Cultivators: Hattie Carthan

Hattie Carthan (1900-1984) was a community activist and environmentalist from Brooklyn, New York. She led efforts to preserve trees, revitalize public parks, and improve her Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, most notably saving a Southern magnolia tree. She received a distinguished service medal from the city and was elected to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's governing committee.

For Further Reading:

• A Magnolia Grows in Brooklyn With Help From the 'Tree Lady'
• "Hattie Carthan, 83, Proponent of Trees in Brooklyn, Is Dead"
• Hattie Carthan
• How radical gardeners took back New York City
• An African American Tree Activist Lived in Brooklyn
• "Bed-Stuy Children Learn How to Nurture Trees"

This month, we’re talking about cultivators — women who nurtured, cross-pollinated, experimented, or went to great lengths to better understand and protect the natural world.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hello. My name is Sarah Shleid. I'm a producer at
Wonder Media Network and a co curator of this month
of Wamanica. I'm so excited to be guest hosting this episode.
This month, we're talking about cultivators, women who nurtured, cross pollinated, experimented,
or went to great lengths to better understand and protect
the natural world. You're traveling in to Brooklyn, New York

(00:28):
on the G train towards Bedford and Nostrin station. After
the subway screeches to a halt, you emerge from the
Northwest Subway exit and walk east on Lafayette. You come
face to face with the one hundred and forty year
old giant southern magnolia tree with glossy leaves and lemon
scented blooms. To the right, you notice a painted mural

(00:52):
framed by magnolias with a woman in the center. This
tree is the living legacy of that Onemen, a conservationist
who fought to preserve it against the winds of time.
Please welcome today's will mannequin, Hattie Carthin Hattie was born
in Virginia in nineteen hundred. Her family moved to Brooklyn,

(01:14):
New York in nineteen twenty eight, where she would later
become a beloved community leader and environmental steward. In nineteen
fifty three, Hattie settled in Bedford Stuyvesant or Bedstye, a
historically African American neighborhood of Brooklyn known for its beautiful
brownstones and musical legends. As she grew familiar with the community,
she noticed a pressing issue a declining tree canopy. Bedstye

(01:38):
was a victim of redlining, a discriminatory practice that denied
certain neighborhood services based on the race or ethnicity of residents.
That meant fewer well funded schools and hospitals, lower access
to affordable grocery stores, a higher chance of being refused
housing loans, and less tree cover and biodiversity. A lack
of greenery may seem like a mere esthetic issue, but

(02:00):
tree cover in a neighborhood leads to lower summer temperatures,
lower energy use in buildings, and less air pollution. Hattie
quickly recognized the importance of green spaces in improving both
the environment and the well being of residents, so she
decided to take action. She established the Tompkinson Throop Block
Association in nineteen sixty four, aiming to revitalize the neighborhood's

(02:24):
landscape and foster a sense of community pride. Only seven
neighbors showed up, but that was enough manpower to mobilize
local residents to plant trees along Vernon Avenue. Hattie raised
funds through creative and collaborative ways, like barbecue fund raisers
selling food at a dollar twenty five a plate. She
successfully raised two hundred dollars, a lot of money for

(02:47):
nineteen sixty five. She also organized a postcards campaign, youth
tree planting classes, and a tree matching program where the
Parks Department would add six trees for every four trees
planted by the block association. By the late nineteen sixties,
Hattie's influence extended far beyond her block. She became the

(03:07):
chairperson of the Bedford steives At Beautification Committee, overseeing more
than one hundred block associations. Under her leadership, the committee
successfully planted over one thousand, five hundred trees, including ginko, elm, sycamore,
and honey locust species.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
I found out that my tree was threatened because of
housing development.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
One of Hattie's most significant achievements was her campaign to
preserve a forty foot tall southern magnolia tree located at
six seventy nine Lafayette Avenue, the.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
One known tree of its kind this side of Philadelphia.

Speaker 1 (03:45):
Around eighteen eighty five, a man named William Lumpkin brought
the seedling from North Carolina and planted it in front
of his townhouse. This species typically found it hard to
live in any climate north of Philadelphia, which made the
Bedstein magnolia tree even more of a neighborhood token. In
the late nineteen sixties, redevelopment plans threaded the survival of

(04:07):
the magnolia tree and the four surrounding brownstones. The city
intended to raise the homes, cut down the tree, and
build an apartment complex.

Speaker 2 (04:15):
So I contacted some responsible members of the community, and
we wanted to see what we could do to preserve
our tree.

Speaker 1 (04:27):
Demonstrating her unwavering commitment to a greater neighborhood, Hattie led
a successful effort to have the magnolia officially designated as
a New York City landmark in nineteen seventy, making it
one of only two individual trees in the city to
receive such recognition.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
Using our tree as a symbol we wished as were
struggling and intend to establish an Earth's Center for nature study.

Speaker 1 (04:55):
Her next mission was to buy the brownstones that protected
the magnolia tree from severe weather. The structure shielded the
tree from wind, while their heated cellars kept its roots warm.
One of the brownstones was beyond repair and was demolished.
The rest Hattie bargained for. Hattie went to the Board
of Estimate, who gave her an original offer of twenty
five thousand dollars, but she negotiated. She said, they considered

(05:20):
it again and told me I could have them for
seven thousand dollars. I told them that's just fine. I
didn't have twenty five thousand dollars and I don't have
seven thousand dollars. Don't sock us, I said. Then they
offered them for four thousand dollars. I told them I
didn't have twenty five thousand dollars, I didn't have seven
thousand dollars, and I don't have four thousand dollars. Besides,

(05:42):
I told them we were doing our work without salaries,
So the city oweda something. Oh I was so bold.
The board presented their final offer at one thousand, two
hundred dollars. Hattie said, we had a one thousand dollars contribution,
so we bought them. In nineteen seventy six, the group
was able to turn one of the remaining brownstones into

(06:02):
a collective center for environmental education, offering programs to engage
youth and adults in urban ecology, sustainability, and community development.
Through the center, Hattie aimed to instill a sense of
environmental responsibility and empower residents to take active roles in
shaping their neighborhood's future. Hattie's dedication did not go unnoticed.

(06:25):
That same decade, she was presented with a Distinguished Service
Medal from the city for her efforts to enhance public
parks and was elected to the governing committee of the
Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Her work not only beautified Bedstye, but
also laid the groundwork for community led urban environmental movements,
inspiring future generations to advocate for green spaces in urban settings.

(06:51):
Hattie Carthen passed away on April twenty second, nineteen eighty four,
at the age of eighty three, leaving behind a legacy
of environmental activists and community empowerment. All month, we're talking
about cultivators for more information, find us on Facebook and
Instagram at Womanica Podcast. Thanks to co creators Jenny and

(07:13):
Liz Kaplan for letting me guest host. Talk to you
tomorrow