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| Goosby Full Bio.pdf |
| Goosby Short Bio.pdf |
| Councilwoman Goosby Photo.jpg |
Download the 2020 Newsletter here
| Summer 2020 Newsletter.pdf |
Deputy Supervisor for: Hempstead, Lakeview and Roosevelt as well as portions of Baldwin, Freeport, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, Uniondale and West Hempstead
Hempstead Town Deputy Supervisor Dorothy L. Goosby made history when she was elected to the Town Board on November 2, 1999. She is one of the first Democrats elected since 1905 and is the first African American woman to serve on the Town Board. Councilwoman Goosby has the distinction of being the first Councilperson to run and be elected in six consecutive campaigns. Her election in 1999 was at large for a one-year term. In 2000 she was elected in the newly created First Council District for a one-year term and in 2001, 2005, 2009, and 2013 she was reelected in landslide victories to four-year terms.
As a member of the Town Board, Deputy Supervisor Goosby is responsible for adopting the annual budget, adopting and amending the town code and the building zone ordinances, adopting all traffic regulations, and hearing applications for changes of zone and special exceptions to zoning codes. Each council member maintains an office in Hempstead Town Hall, located at One Washington Street, Hempstead, New York 11550. This office has a 4-year term.
Deputy Supervisor Goosby is not only the longest-serving member of the Hempstead Town Board, she is a civil rights icon in America’s largest township! As a private citizen in 1988, she filed a lawsuit against the Town of Hempstead, stating that its at-large voting system for electing town council members discriminated against African Americans and other minority groups who comprised a smaller percentage of the town’s population. Taking almost a decade to reach a verdict, in 1997 a federal judge ruled in favor of Goosby and her supporters. In 1999, Goosby ran for office and became the first African-American woman ever to serve on the Hempstead Town Council. As a result of Goosby’s lawsuit, six councilmanic districts were established over different geographical areas of the township. This allowed for more equal representation of African Americans and other minority groups in Town of Hempstead
government.
She has served the residents of Councilmanic District One – encompassing Hempstead, Lakeview, and Roosevelt as well as portions of Baldwin, Freeport, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, Uniondale, and West Hempstead – since the founding of the district.
In October 2021, Supervisor Don Clavin and the Hempstead Town Board renamed Town Hall Plaza as Senior Councilwoman Dorothy L. Goosby Plaza (Senior Councilwoman was her title at the time), in recognition of her dedication to civil rights and to the residents of America’s largest township.
“The Town of Hempstead is one of the most diverse townships in America, and that is directly attributable to the civil rights activism of Deputy Supervisor Dorothy Goosby,” said Supervisor Clavin. “Because of her efforts, our township continues to be home to a growing population of people from different nations, cultures and backgrounds .. all of whom make our community a better place to live, work and raise a family.”
History
In 1988, Deputy Supervisor Goosby and others filed a class action suit against the Town of Hempstead charging that the Town of Hempstead’s at large voting system for the Town Board discriminated against the minority community. In 1997, a federal Judge agreed and ruled that the Town of Hempstead’s method of voting-at-large was discriminatory and violated the Voting Rights Act. In January 2000, the United States Supreme Court denied review of the Town of Hempstead’s appeals. Judge Gleeson, then ordered that a special election be held for all seats in November, 2000.
The First Council District of the Town of Hempstead includes Hempstead, Lakeview, Roosevelt, as well as portions of Baldwin, Freeport, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, Uniondale, and West Hempstead.
Dorothy L. Goosby is an alumna of Florida A&M University. She received her Masters in Business Administration in Labor Relations/Corporate Finance and Accounting Management from Adelphi University. Councilwoman Goosby is a New York State Certified and Registered Dietitian with more than twenty-five years of exemplary administrative experience in the medical profession. She is a published author whose article “Nutritional Management of Long Term Care Residents Receiving Hemodialysis,” was published in Topics in Clinical Nutrition. Mrs. Goosby attended Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY and completed the requirements to obtain certification by the New York State Education Department as a Certified Chemistry teacher.
Accomplishments
While Deputy Supervisor Goosby’s professional accomplishments are noteworthy, she is most recognized for her on-going community efforts in Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead. As Councilwoman she has initiated community meetings and Town Board evening meetings in Town Hall Pavilion that provide access and opportunity for more residents to participate in government than ever before. She has also intervened in areas that have resulted in a better life for the Town’s citizens. These include repair and renovation of streets that were long neglected, parks that were in total disrepair, vacant lots that were littered, and street lights that did not function properly, just to name a few. In some cases, once vacant lots are now locations of economic development. It is the Councilwoman’s belief that her election by the people is a mandate to provide equitable representation to all of the residents in the Town of Hempstead and that she has the responsibility to make a difference when it is possible and where it is needed.
As a distinguished public servant, Deputy Supervisor Goosby’s political activity has been chronicled in the New York Times, Newsday, the Amsterdam News and other publications. Her work has been documented on several television media outlets including ABC, CBS and NBC in the greater New York area and Long Island’s Channel 12 News. The Councilwoman was recognized for the time that she gives selflessly to others and was awarded by the President of the United States with a Presidential Volunteerism pin.
A long-time advocate and supporter of children and youth programs, Deputy Supervisor Goosby is an adult member of the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, served on organization’s Circle of Friends and the Board of Directors.
The Deputy Supervisor is a former Vice President of the Hempstead School Board, former President of Hempstead’s United Parents Association and retired President to Marshall School’s Parent Teacher Association. She is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Uniondale, Soroptimist International, board member of HEVN and is a proud board member of the Caroline Wambui Mungai Foundation.
Deputy Supervisor Goosby is a Past President of the Association Of Towns of the State of New York and serves on their Executive and Resolutions Committees. The Deputy Supervisor formerly served on the Board of Directors of Hempstead High School Scholarship Fund, the Board of the Nassau Guardians Association, a member of the Executive Board Member of the Parish Resource Center and the Board of Directors of the Equal Opportunity Commission of Nassau County. Deputy Supervisor Goosby is a past President of the Hempstead’s Democratic Club. She was Secretary for the Town of Hempstead’s Democratic Committee and was a member of the Ways and Means Committee. Deputy Supervisor Goosby taught with Long Island Mentoring Inc., and was a member of the Long Island Arts Council at Freeport. Her professional affiliations include the American Dietetic Association, New York State and Long Island Dietetic Association, Consultant Dietitians of Long Island, and Science Teachers Association of New York, Inc. She is a proud member of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
On July 18, 2011 Deputy Supervisor Goosby and more than 150 local elected officials from all over the United States participated in the first White House Forum on Suburbs in Washington DC, coordinated by Building One America. Discussion was led by members of President Obama's administration and included the problems of aging of "First Suburbs", including Long Island.
The Deputy Supervisor resides in Hempstead. In April 2013 she lost her husband of 50 years, Anderson "Jay" Goosby. She has two daughters, Alcina and Cassandra. Mrs. Goosby is a member of Union Baptist Church where she served on the Social Action Committee, past President of the Senior Choir and past Co-Chair of the Woman’s Day Committee.
Deputy Supervisor Goosby is the recipient of several county, town, and private citations, certificates and plaques. Click on Full Version pdf. to view.
District Information
The First Councilmatic District of the Town of Hempstead includes: Hempstead, Lakeview and Roosevelt as well as portions of Baldwin, Freeport, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, Uniondale and West Hempstead
As a member of the Town Board, Deputy Supervisor Goosby is responsible for adopting the annual budget, adopting and amending the town code and the building zone ordinances, adopting all traffic regulations, and hearing applications for changes of zone and special exceptions to zoning codes. Each council member maintains an office in Hempstead Town Hall, located at One Washington Street, Hempstead, New York 11550. This office has a 4-year term.
Deputy Supervisor Goosby is not only the longest-serving member of the Hempstead Town Board, she is a civil rights icon in America’s largest township! As a private citizen in 1988, she filed a lawsuit against the Town of Hempstead, stating that its at-large voting system for electing town council members discriminated against African Americans and other minority groups who comprised a smaller percentage of the town’s population. Taking almost a decade to reach a verdict, in 1997 a federal judge ruled in favor of Goosby and her supporters. In 1999, Goosby ran for office and became the first African-American woman ever to serve on the Hempstead Town Council. As a result of Goosby’s lawsuit, six councilmanic districts were established over different geographical areas of the township. This allowed for more equal representation of African Americans and other minority groups in Town of Hempstead
government.
She has served the residents of Councilmanic District One – encompassing Hempstead, Lakeview, and Roosevelt as well as portions of Baldwin, Freeport, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, Uniondale, and West Hempstead – since the founding of the district.
In October 2021, Supervisor Don Clavin and the Hempstead Town Board renamed Town Hall Plaza as Senior Councilwoman Dorothy L. Goosby Plaza (Senior Councilwoman was her title at the time), in recognition of her dedication to civil rights and to the residents of America’s largest township.
“The Town of Hempstead is one of the most diverse townships in America, and that is directly attributable to the civil rights activism of Deputy Supervisor Dorothy Goosby,” said Supervisor Clavin. “Because of her efforts, our township continues to be home to a growing population of people from different nations, cultures and backgrounds .. all of whom make our community a better place to live, work and raise a family.”
History
In 1988, Deputy Supervisor Goosby and others filed a class action suit against the Town of Hempstead charging that the Town of Hempstead’s at large voting system for the Town Board discriminated against the minority community. In 1997, a federal Judge agreed and ruled that the Town of Hempstead’s method of voting-at-large was discriminatory and violated the Voting Rights Act. In January 2000, the United States Supreme Court denied review of the Town of Hempstead’s appeals. Judge Gleeson, then ordered that a special election be held for all seats in November, 2000.
The First Council District of the Town of Hempstead includes Hempstead, Lakeview, Roosevelt, as well as portions of Baldwin, Freeport, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, Uniondale, and West Hempstead.
Dorothy L. Goosby is an alumna of Florida A&M University. She received her Masters in Business Administration in Labor Relations/Corporate Finance and Accounting Management from Adelphi University. Councilwoman Goosby is a New York State Certified and Registered Dietitian with more than twenty-five years of exemplary administrative experience in the medical profession. She is a published author whose article “Nutritional Management of Long Term Care Residents Receiving Hemodialysis,” was published in Topics in Clinical Nutrition. Mrs. Goosby attended Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY and completed the requirements to obtain certification by the New York State Education Department as a Certified Chemistry teacher.
Accomplishments
While Deputy Supervisor Goosby’s professional accomplishments are noteworthy, she is most recognized for her on-going community efforts in Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead. As Councilwoman she has initiated community meetings and Town Board evening meetings in Town Hall Pavilion that provide access and opportunity for more residents to participate in government than ever before. She has also intervened in areas that have resulted in a better life for the Town’s citizens. These include repair and renovation of streets that were long neglected, parks that were in total disrepair, vacant lots that were littered, and street lights that did not function properly, just to name a few. In some cases, once vacant lots are now locations of economic development. It is the Councilwoman’s belief that her election by the people is a mandate to provide equitable representation to all of the residents in the Town of Hempstead and that she has the responsibility to make a difference when it is possible and where it is needed.
As a distinguished public servant, Deputy Supervisor Goosby’s political activity has been chronicled in the New York Times, Newsday, the Amsterdam News and other publications. Her work has been documented on several television media outlets including ABC, CBS and NBC in the greater New York area and Long Island’s Channel 12 News. The Councilwoman was recognized for the time that she gives selflessly to others and was awarded by the President of the United States with a Presidential Volunteerism pin.
A long-time advocate and supporter of children and youth programs, Deputy Supervisor Goosby is an adult member of the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, served on organization’s Circle of Friends and the Board of Directors.
The Deputy Supervisor is a former Vice President of the Hempstead School Board, former President of Hempstead’s United Parents Association and retired President to Marshall School’s Parent Teacher Association. She is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Uniondale, Soroptimist International, board member of HEVN and is a proud board member of the Caroline Wambui Mungai Foundation.
Deputy Supervisor Goosby is a Past President of the Association Of Towns of the State of New York and serves on their Executive and Resolutions Committees. The Deputy Supervisor formerly served on the Board of Directors of Hempstead High School Scholarship Fund, the Board of the Nassau Guardians Association, a member of the Executive Board Member of the Parish Resource Center and the Board of Directors of the Equal Opportunity Commission of Nassau County. Deputy Supervisor Goosby is a past President of the Hempstead’s Democratic Club. She was Secretary for the Town of Hempstead’s Democratic Committee and was a member of the Ways and Means Committee. Deputy Supervisor Goosby taught with Long Island Mentoring Inc., and was a member of the Long Island Arts Council at Freeport. Her professional affiliations include the American Dietetic Association, New York State and Long Island Dietetic Association, Consultant Dietitians of Long Island, and Science Teachers Association of New York, Inc. She is a proud member of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
On July 18, 2011 Deputy Supervisor Goosby and more than 150 local elected officials from all over the United States participated in the first White House Forum on Suburbs in Washington DC, coordinated by Building One America. Discussion was led by members of President Obama's administration and included the problems of aging of "First Suburbs", including Long Island.
The Deputy Supervisor resides in Hempstead. In April 2013 she lost her husband of 50 years, Anderson "Jay" Goosby. She has two daughters, Alcina and Cassandra. Mrs. Goosby is a member of Union Baptist Church where she served on the Social Action Committee, past President of the Senior Choir and past Co-Chair of the Woman’s Day Committee.
Deputy Supervisor Goosby is the recipient of several county, town, and private citations, certificates and plaques. Click on Full Version pdf. to view.
District Information
The First Councilmatic District of the Town of Hempstead includes: Hempstead, Lakeview and Roosevelt as well as portions of Baldwin, Freeport, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, Uniondale and West Hempstead
Hempstead icon Dorothy Goosby has her day — and a town plaza is renamed for her
Deputy Supervisor Dorothy Goosby with Sen. Chuck Schumer on Saturday outside Hempstead Town Hall. "Dorothy never stood for injustice in her own story or the story of anyone else," Schumer said. Credit: Marcus Santos
By John Asbury
October 2, 2021 6:35 PM
[email protected]
10/3/21, 11:11 AM Hempstead icon Dorothy Goosby has her day — and a town plaza is renamed for her | Newsday
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/dorothy-goosby-day-hempstead-ceremony-1.50379101 2/4
Hempstead Senior Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby, who fought for voting rights and direct representation of council districts of minority communities, was honored Saturday by state and town officials for her more than 20 years on the board and as its first African American councilmember.
Goosby, 83, is running for her eighth term on the town board next month. She was the first Democrat elected in nearly a century after a 12-year civil rights lawsuit to create council districts in the town.
Her fellow board members, all Republicans, recognized her by voting to declare Saturday "Dorothy Goosby Day" and to rename the town’s plaza, near Town Hall, for her in a ceremony before nearly 500 people. Elected officials including Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), state
Attorney General Letitia James and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli also were on hand. Goosby was first elected in 1999 after the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed and declined to hear an appeal to a case she won to eliminate at-large voting in the town and create council districts,
including her district of Hempstead and Baldwin, Roosevelt and Uniondale.
"This notes all that happened," Goosby said. "We all came around to the same point. This is what God needs all of us to do. We work as one board."
Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin said the board had planned to rename the plaza for Goosby last year but was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. "Councilwoman Goosby looks past party lines and does so much to show she cares about her residents in her district," Clavin said. "She is an incredible woman with a story of accomplishment and how we got here."
October 2, 2021 6:35 PM
[email protected]
10/3/21, 11:11 AM Hempstead icon Dorothy Goosby has her day — and a town plaza is renamed for her | Newsday
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/dorothy-goosby-day-hempstead-ceremony-1.50379101 2/4
Hempstead Senior Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby, who fought for voting rights and direct representation of council districts of minority communities, was honored Saturday by state and town officials for her more than 20 years on the board and as its first African American councilmember.
Goosby, 83, is running for her eighth term on the town board next month. She was the first Democrat elected in nearly a century after a 12-year civil rights lawsuit to create council districts in the town.
Her fellow board members, all Republicans, recognized her by voting to declare Saturday "Dorothy Goosby Day" and to rename the town’s plaza, near Town Hall, for her in a ceremony before nearly 500 people. Elected officials including Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), state
Attorney General Letitia James and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli also were on hand. Goosby was first elected in 1999 after the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed and declined to hear an appeal to a case she won to eliminate at-large voting in the town and create council districts,
including her district of Hempstead and Baldwin, Roosevelt and Uniondale.
"This notes all that happened," Goosby said. "We all came around to the same point. This is what God needs all of us to do. We work as one board."
Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin said the board had planned to rename the plaza for Goosby last year but was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. "Councilwoman Goosby looks past party lines and does so much to show she cares about her residents in her district," Clavin said. "She is an incredible woman with a story of accomplishment and how we got here."
The Apalachicola Times March 6, 2020
Goosby Honored By Her New York 'hometown'
by David Adlerstein, Apalachicola Times Editor
https://www.apalachtimes.com/news/20200305/goosby-honored-by-her-new-york-hometown
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In 1955, Dorothy L. McMillan, born and raised on 12th Street, graduated at just 17 years old as valedictorian of Quinn High School. Sixty-five years later, after blazing a trail as a civil rights pioneer and long-serving political leader, the town on Long Island, New York where she made her home showed their love for her by naming the Town Hall plaza in her honor.
The town board of Hempstead, the largest town in a county of about 800,000, surprised Dorothy Goosby on Feb. 27, which also happened to be her birthday, with the honor. The board made the announcement at the town’s African American History Month celebration. Supervisor Don Clavin, joined by Hempstead Town Councilmen Bruce Blakeman, Anthony D’Esposito, Dennis Dunne, Tom Muscarella and Christopher Carini, Town Clerk Kate Murray and Receiver of Taxes Jeanine Driscoll unveiled a printed replica of a dedication plaque for “Senior Councilwoman Dorothy L. Goosby Plaza,” which will be installed later outside the Nathan L.H. Bennett Pavilion at Hempstead Town Hall.
The plaza is named after Goosby in recognition of her efforts to obtain equal voting rights for African Americans and other minorities through a method mirrored in her own home, which was the creation of single-member districts
“At a time when African Americans and other minority groups were underrepresented in Hempstead Town government, Senior Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby challenged the status quo and fought for equal voting rights,” said Clavin. “I am personally honored to serve alongside this civil rights champion, and the Town of Hempstead is proud to name Town Hall Plaza as ‘Senior Councilwoman Dorothy L. Goosby Plaza.’”
In 1988, Goosby — then a private citizen — filed a class action lawsuit against the Town of Hempstead, arguing that its at-large voting system for electing town council members discriminated against African Americans and other minority groups who comprised a smaller percentage of the town’s population.
Nine years later, in 1997, a federal judge ruled in favor of Goosby and her supporters. And, in 1999, Goosby ran for office and became the first African American woman ever to serve on the Hempstead Town Council, as well as the first Democrat elected since 1905.
As a result of Goosby’s lawsuit, six districts were established in the town, allowing for more equal representation of African Americans and other minority groups in government.
In November 2000, a special election was held for all six seats; Goosby was re-elected to serve Councilmanic District 1 — which encompasses Hempstead, Lakeview, Roosevelt and portions of Baldwin, Freeport, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, Uniondale and West Hempstead. Over the past 20 years, district residents have repeatedly re-elected Goosby by an overwhelming majority.
“There are so many incredible African American people, stories and moments that have been chronicled from all across our nation, but it is important to acknowledge that Senior Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby made true civil rights history right here in the Town of Hempstead,” Clavin said. “Senior Councilwoman Goosby blazed a path for others to follow in her footsteps, and it’s fitting that the walkway leading directly to Hempstead Town Hall will forever be named in her honor.”
Goosby is president of the Association Of Towns of New York, where she serves on the executive, and the rules and resolutions committees.
The press release from Hempstead said her recognition was also for her ongoing community efforts, that have included initiating community meetings and town board evening meetings that provide access and opportunity for more residents to participate in government than ever before.
“She has intervened in areas that have resulted in a better life for many,” it reads. “These include repair and renovation of streets that were long neglected, parks that were in total disrepair, vacant lots that were littered and street lights that did not function properly, just to name a few.”
Upon her graduation from Quinn, Goosby, the daughter of Joe and Bennie McMillian, received three scholarships, one from the railroad, where her father worked; one from the Tallahassee Democrat, which gave 500 scholarships to African-Americans; and one from Sears & Roebuck.
As a child, Goosby lived with her parents on 12th Street. That property, a huge block-corner of Ave L and 11th Street down to past the Ave M and 12th St intersection, is still in the family. As a 9-year old, she worked in the summer as a dishwasher at The Grill, where she and her 8-year old brother earned $6 a week, together.
After graduating Quinn, she worked herself through college with a job in the cafeteria, and in 1959 graduated from Florida A&M University with a bachelor of science degree in foods, nutrition and institutional management.
She hoped to find a job in Apalachicola after finishing college, but couldn’t and so moved to New York.
Goosby received her masters in business administration in labor relations/corporate finance and accounting management from Adelphi University. She worked as a registered dietitian with more than 25 years of administrative experience in the medical profession. She attended Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York and obtained her chemistry teacher certification.
Goosby recently lost her husband of 50 years, Anderson Jay Goosby. She has two daughters, Alcina and Cassandra Goosby, and is a longtime member of Union Baptist Church in Hempstead.
The town board of Hempstead, the largest town in a county of about 800,000, surprised Dorothy Goosby on Feb. 27, which also happened to be her birthday, with the honor. The board made the announcement at the town’s African American History Month celebration. Supervisor Don Clavin, joined by Hempstead Town Councilmen Bruce Blakeman, Anthony D’Esposito, Dennis Dunne, Tom Muscarella and Christopher Carini, Town Clerk Kate Murray and Receiver of Taxes Jeanine Driscoll unveiled a printed replica of a dedication plaque for “Senior Councilwoman Dorothy L. Goosby Plaza,” which will be installed later outside the Nathan L.H. Bennett Pavilion at Hempstead Town Hall.
The plaza is named after Goosby in recognition of her efforts to obtain equal voting rights for African Americans and other minorities through a method mirrored in her own home, which was the creation of single-member districts
“At a time when African Americans and other minority groups were underrepresented in Hempstead Town government, Senior Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby challenged the status quo and fought for equal voting rights,” said Clavin. “I am personally honored to serve alongside this civil rights champion, and the Town of Hempstead is proud to name Town Hall Plaza as ‘Senior Councilwoman Dorothy L. Goosby Plaza.’”
In 1988, Goosby — then a private citizen — filed a class action lawsuit against the Town of Hempstead, arguing that its at-large voting system for electing town council members discriminated against African Americans and other minority groups who comprised a smaller percentage of the town’s population.
Nine years later, in 1997, a federal judge ruled in favor of Goosby and her supporters. And, in 1999, Goosby ran for office and became the first African American woman ever to serve on the Hempstead Town Council, as well as the first Democrat elected since 1905.
As a result of Goosby’s lawsuit, six districts were established in the town, allowing for more equal representation of African Americans and other minority groups in government.
In November 2000, a special election was held for all six seats; Goosby was re-elected to serve Councilmanic District 1 — which encompasses Hempstead, Lakeview, Roosevelt and portions of Baldwin, Freeport, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, Uniondale and West Hempstead. Over the past 20 years, district residents have repeatedly re-elected Goosby by an overwhelming majority.
“There are so many incredible African American people, stories and moments that have been chronicled from all across our nation, but it is important to acknowledge that Senior Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby made true civil rights history right here in the Town of Hempstead,” Clavin said. “Senior Councilwoman Goosby blazed a path for others to follow in her footsteps, and it’s fitting that the walkway leading directly to Hempstead Town Hall will forever be named in her honor.”
Goosby is president of the Association Of Towns of New York, where she serves on the executive, and the rules and resolutions committees.
The press release from Hempstead said her recognition was also for her ongoing community efforts, that have included initiating community meetings and town board evening meetings that provide access and opportunity for more residents to participate in government than ever before.
“She has intervened in areas that have resulted in a better life for many,” it reads. “These include repair and renovation of streets that were long neglected, parks that were in total disrepair, vacant lots that were littered and street lights that did not function properly, just to name a few.”
Upon her graduation from Quinn, Goosby, the daughter of Joe and Bennie McMillian, received three scholarships, one from the railroad, where her father worked; one from the Tallahassee Democrat, which gave 500 scholarships to African-Americans; and one from Sears & Roebuck.
As a child, Goosby lived with her parents on 12th Street. That property, a huge block-corner of Ave L and 11th Street down to past the Ave M and 12th St intersection, is still in the family. As a 9-year old, she worked in the summer as a dishwasher at The Grill, where she and her 8-year old brother earned $6 a week, together.
After graduating Quinn, she worked herself through college with a job in the cafeteria, and in 1959 graduated from Florida A&M University with a bachelor of science degree in foods, nutrition and institutional management.
She hoped to find a job in Apalachicola after finishing college, but couldn’t and so moved to New York.
Goosby received her masters in business administration in labor relations/corporate finance and accounting management from Adelphi University. She worked as a registered dietitian with more than 25 years of administrative experience in the medical profession. She attended Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York and obtained her chemistry teacher certification.
Goosby recently lost her husband of 50 years, Anderson Jay Goosby. She has two daughters, Alcina and Cassandra Goosby, and is a longtime member of Union Baptist Church in Hempstead.
Newsday
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS ON LONG ISLAND
By Olivia Winslow; Jennifer Barrios; Dave Marcus
February 24, 2008
Long Island's history of civil rights activists includes politicians Roger Corbin and Dorothy Goosby, whose elections in the 1990s helped expand the political opportunities for African-Americans in Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead, respectively.
Redistricting gives blacks more power Dorothy Goosby, 69, of Hempstead Village, became the first African-American woman elected to the Town of Hempstead Board in 1999. She is currently the only Democrat and the only African-American on the board. She was the lead plaintiff in the 1988 lawsuit that forced the town to change from an at-large voting system, which the suit charged disenfranchised minority voters, to six councilmanic districts. In a case that took 12 years to settle, the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000 refused to hear Hempstead Town's appeal. "I became an activist because I was born and raised in the segregated South [Apalachicola, Fla.]. In the South I was not made to feel like a human being. ... I did not like the fact that we did not have good books, that we were not taught subjects [math and science], because I was told I was too dumb to learn them. I've never been dumb. So I became an activist because I realized that in order to change things I had to be involved. And I became involved in the Goosby vs. Town of Hempstead case for the same reason. We had bad streets in our area. We had poor schools. We had bad parks. All that we paid for as taxpayers, we were not part of it [town government]. "So in order to be part of it, we filed Goosby vs. Town of Hempstead ... to change from at-large voting to councilmanic districts so that we could play a role in our own destiny. It [at-large voting] meant that we were not represented, because we were 12.5 percent of the population during the time we filed this case. So you disperse 12.5 percent into the entire town, which is over 700,000 people, you're completely lost. Not only that, it was discriminatory. "They never had a black on the town board until Mr. [Joseph] Mondello appointed [Curtis E. Fisher in 1993, who later was elected]. There were moments when I doubted. I had two positions that I was terminated from [because of] this case. I was called the N-word. ... "I was able to do it because of the support I had from my family, as well as many friends, and certainly from my attorney, Fred K. Brewington. I am optimistic. First of all, because of the Goosby vs. Town of Hempstead case we now have 19 legislative seats in Nassau County, whereas, before it was five supervisors. Out of those 19 we have two black legislators. Instead of one black woman there are now three of us [on town boards Islandwide]. I take great pride in that because we opened the government; finally we have the opportunity to participate in government."
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS ON LONG ISLAND
By Olivia Winslow; Jennifer Barrios; Dave Marcus
February 24, 2008
Long Island's history of civil rights activists includes politicians Roger Corbin and Dorothy Goosby, whose elections in the 1990s helped expand the political opportunities for African-Americans in Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead, respectively.
Redistricting gives blacks more power Dorothy Goosby, 69, of Hempstead Village, became the first African-American woman elected to the Town of Hempstead Board in 1999. She is currently the only Democrat and the only African-American on the board. She was the lead plaintiff in the 1988 lawsuit that forced the town to change from an at-large voting system, which the suit charged disenfranchised minority voters, to six councilmanic districts. In a case that took 12 years to settle, the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000 refused to hear Hempstead Town's appeal. "I became an activist because I was born and raised in the segregated South [Apalachicola, Fla.]. In the South I was not made to feel like a human being. ... I did not like the fact that we did not have good books, that we were not taught subjects [math and science], because I was told I was too dumb to learn them. I've never been dumb. So I became an activist because I realized that in order to change things I had to be involved. And I became involved in the Goosby vs. Town of Hempstead case for the same reason. We had bad streets in our area. We had poor schools. We had bad parks. All that we paid for as taxpayers, we were not part of it [town government]. "So in order to be part of it, we filed Goosby vs. Town of Hempstead ... to change from at-large voting to councilmanic districts so that we could play a role in our own destiny. It [at-large voting] meant that we were not represented, because we were 12.5 percent of the population during the time we filed this case. So you disperse 12.5 percent into the entire town, which is over 700,000 people, you're completely lost. Not only that, it was discriminatory. "They never had a black on the town board until Mr. [Joseph] Mondello appointed [Curtis E. Fisher in 1993, who later was elected]. There were moments when I doubted. I had two positions that I was terminated from [because of] this case. I was called the N-word. ... "I was able to do it because of the support I had from my family, as well as many friends, and certainly from my attorney, Fred K. Brewington. I am optimistic. First of all, because of the Goosby vs. Town of Hempstead case we now have 19 legislative seats in Nassau County, whereas, before it was five supervisors. Out of those 19 we have two black legislators. Instead of one black woman there are now three of us [on town boards Islandwide]. I take great pride in that because we opened the government; finally we have the opportunity to participate in government."
Newsday
Lessons in working my way through college Published: May 3, 2012 11:19 AM
Escaping segregation My family was very poor in Florida. So, during college, I worked at school, cleaning up in the cafeteria and the kitchen once the cooks finished.
Each summer, I'd come to work at upstate Rockland State Hospital because it wasn't as segregated in New York as Florida was at that time. The jobs I had paid for clothes, books and helped with my tuition, along with my scholarships. Most of my time was for working or studying, so I didn't have much time for pleasure. I wanted to go to college, and my parents wanted me to go because, in Florida, there was nothing I could do except housekeeping, or work in the hospital, or take care of somebody else's children. I wanted more, and my parents wanted more for me, especially my mom.
My mother was my inspiration and a stalwart in my life. I did not want to stay there and just be a vegetable. I was dying to get to college and become a doctor. We just didn't have the money for it, and I had to make sacrifices to do it, but at least I did get into the medical profession, and I still enjoy it. After graduating from Florida A&M University, I became a certified/registered dietitian. I've also completed a master's in business administration at Adelphi University and then I went to Hofstra University to certify myself as a chemistry teacher.
I learned that if you really want to do something, you will do it. But you have to sacrifice. If you put yourself into it and you really work hard, you can accomplish it. That knowledge was especially helpful to me when I became the first African-American elected to the Hempstead Town Board in 1999.
-- DOROTHY GOOSBY, Hempstead
Escaping segregation My family was very poor in Florida. So, during college, I worked at school, cleaning up in the cafeteria and the kitchen once the cooks finished.
Each summer, I'd come to work at upstate Rockland State Hospital because it wasn't as segregated in New York as Florida was at that time. The jobs I had paid for clothes, books and helped with my tuition, along with my scholarships. Most of my time was for working or studying, so I didn't have much time for pleasure. I wanted to go to college, and my parents wanted me to go because, in Florida, there was nothing I could do except housekeeping, or work in the hospital, or take care of somebody else's children. I wanted more, and my parents wanted more for me, especially my mom.
My mother was my inspiration and a stalwart in my life. I did not want to stay there and just be a vegetable. I was dying to get to college and become a doctor. We just didn't have the money for it, and I had to make sacrifices to do it, but at least I did get into the medical profession, and I still enjoy it. After graduating from Florida A&M University, I became a certified/registered dietitian. I've also completed a master's in business administration at Adelphi University and then I went to Hofstra University to certify myself as a chemistry teacher.
I learned that if you really want to do something, you will do it. But you have to sacrifice. If you put yourself into it and you really work hard, you can accomplish it. That knowledge was especially helpful to me when I became the first African-American elected to the Hempstead Town Board in 1999.
-- DOROTHY GOOSBY, Hempstead
