Cora Hillery Boggs
Marker is located on Northwest corner of New York and Atlantic Avenues.
Marker text: 1918-1996 |
Additional information: As Cora Boggs took a walk around Atlantic City one day in 1972, the extent to which the resort had fallen from its earlier glory became extremely apparent to her. It seemed like Atlantic City was spiraling into urban decay, and no one was doing anything to correct it. Boggs, finding this development "disgusting," went to work. Her Gild the Ghetto program, which focused on volunteer work and self-help, conducted a survey of housing conditions in Atlantic City and found that 70 percent of them fell into the substandard category. As a co-founder of the Atlantic City Congress of Community Organizations, Boggs used her position to fight to change this. For years, she urged affordable housing for Atlantic City residents, combated racism, and opposed measures that she viewed as monetary abuses by City Council. In addition to membership in the local NAACP branch, Cora Boggs also served a tenure as its Vice President. She firmly believed that racism and poverty were intertwined, and that one led to the other. Speaking of her community activism, Boggs said, "I have a fiery temper when I see people walking on each other. Otherwise I'm a quiet, nice person." |
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For more information, see these resources in the Atlantic City Free Public Library, Atlantic City Heritage Collections: Local History Biography File - Cora Boggs The Atlantic City Press articles |