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(NJ) University.
members around the table, told them what we were witnessing, and said how do we deal with this? And out of those early efforts came the Abyssinian Development Corporation’...designed to promote ‘residential, commercial, educational, and cultural development.’” For Butts, ADC was established to cre- ate viable housing and business oppor- tunities for Harlem residents. “Harlem is a completely different community [since his arrival at Abys- sinian]. I would say largely due to the efforts of the Abyssinian Church [via ADC] to build better housing, to build schools, to create thriving businesses that would be useful to a growing com- munity.” ADC raised funds to purchase and renovate a property for use as a home- less shelter. In conjunction with the Partnership for New York City program, Butts spearheaded a project to build a large apartment complex for senior citizens and apartments for moderate- income households. He and church leaders also founded a church-adminis- tered legal defense fund to help Abys- sinian congregation members and the local community cover legal expenses. In 2001, following the September 11 attacks, he guided a capacity-filled crowd at Yankee Stadium and millions on television as New York citizens col- lectively mourned for those lost. Butts was also an adjunct profes- sor in the African Studies Department at New York’s City College and taught Black Church History at Fordham University.
wash Harlem billboards that advertised tobacco and alcohol products. In Butts’ view, Malt liquor manufacturer G. Heileman Brewing, whose ubiquitous billboard ads were plastered throughout Harlem, “is obviously a company that has no sense of moral or social respon- sibility.” Another issue Butts spoke out against was police brutality and pres- sured local elected officials and congres- sional leaders to address excessive force by police when apprehending suspects, especially those of color. He was espe- cially critical of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s handling of the death of Amadou Diallo at the hands of New York Police. While never running for an elected public office, Butts was known for working with political leaders across the ideological spectrum. He aligned with religious leaders and politicians across the ideological spectrum to address the needs of his community. In 1995, Governor George Pataki appointed Butts to two of New York state’s economic development boards-the Empire State Development Corporation and the New York State Science and Technology Foundation, which both controlled loans and grants to businesses.
While in graduate school, Butts learned about an opening at Abyssinian Baptist Church led by Rev. Dr. Samuel Dewitt Proctor (Alpha Phi 1938), the 47 th Laurel Wreath Laureate. Dr. Proctor was named pastor of Abys- sinian replacing Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., who had passed. Proctor hired Butts in 1972 to join the staff as an office assistant. Butts assumed the role of youth minister from 1972-1976, an assistant minister from 1976-1977, and executive minister from 1977- 1989. According to Butts during these years, “he learned a great deal of what is meant to be a pastor and a servant of the people.” In 1989, Butts replaced his longtime mentor as pastor of Abys- sinian Baptist Church. For many years, he delivered a weekly sermon on local radio. As pastor of one of New York City’s largest churches, Butts continually reaffirmed and promoted Abyssinian’s core values of Worship, Evangelism, Service, and Education. One of his signature quotes is “Education and Faith are the Tigris and Euphrates of our liberation: twin rivers at the source of our redemption.” Butts was also instrumental in creating an educational corridor in Harlem; the Thurgood Mar- shall Academy for Learning and Social Change - a public, state-of-the-art, in- termediate and high school in Harlem, and the Thurgood Marshall Academy Lower School. In 1989, he established the Abyssin- ian Development Corporation (ADC), a community-based, non-profit organiza- tion responsible for over $1 billion in housing and commercial development in Harlem. Butts on ADC’s origin, “’The church, particularly Abyssinian, needed to…rebuild the community, protect the poor, and not allow this very historic place to just be overrun with developers who have no interest in it other than making a dollar. We have resources in the church. We have political connections and…we have human and financial resources…So we gathered some of our more active
SUNY at Old Westbury Following Dr. Proctor’s footsteps,
Butts added the title of a college president to pastor. In 1999, the State University of New York College at Old Westbury (SUNY-Old Westbury) in Old Westbury, NY, on Long Island, named Butts as its president. Butts’ 20-year tenure as president ending in 2019, was the longest in the school’s history. Under Butts’ leadership, SUNY- Westbury experienced tremendous growth in enrollment, admissions stan- dards, and campus improvements and accommodations. The school earned numerous recognition for its programs, including an “academically-embedded civic engagement program for first-time- to-college students.” Money Magazine and U.S. World News & World Report recognized SUNY-Westbury for its diver- sity and value of education.
Community Leadership Like many black clergypersons
before him, Butts utilized his pulpit to attend to the myriad issues facing the Harlem community and the black community. He led campaigns against obscene, violent, and misogynistic gang- sta rap lyrics, which Butts believed de- graded women and dehumanized Black people. He once rented a bulldozer to crush gangsta rap CDs he considered demeaning. In 1990, he led a campaign to white-
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