Crotona Park East Tutors Come To You

Crotona Park East, of South Bronx, is a working-class neighborhood that for decades in the twentieth century experienced turmoil and chaos. Arson ravaged the community in the 1960s and 1970s, and then-president Jimmy Carter declared it the worst neighborhood in the United States when he visited in 1977. When urban decay is portrayed in films, Crotona Park East of the 1970s fulfills the image. By the 1980s, however, things had started to change; Crotona Park East was slowly being developed with stable subsidized housing, and had garnered the attention of New York’s grassroots organizers and political leaders, which offered their help in a variety of ways. One such leader was former New York Assemblyman, Luis Niñé.

Niñé was born in Puerto Rico, but came to the mainland of the United States to complete his education following the end of World War II, which he participated in as a member of the United States Army. After receiving his education, he worked in real estate and made a home in the South Bronx for his wife and children, in addition to working as a social worker for the region. From the beginning, Niñé was concerned with the state of his community, and he worked tirelessly to better it for more than three decades.

He entered the world of politics not too long after his time as a real estate investor, serving as a judge for hearings over excessive airfare to travel to Puerto Rico, and from 1977-1980, he served as chairman for the Democratic Party in the New York Assembly. While a member of the assembly, Niñé focused on helping the underprivileged residents of Crotona Park East. His obituary sums up his work nicely: “Nine specialized in legislation to provide housing for poor and middle-income families and to increase employment opportunities for minority groups. He introduced bills that would have provided public housing for families with disabled children and measures that required schools to teach the electoral process.”

When he died in 1983, Niñé was well-respected and well-loved by many in the South Bronx. His dedication to helping the less fortunate—as well as his dedication to educating the rising generation out of poverty by mandating schools teach the election process—stands as a legacy for the community he served for thirty years. This neighborhood still struggles with crime and poverty, but affordable housing is not out of reach, and nor is further change with more dedicated individuals such as Luis Niñé.

Grade Potential tutors working in Crotona Park East also dedicate their time and skills to helping residents thrive. Students in the area may struggle academically, but tutors are there to encourage them and provide necessary tools of learning so each may succeed. They may not have the power of public funds and influence, but in their own way, tutors working with their clients enact a positive change that, over time, not only make for better grades, but a better and more stable life.