Honoring Stuy Town Desegregation Leader Lee Lorch on the Senate Floor

On March 25, the New York Senate passed a resolution I introduced mourning the death of Lee Lorch, who was a leader in the effort to desegregate Stuyvesant Town. Metropolitan Life, which built the complex, barred African-American residents from the time it opened in 1947 until August 1950, when the company capitulated under pressure Mr. Lorch did much to create. I was proud to have the opportunity to speak on the floor of the Senate about the life and legacy of this respected math professor and hero of the civil rights movement, who died on February 28, 2014. His efforts as a founder and Vice Chair of the Town and Village Tenants Committee to End Discrimination in Stuyvesant Town helped open up Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village to residents of every race, and paved the way for the Fair Housing Act of 1968. In retaliation for his actions, Metropolitan Life sought to evict him, and Mr. Lorch ultimately agreed to leave Stuyvesant Town voluntarily. He continued to fight racial discrimination everywhere he went, often at great personal cost. Please find the text of the resolution honoring Lee Lorch here and the video of my remarks below.