Former Rep. Rangel with Dr. Dye
Northside Center for Child Development – one of the city’s foremost mental health and early childhood education providers – raised more than $1.2 million at its annual Gala held recently at The Plaza in New York City.
Northside was founded 72 years ago by Dr. Kenneth and Dr. Mamie Clarke, the trailblazing husband and wife team in the discipline of psychology. The disturbing results from their groundbreaking “Doll Test” showed that most Black kids preferred and assigned positive characteristics to White dolls and the opposite sentiment towards Black dolls. They concluded that this jarring finding was was a result of the negative effects of prejudice and discrimination- which created a feeling of inferiority among African-American children and damaged their self esteem.
The Clark’s research emphasized how poor self esteem negatively impacted the emotional and intellectual growth of children and it was presented in the landmark 1954 Brown vs Board of Education case that led to the end of legal segregation in public schools across America.
With socio-economic inequalities that persists 72 years since the founding of Northside, many people of color remain the most vulnerable victims. Northside continues to be an unwavering support system through the “Northside experience” with its multiple centers. There is one located in the Bronx, one in Brooklyn, and another at 111th Street along with the East 110th Street headquarters in Harlem. The gala, held on May 9th — with the theme “Building Brighter Futures”– was a validation of the innovative and resilient spirit that is the essence of Northside’s mission. On that celebratory evening two parents, and a young boy, gave emotional testimonials on the positive and life-altering benefits of Northside programs. They said it was reflected in improved self-esteem, emotional growth and educational achievement.
The gala’s honorees included former Congressman Charlie Rangel and his wife Alma Rangel. They were introduced by former New York City Mayor David Dinkins, as well as Brian Griffin, Executive Vice President and CEO for IngenioRx Anthem, Inc., who were recognized for their years of service to the New York City community.
The sold -out event raised more than $1.2 million to support early childhood education and mental health services for children and families across New York City. The generosity of their patrons is a testament to their confidence in Northside as an effective, socially comprehensive, and progressive institution.
Northside Center also announced the launch of its $15 million capital campaign, $10 million of which has already been raised. The funds will be used to sustain its current programs and services, as well as open Northside Center’s new three-story headquarters on 108th and Park Avenue. The new space, scheduled for completion by 2020, is 28,000 square feet and will host Northside’s administrative offices, main mental health clinic, and special education school, and enable Northside Center to more effectively serve over 4,000 children and families across the city.
