Thursday, February 18, 2016 – 6:00 pm
Members Free; Non-Members $5
Includes wine & cheese
RSVP Requested: 631-727-2881 x100

In 1927, after purchasing land in Suffolk County, Louis Fife traversed Harlem, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, searching for black customers frustrated by a congested and segregated New York City. The African American homesteaders who bought Fife’s lots in Suffolk would build Gordon Heights, one of Long Island’s most historically unique communities. Local black history expert Dr. Georgette Grier-Key will present a discussion and slideshow on the rise of Gordon Heights, the home of New York state’s first all-black fire department.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER   Georgette Grier-Key holds a doctorate in educational administration, leadership, and technology from Dowling College. Dr. Grier-Key is an adjunct professor at Nassau Community College in the History, Political Science, and Geography Department. She is also director and curator at the Eastville Community Historical Society in Sag Harbor and president of the Association of Suffolk County Historical Societies. She serves on the Black History Commission of the Town of Brookhaven, and curated the 2013 exhibit Hidden and Forbidden: Art and Objects of Racism and Intolerance at the Suffolk County Historical Society.