Department of Higher Education: correspondence, newsletter, and statement, 1973

The Community Organizations series consists of collected documents and primary materials pertaining to Dorothy Yepez’s involvement with several community organizations. Materials provide a broad perspective on the education, health, social and religious concerns related to community organizations located in New York State. These files are arranged alphabetically by organization name, encompassing bulletins, correspondence, programs, sermons, meeting notes, newsletters, press releases and reports.

Dorothy Yepez was actively involved in a myriad of community organizations, serving on several committees and boards. Numerous files on her community activities include documentation of Yepez’s stint as an executive committee member of the Archives of the American Negro of the American Foundation for Negro Affairs (1970); league service member manager for the American Symphony Orchestra League, Inc.; and chairman of the Committee on the Arts for the Friends of Amistad and the Amistad Research Center Foundation Development Fund (1968-1969). Additionally, Yepez was a lobbying corps member for the League of Women Voters in New York City (1983).

The bulk of the materials include agendas, by-laws, bulletins, correspondence, handscript notes, meeting notes, minutes and reports, newsletters and study papers from Yepez’s participation with the United Ministries in Higher Education (UMHE). UMHE “is an ecumenical agency of ten major denominations attempting to provide a united ministry in higher education. The arena on community colleges is extremely concerned about assisting black communities of faith in developing and cultivating ministry at community colleges across America,” according to their website. Yepez served on the National Commission Committee and the Ministries to Blacks in Higher Education; both are divisions of UMHE.

Ministries to Blacks in Higher Education (MBHE) is a nonprofit organization established by the UMHE “to provide specific tools for men and women ministering to Blacks in colleges, universities and other educational concerns. MBHE’s aim is to help free people so they can be who they really are, unfettered by preconceived notions and judged only by basic standards,” according to their website. MBHE files within the papers contain annual convocation materials, including brochures, conference papers, correspondence, journals, programs and other collected publications from Yepez’s attendance at conference meetings.

The Community League of West 159th Street, Inc. files reveal Yepez’s work as a consultant and director of theater field trips for students for the Community League of West 159th Street, Inc. The organization provided arrangements to present a series of professionally staged productions for children at Fordham RKO Theaters in New York City during school hours. The files include correspondence, blank fact sheets, and reservation and confirmation forms. Of note is a letter addressed to congressman Adam Clayton Powell (May 27, 1966) in which Yepez sends her regrets to the congressman for being unable to join the students for the two final productions of the year.

Central Presbyterian Church (NYC) files mainly contain correspondence, church programs and bulletins. As the chairman of publicity and member of the Religion and Arts Committee of Central Presbyterian Church in New York City, Yepez and members of the committee sponsored a Family Thanksgiving Dinner for its membership and their friends, followed by a program of songs, folklore and a demonstration of authentic American Indian instruments. Of note are materials within the Thanksgiving dinner folder containing correspondence, news releases and programs related to the November 1969 holiday.

Yepez served as a member of the executive board of Harlem Health Council (1965-1967): within these files are correspondence, brochures, bookmarks, a health and welfare survey and program proposals. Of interest are items from the Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, including a 1965 report of the comparison of rates of pay and benefits for graduate nurses working full-time as a private duty or staff nurse. Other items within the files include meeting minutes, programs and program proposals for the community.

Other community organizations represented in this series are the Arts Center Committee, Henry Street Settlement (1963-1965); Council of the Arts (1964-1965); Committee to Save the Cooper Union Museum (1958-1967); Harlem Hospital Women’s Auxiliary, Inc. (1973-1974); National Association for the Advancement for Colored People (NAACP) Legal Defense Fund (1970); and the Society for Health and Human Values (1970-1972).