Rioghan Kirchner

Congress of Racial Equality. Brooklyn Chapter

Civil rights movements—New York (State)—New York

Race relations—New York (State)—New York

Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)—History

Rioghan Kirchner joined CORE after reading about its housing campaigns in the local newspapers. She expected she would be doing clerical work, but ended up becoming one of their white testers. Her first experience as a white tester was a disaster but soon learned the tactics needed to expose racial discrimination. She and other members of Brooklyn CORE’s Housing committee took pride in exposing racial discrimination. CORE’s tactics of sending in white testers, conducting sit-in’s, protesting and filing complaints to the New York City’s Commission on Intergroup Relations (COIR) allowed the integration of many white neighborhoods.

In this recording, Kirchner discusses her childhood in England, move to New York, and introduction to CORE. She speaks about her part in most of the chapter’s major campaigns including the role of white testers in CORE’s Housing Integration campaign.

Purnell, Brian

Cassette 3

Brooklyn Public Library

2000-09-29

Kirchner, Rioghan

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audio/MPA

Side A 30 min, Side B 30 min

en-US

Sound

03_R_Kirshner

Brooklyn (borough)

1930-2000