by getting an appraisal of their home and completing the application.
Mayra Kirkendall Rodriguez had questions about the Ad Hoc Council to Combat Racism and Bias. She said, “What are the objectives? Have you been able to include more residents? If people are interested how does that work? If there are any minutes of these meetings, it would be good to be transparent.” She said, “I am grateful that you created this committee – but that will not solve the issues of bias.”
Mayor Samwick explained that “Some of these discussions are sensitive and it’s important that people feel free to openly discuss.”
Bob Harrison also complimented Veron saying, “The Scarsdale Business Alliance is one of your babies – the dining tent is a big success.” He reported that the use of Village tennis courts is on the rise, with 1,591 permits sold this year as compared to 900 last year. He invited players to sign up for the Scarsdale Youth Tennis Tournament to be held next week.
Trustees were invited to make liaison reports and Trustee Waldman announced the Lunch and Learn program for seniors to take place on Mondays beginning on September 14 from 1 – 2 pm in the dining tent in the Village. The events will be educational, safe and socially distant. More information can be found at www.sfcsinc.org or by contacting Maryellen Saenger at [email protected]
Cars lined up to use the mobile shredder at the Recycling Center. Photo by Cynthia Roberts
Trustee Jane Veron announced that the “Dine the ‘Dale tent as well as our more liberal use of sidewalk space have kept our Village buzzing this summer.” She said, “As the colder weather approaches we have decided to explore ways to continue to use outdoor space. Village staff has been working behind the scenes with their legal, engineering and public safety colleagues to iron out the details. At our next Village Board meeting, the Village Board will announce a public hearing to discuss proposed code changes to extend the time for merchants to take advantage of outdoor space to sell wares and to host sidewalk cafes.”
About the library she said, “Furniture and shelving are being delivered, and movers are also bringing books back from storage. In addition, the Library currently has an RFP out for vendors to run the cafe at the Library.” In the interim she encouraged everyone to use the Library Loft for books and media and online programming.
In other business, the Board approved a resolution to hold a public hearing on the number of taxicab licenses. Though ridership has dropped due to the lack of commuters, according to Trustee Lewis, “It is onerous to reduce the number of licenses so the recommendation is to continue with the same number of cabs.” The public hearing will be held on Tuesday September 22, 2020.
The Board approved a $5,000 gift from the US First Responders Association to the Scarsdale Firefighters.
Randy Whitestone thanked the Mayor for his comments about Con Edison at the hearing of the NYS Legislature. He also said that he was downtown and the dining tent was being used and retail stores were open and busy. Last he reminded everyone to vote.
