04/22/2026
Happy + Healthy Earth Day! . . .
In 1966, Carthan founded the Bedford-Stuyvesant Beautification Committee to plant over 1,500 trees. Chisholm used her platform to champion these community-led environmental efforts.
Carthan’s Vernon Avenue Block Association helped create New York City's matching-tree program, which mandated the city plant six trees for every four planted by the community. Chisholm’s advocacy in the New York State Assembly and later Congress helped provide the political pressure to maintain such urban programs.
The historic magnolia tree was also preserved, and in 1970 was designated a landmark by the New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission. Today there are two magnolia trees in front of the three brownstones. The taller original tree was brought from Georgia and planted by William Lemken in the 1850s. It is a southern species, uncommon to cold climates like New York, which buds large white fragrant flowers in early summer. The smaller neighboring tree, planted by Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, was intended as a replacement in case anything ever happens to the older one.
