Born on September 30 1918, in East Harlem, New York, and raised in an Orthodox Jewish home, his birth name was Solomon Basker. Bob was a “political activist” and “coalition builder” long before these catch phrases became common in our vernacular. Throughout his life, Bob worked tirelessly for those he saw as disenfranchised. Bob became active in the student peace movement in the 1930s. Bob joined the US Army in December 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor deeply affected his life and view of the world. It was at this time in his life that he changed his name to Robert (Bob) Basker. After his tour of duty and Honorable Discharge, Bob became active in the Civil Rights and Anti-Vietnam War Movements. In 1961, Bob was responsible for securing a home for the first Black family in the all-whi