Barry H. Ostrowsky Animal Wellness Center

Essex County Executive Dedicates Essex County Barry H. Ostrowsky Animal Wellness Center

Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. dedicated the Animal Hospital at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo as the Essex County Barry H. Ostrowsky Animal Wellness Center on the Monday, May 23rd. Opened in 2005, the building was renamed in honor of Barry Ostrowsky, President and CEO of RWJBarnabas Health.

Barry Ostrowsky has built RWJBarnabas Health into the premiere healthcare system in New Jersey and is recognized as one of the leading authorities on healthcare. Under his leadership, Cooperman Barnabas, Clara Maass and Newark Beth Israel Medical Centers have contributed to the economic development, public health and quality of life or our communities, DiVincenzo said. Barry also has been a great partner with Essex County.

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survival!By James Frazier Newark News & Story Collaborative Health ideas for wellness Black Theater Companies Pivot, Present | In-person Theatre is Back

Jumping 4 Justice in Summit

The pastor and people of Fountain Baptist Church in Summit, NJ hold true to their long history of amplifying the voices of the most marginalized. In May, Fountain Baptist Church Pastor Reverend Dr. J. Michael Sanders hosted a different kind of revival—the 2022 Jumping4Justice Double Dutch Revival, a threeday event supporting the Lott Carey Global Christian Missional Community’s Anti-Trafficking Initiative. Together, the Middlesex Central Baptist Association (MCBA) Moderator Reverend Dr. Derrick Dumas, Sis. Vernell Prince, and Sis. Kamise Thompson (co-captains of the 40+ Double Dutch Sub-Club) committed to supporting women and girls victimized by gender-based violence fueled by gendered racism.

A gender justice panel discussion followed by two days of phenomenal preaching by Dr. Carolyn Ann Knight

Angela Graham and Amber Davis jumping for justiceF rustrated with the lack of diversity in American theater, Ricardo Mohamed Khan and L. Kenneth Richardson conceptualized the Crossroads Theatre Company. Since its founding in 1978, Crossroads has produced over 100 works, many of them premiere L-R: Dr. Angelica Clifton, Fountain BC, First Lady Cheron Dumas and husband, Moderator Rev. Dr. Derrick Dumas Middlesex Central Baptist Asso. Rev. Dr. Carol Patterson, First Baptist Church Lincoln Gardens productions by African and African American artists, including The Colored Museum and Spunk by George C. focused on lifting the voices of women and girls around Wolfe, Jitney by August Wilson, Sheila’s Day by South Af- the world and heightening awareness, advocacy, and rican writer Duma, Ndlovu and many more. Crossroads received the 1999 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in the United States in recognition of its 22activism. Globally, an estimated 736 million women— almost one in three—have been subjected to intimate year history of artistic accomplishment and excellence. partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at

“My father’s heritage is East Indian; my mother is least once in their lives. One in three women you know has African-American and so they were bringing together experienced some form of gender-based violence. Think two cultures,” said Kahn. “That’s ethically as well as about it— that’s a staggering statistic. geographically. Growing up, there was never a sense Mark your calendar for the second Saturday in May that we were solely identified by being Black kids in of 2023 when the Jumping4Justice Double Dutch Revival Camden, New Jersey. Yes, we were Black in Camden, returns. Dr. Gina Stewart, the current president of Lott but our roots are global. What I’ve always wanted to tell people through Crossroads is that it’s about our roots. As Black people in this country we should not Carey, adheres to the age-old saying, “teamwork makes the dream work.” This partnership between the local churches forget or even allow people to think this is all of who we through MCBA and other associations, raised $12,000.00 are.” He continued, “There’s much more! The sense for support services, proving Dr. Stewart’s point: Together of a connecting, having a theater like Crossroads that we are stronger! connects to many different communities in this country and around the world is in order for us to redefine who we are on a larger level.”

Across the Hudson River, one of the pioneering institutions integrating artists of color and women into the mainstream American theater, Woodie King Jr.’s New Federal Theater (NFT), faces major changes. Founded in 1970, NFT began as an outgrowth of a theatre program called Mobilization for Youth. The theatre’s first season opened in the basement of St. Augustine’s

Money Church on Henry Street. Many performers benefited from early successes on NFT’s stage—the late Chadbuiness, finance + work wick Boseman, Debbie BY LESLIE NASH Allen, Morgan Freeman, Phylicia Rashad, Denzel Washington, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Samuel L.

Education Ricardo Kahn Crossroads Theatre Company Jackson, Issa Rae, and many more. Woodie King Jr. retired from leadership of the illustrious theater at the end of June. “During the first part of the pandemic, March 2020, the art + science of learning I had been thinking about retiring,” King revealed. “Then the pandemic increased in time. The offices closed down. Then people needed to have shots. I said, ‘Wait a minute, I don’t want to go back to work. I’m 83 years old. So, what should I do?’ I thought, I needed a young person to run it. And that person was Elizabeth Van Dyke, our artistic director. She’s experienced and understands how to communicate with this generation. And getting that younger person to run it and work with me over the last year and five months, solidified it for me.” As millions of people quarantined last year, theaters around the world temporarily closed their doors and we were forced to stay at home without live entertainment. For the first time, the theater found the need to compete with social media and streaming platforms. NFT embraced change, deciding to shift theater to the digital space with pre-recorded and live Photos Courtesy of Fountain Baptist Church

Fountain Baptist Church Pastor Dr. J. Michael Sanders and Dr. Carolyn Ann Knight

L-R: First Baptist Church of Teaneck NJ Pastor Dr. Marilyn Harris and Dr. Angelita Clifton

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The Junior Justice League Sack Race