PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Gary Cooper on Linda Carter Cooper Street Co-Naming
0:08:29
·
5 min
Gary Cooper provides testimony in support of co-naming a street after his late wife, Linda Carter Cooper, highlighting her significant contributions to the Upper West Side community. He details Linda's dedication to seniors, youth, and political activism, emphasizing her impact on improving the lives of local residents.
- Linda Carter Cooper organized programs for seniors and youth, including gardening, sports, and educational support.
- She was a political activist who encouraged voting and worked for the Board of Elections for 40 years.
- Linda created the Angels program, a long-running mentoring initiative that used basketball to keep kids engaged in positive activities.
Gary Cooper
0:08:29
Good morning.
0:08:32
Good morning.
Shekar Krishnan
0:08:35
Good morning.
Gary Cooper
0:08:39
I lost it.
0:08:44
I lost it.
Shekar Krishnan
0:08:56
If you'd like, we could call up another witness in the meantime while you look for your testimony.
Gary Cooper
0:09:00
I'm I'm there.
0:09:01
I'm sorry.
Shekar Krishnan
0:09:01
Okay.
0:09:02
Sure.
0:09:02
Now don't worry.
0:09:02
Take your time, but didn't wanna rush you either.
Gary Cooper
0:09:05
Okay.
0:09:06
I'm sorry about that.
0:09:07
Don't worry.
0:09:08
Linda Carter Cooper was born in West Palm Beach, Florida.
0:09:13
She and her husband migrated to New York in the early seventies.
0:09:17
At that time, the Upper West Side was not a very safe place for families to live.
0:09:23
Seniors in the area was often shut in and was fearful.
0:09:27
Linda somehow gained their trust and confident.
0:09:31
She would bring them outside into the garden in the middle of the block on 84th Street between Amsterdam and Columbus.
0:09:41
There there, they will garden and sit around and enjoy the outdoor.
0:09:45
Linda Carter Cooper became a dedicated advocate for the seniors and ensuring they receive all the necessary services, including legal and medical support.
0:09:56
Every holiday, she and her family would prepare food for all the seniors that she knew in the community before sitting down to her own family meal.
0:10:07
She they trusted her and relied on her.
0:10:10
She served as their spokesperson.
0:10:12
Linda Carter Cooper became an advocate for the youth in the community, creating opportunities and outlet for them through programs in tennis, basketball, baseball, football, where she and her family organized.
0:10:26
She she was deeply involved in supporting the educational needs of the youth, visiting schools wherever she was needed, advocating on behalf of the children in the community.
0:10:39
She even hung an extension cord out of her apartment window to power basketball tournaments held in PS 9 yard next to her home.
0:10:49
Together with her husband, she organized sports team social gathering for all the kids in the area.
0:10:55
Linda also advocated the legally
William Martin
0:11:01
That's okay.
0:11:01
You may finish.
0:11:03
Can I continue?
Gary Cooper
0:11:04
She also organized legal services for the youth keeping lawyers on speed dial due to the frequent unjust profiling of the local kids.
0:11:14
She educated the parents, accompanied it accompanied them to court and sought legal advice and political support to counteract this unfair treatment.
0:11:25
She would also take the children to the museum, introduce them to different aspect of the city, always emphasizing it's not where you start, it's where you finish.
0:11:36
In addition to her work with the seniors and the youth, Linda Carter Cooper was a political activist in the community.
0:11:45
She educated people about the power of their vote of their vote and worked for the board of election for 40 years as a coordinator.
0:11:55
She canvassed the neighborhood knocking on doors to encourage people to vote starting in the early eighties with city council member, Ruth Messenger, continuing to support all the local politicians such as Jerry Nadler, Scott Stringer, Mark Landis, and, of course, my heart, Gail Brewer.
0:12:16
Linda and her husband created an Angels program, a mentoring program that has been running for over 30 years.
0:12:25
This organization used basketball and other activities to keep kids off the street and involved in positive community engagement.
0:12:34
Every year, college graduates come back to thank her for the pivotal role she played in their life.
0:12:40
Linda was married to Gary Cooper and had 4 children, Taniqua, Gary, Shafiq, and Sunar Cooper, as well as her grandson.
0:12:49
She worked and lived on the Upper West Side her entire life, sitting on the corner of the northeast corner of 84th Street, after mass, there she would listen to the resident concern, always keeping her finger on the pulse of the community.
0:13:07
Besides being a devoted wife and mother, Linda was a community activist deeply religious and spiritually and dedicated to bettering the lives of everyone around her.
0:13:19
Her family and friends continue her legacy this day.
0:13:24
This is just a small glimpse of, Linda's life.
0:13:28
Linda usually have a saying, if you don't know, ask somebody.
0:13:34
This morning, I'm asking each and every one of you to pass this petition for my wife.
0:13:39
Thank you very
