BY LISA BLACK-COHEN (GMC DOCENT)
The Little Rock Arkansas’s Teenagers – Guests of Mayor Wagner, they were the first
to desegregate Arkansas’s Central High School. This was a result of the 1954 Supreme
Court ruling of Brown v. Board of Education.
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King – A guest of Mayor Wagner in 1964, which was
the same year he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his unwavering commitment
to non-violent struggle for civil rights for African Americans.
Althea Gibson – A guest of Mayor Wagner, Ms. Gibson was the first black woman
to win the 1956 Grand Slam event (the French Open), and in 1957 she won both
Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. She went on to Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in
1958 as well and was voted Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press.
Coretta Scott King – A guest of Mayor Beame in 1974, Mrs. Scott King was an
Author, champion of education, Civil Rights Activist, and wife of Martin Luther
King.
Shirley Chisolm – A guest of Mayor Beame in 1974, Mrs. Chisolm was the Second
African American in the New York State Legislator in 1964. In 1968 she was the first
African American woman to be elected to Congress and in 1972 she became the first
black candidate to run for the U.S. Presidency.
Eleanor Holmes Norton – A guest of Mayor Beame in 1974, Mrs. Holmes Norton
was a Congresswoman. Jimmy Carter appointed her to be the first woman to Chair
the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Mrs. Holmes Norton is a
tenured Professor of Law, and Civil Rights and Feminist leader.
Mohammed Ali – A guest of Mayor Beame in 1976, Mr. Ali is considered The
Greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. He was Olympic Champion and one of the
most significant sports figures of the twentieth century.
Hayworth Davenport – A guest of Mayor Beame in 1975, Mr. Davenport held the
formidable positions of Commissioner of Model Cities Administration, Deputy Executive Director New York City Department of City Planning, and was Inducted
into the Minority Business Hall of Fame.
Joe Frasier – A guest of Mayor Beame in 1977, Mr. Frasier was a legendary professional
boxer and a 1964 Olympic Gold medalist.
James Brown – Invited to Gracie Mansion in 1980 by Mayor Koch 1980, Mr. Brown
was one of the 20th century’s most memorable singers and performance artists who
was the creator of the genre of funk music. Mr. Brown performed for civil rights
organizations in the 1960s and was a social activist and incorporated his social justice
beliefs and pro-education stance into the themes of many of his songs.
Diana Ross – Invited to Gracie Mansion in 1983 by Mayor Koch. Ms. Ross is a
recording artist who has sold over 100 million records worldwide with awards that
include “Female Entertainer of the Century” in 1976, “Most Successful Female
Artist” by Guinness World Records in 1993, and was inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Both Mayor Koch and Ms. Ross were present for the 1986
groundbreaking event for the Diana Ross Playground in Central Park.
Alvin Ailey – A guest of Mayor Koch in 1983 when he was awarded the Certificate
of Appreciation as a dancer, choreographer and director and was a pioneer in giving
mass appeal and respect for the genre of African American dance.
David Dinkins (1990 -1993) – New York City’s 106th first African American Mayor.
He was an American Politician, lawyer and author. Mr. Dinkins was also a member
of the New York State Assembly, and Manhattan’s first African American Borough
President.
Joyce Dinkins (1990-1993) – New York City’s first African American First Lady;
Children’s Rights, Education and Literacy Advocate; daughter of Daniel Burrows,
one of the first African Americans to serve in the New York State Assembly.
Nelson Mandela – In 1990 Mayor Dinkins hosted a Ticker Tape Parade in honor of
his release from prison. And was welcomed to stay at Gracie Mansion during his visit
to NYC. He was South Africa’s first black President who spent a third of his life as a
prisoner of apartheid.
Maya Angelou – She was invited by Mayor Dinkins in 1993. She was a professor, the
first African American Poet who recited the most popular inaugural poem, “On the
Pulse of Morning”; awarded the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal
of Freedom.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu – South Africa’s Nobel Peace Prize recipient was invited
by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Chirlane McCray (2014-2021) – New York City’s second African American First
Lady; Chaired a billion-dollar initiative ThriveNYC, the city’s first comprehensive
initiative to inform and provide mental health services for all New Yorkers. This led
to New York’s Office of Mental Health developing the “988 Lifeline”, a Suicide &
Crisis Lifeline, which provides free and confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. was the Senior Advisor.
Camille Joseph Varlack (2022-Present) – Currently serves as the Chief of Staff and
Special Advisor to Mayor Eric Adams. She is also the Chair of Gracie Mansion
Conservancy. Ms. Joseph Varlack for Operations to the Chancellor of New York
City’s Department of Education and played an integral role in successfully launching
the Summer Rising Program. Ms. Joseph Varlack leads teams through Statewide
crises including natural disasters, terrorist and cyber-attacks as well as Public Health
crises.
Laurie Cumbo (2022-Present) – Currently the Commissioner of Cultural Affairs
for the City of New York for the office of Mayor Eric Adams. Ms. Cumbo served as
majority leader in the New York City Council where she formulated more than forty
laws and resolutions, including the first ever Mayor’s Office to End Gun Violence,
as well as the Mayor’s Office of Victims Services. In keeping with her commitment
to the arts, Commissioner Cumbo founded the Museum of Contemporary African
Diasporan Arts (MoCADA).
Eric Adams (2022-Present) – Currently New York City’s 110th Mayor and New York
City’s second African American Mayor. Mr. Adams’ career with the New York City
Police Department spans two-plus decades, retiring at the rank of Captain. Adams
also served in the New York State Senate from 2006 through 2013 and served four
terms as the first African American Borough President of Brooklyn. Mr. Adams
was diagnosed with Dyslexia in college, and he openly touts this struggle as a key
component in shaping the man, and the Mayor he is today. As such, Mr. Adams has
made dyslexia screening a focal point of his educational agenda. The Mayor also
encourages healthy lifestyles as a vegan and cookbook author in NYC.