Doris Bunte | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 7th Suffolk district | |
| In office 1973–1984 | |
| Preceded by | Franklin W. Holgate |
| Succeeded by | Gloria Fox |
| Boston Housing Authority Administrator | |
| In office 1984–1992 | |
| Preceded by | Harry Spence |
| Succeeded by | David Cortiella |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 2, 1933 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | February 15, 2021 (aged 87) Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Harvard University (MEd) |
Doris Bunte (July 2, 1933 – February 15, 2021) was a Massachusetts state representative and an administrator of the Boston Housing Authority. She was the first African-American woman to hold either position.
Biography
She was born on July 2, 1933, in New York City and educated in the New York City public schools.[1]
She was a tenant activist at the Orchard Park housing project (now Orchard Gardens) in Roxbury.[2] She was a member of the National Rent Board, the Critical Minority Affairs Committee, the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, the National Tenants Organization, and the Citizens Housing and Planning Association.[1]
In 1972, Bunte was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives (7th Suffolk District, Wards 8, 9 and 12), where she served for 12 years.[2] She was the first African-American woman elected to the Massachusetts state legislature.[3] In 1984, Mayor Raymond Flynn appointed her Administrator of the Boston Housing Authority, where she served until 1992. She was also the first BHA official who had lived in public housing.[2][4] She was the first African-American woman to hold that position in Boston, and the first former public housing tenant to lead a public housing agency in a major city.[3] During her career in Massachusetts politics she was known as a strong advocate for public housing.[2] Bunte was among the three founding members of the Massachusetts Legislative Black Caucus. [5]
Afterwards she worked at the Boston University School of Public Health and the Center for Sport in Society at Northeastern University before retiring in 2010.[2]
She died on February 15, 2021, from cancer in her home in Brookline, Massachusetts.[6]
Honors
In 2018, the Walnut Park Apartments were renamed the Doris Bunte Apartments.[7]
See also
- Massachusetts House of Representatives' 9th Suffolk district
- 168th Massachusetts General Court (1973–1974)
- 169th Massachusetts General Court (1975–1976)
- 170th Massachusetts General Court (1977–1978)
- 171st Massachusetts General Court (1979–1980)
- 172nd Massachusetts General Court (1981–1982)
- 173rd Massachusetts General Court (1983–1984)
References
- 1 2 "Public officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1973-1974". Internet Archive.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Walker, Adrian (June 6, 2011). "She's not the retiring type". The Boston Globe.
- 1 2 Vrabel, Jim (2004). When in Boston: A Time Line & Almanac. Northeastern University Press. pp. 341, 359. ISBN 9781555536213.
- ↑ "Trailblazing political leader, Doris Bunte dies at 87". The Bay State Banner. 2021-02-18. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
- ↑ "Trailblazing political leader, Doris Bunte dies at 87". The Bay State Banner. 2021-02-18. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
- ↑ A groundbreaking Black woman in state and city government, Doris Bunte dies at 87
- ↑ "BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY DEVELOPMENT RENAMED IN HONOR OF DORIS BUNTÈ". Boston City Council. 27 March 2018. Archived from the original on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
Further reading
- Adrian Walker (February 16, 2021), "Remembering Doris Bunte", Boston Globe