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Emma L. Bowen was a community activist in community health care and fair media. She was an advocate for the disenfranchised and vulnerable. She was one of the co-founders of Black Citizens For Fair Media (BCFM). The Emma L. Bowen Community Service Center known as the Upper Manhattan Mental Health Center, Inc.,is a nonprofit community-based organization named for Ms. Bowen. The center building was established in 1986, but there was a forerunner established in 1975 and the original mental health program was opened in a loft in Washington Heights. The Upper Manhattan Mental Health Center was a result of federal legislation that established community mental health centers, due to grass roots organizing throughout the country that sought to make mental health programs and services available on the community level. It was established to help individuals, families to meet challenges of daily living.

Early Life
Emma was born and raised in Spartanburg, South Carolina. She moved to New York City during the Depression to live with her aunt.

Emma also served as a Youth Leader in the NAACP and one of the highlights was introducing the youth to Malcolm X.

Career
She was appointed Executive Secretary to the New York City Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Alcoholism Services, when John Lindsay was elected Mayor of New York City. At that time she was a Republican District Leader and Lindsay, a Republican, received more votes in that election than a Republican ever had. Emma served in that capacity until she retired in 1984 from the Department. She was a lifelong advocate for community causes and rights of minorities. She challenged television and radio broadcasters in hiring practices and portrayal of blacks in television. BCFM challenged the FCC licenses of stations. As a result advisory boards were established with WABC TV and WNBC TV and community affairs commissions were established with most lost broadcast stations.

Emma also served as a Youth Leader in the NAACP and one of the highlights was introducing the youth to Malcolm X.