Camden Walk of Fame Honors Two Black Women Who Helped Shape the City

For Yocontalie Jackson, who started the Camden Walk of Fame back in 2014 to pay tribute to some of the brightest stars in the city’s history, the two honorees that were inducted on October 5 were particularly special.

“I wanted to look at two strong Black women who were leaders in our community and were worthy of the honor,” said Jackson.

She chose the late former Camden Mayor Gwendolyn “Gwen” Faison and famed restaurateur Corinne Bradley-Powers, the two becoming the 13^th and 14^th Camdenites to have their names imprinted on sidewalk inlays on Martin Luther King Boulevard across from Wiggins Park at the Camden waterfront. 

In between presenting Faison’s children and Bradley-Powers with proclamations from city and county leaders, a crowd of several dozen supporters were treated to a plethora of stories about the two women.

Gwen Faison: A Mayor Who Made History

Faison, the first female mayor of the city who served from 2000 to 2010 and who died in 2021 at age 96, was remembered by Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen as “a trailblazer,” and “a true mentor…who led the city with honor and integrity.”

Camden city council president Angel Fuentes spoke of Faison’s appointment to the position in 2010; at the time, she was the first Black woman to have served as city council president, and the sitting mayor, Milton Milan, had just been convicted of federal corruption charges.

“I remember we were going through a crisis and it was time for us to support someone to take over as mayor,” Fuentes said. “I told her, this is your time to shine, and she was approved!” 

With a reputation for integrity, Faison was eventually elected to serve two full terms after that initial appointment.

A fashionista known for her matching suits and hats, Faison’s heart for the city and its residents was unquestioned. During her decade as mayor, she sent each city employee a card on his or her birthday, displaying a people-first approach to leadership felt by all who knew her—but she could also be tough.

“If she was here today,” said Fuentes, “and we overlooked her, she would say, ‘I’m not chopped liver!’”  

Even though Faison led the city at a time when Camden’s finances were under state control, she “persevered in spite of ups and downs,” said Camden Councilwoman Sheila Davis, “and she set the bar for Black women like me in politics.”

Faison’s pastor, the Rev. Dr. Tony C. Evans Sr., who also served as director of human services during her tenure as mayor, told the audience: “I met a feisty woman who was leading a city called the most dangerous and poorest in America who brought a sense of hope and was the beginning of the greatness we realize today. If not for Gwen Faison, where would we be?”

Corinne’s Place: More Than a Meal

Corinne Bradley-Powers opened her restaurant, Corinne’s Place, in 1989 with 15 tables, two years after purchasing a rundown building on Haddon Avenue.

“It was a shack, but it was my shack!” she said at the ceremony. 

“That was in ’89, when people were afraid to go into Camden,” said Bradley-Powers. Her daughter, who she was raising alone at the time, she told the crowd, “would go to Home Depot with me, dragging toilets and cinder blocks back.”  She was relieved, she said, when the rats in the building stayed on the first floor, and didn’t venture upstairs where she and her daughter were sleeping.

In the 37 years since then, Corinne’s Place became a soul-food success, winning the 2022 prestigious James Beard Foundation America’s Classics Award, which seeks to honor “locally owned restaurants that have timeless appeal and are beloved regionally for quality food that reflects the character of its community.”

Mayor Carstarphen said that back when her restaurant opened, everyone in his family loved her food. “My grandmother would say you need to get some turkey wings from Corinne and send me around the corner!” he said. Bradley-Powers “would always ask about your family and that was more important sometimes than taking your order.  It brought about a sense of community.”

“She’s making some of the best food we’ve ever had in the city of Camden,” he said.

Like Faison, Bradley-Powers is known for her outsized personality and heart for the city.

Camden Councilman Chris Collins spoke of her generosity in offering free meals to community members in need, particularly during the holidays.  She has also been known to give numerous young people—many navigating various life challenges–their first work experience, not only hiring but mentoring them. 

Camden County Commissioner Al Dyer recalled a time when he was coaching the Camden High basketball team and Bradley-Powers’ grandson was one of his best players. “He said my grandmother came to the game and said we looked a little scrawny, and wanted to feed us,” said Dyer. At the time, the team’s record was 0-9. 

“After we went and ate there…we went on a nine-game winning streak! Her food is magical.”

Bradley-Powers said she wasn’t bothered by not being recognized earlier in Camden, although she did receive a key to her native city shortly after getting the Beard award.

“I’ve been honored so much I didn’t even fret it,” she said. “And the Bible says a prophet has no honor in his own country.”

Dyer, whose board of commissioners is credited by Jackson with having been “supportive above and beyond” of the Camden Walk of Fame, remembered advice given to him when he first entered politics in the city.

“I was told,” he recalled, “that there’s two women in the city you respect like your grandmother: Gwen and Corinne.”